Designing a bespoke engagement ring is a deeply personal and meaningful occasion and opting for a birthstone engagement ring has become a popular choice in South Africa. Incorporating a birthstone into your engagement ring is an easy way to add a touch of sentimentality and uniqueness to your ring – but it’s not necessarily the [...]
If opal doesn’t take your fancy, why not consider tourmaline? It's the newer version of October's birthstone and is available in a wide variety of colours. Considered a semi-precious gemstone, tourmaline is a semi-occurs in various shades of almost every hue. Tourmaline is mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.S.A. Paraíba [...]
If you’re lucky enough to be an October baby, you have two birthstones to choose from – opal and tourmaline. Both are equally gorgeous but they’re radically different to each other and require different levels of care. Let's start with opal.... Perhaps one of the most beautiful gemstones around, opal is a hydrous silicate mineral [...]
Sapphires are September’s birthstone and as far as our clients and friends are concerned, right now there’s only one type of sapphire on people’s lips – peacock sapphires. But what are these gems that everybody is currently obsessed with? As we’ve mentioned before, sapphires come in a large variety of colours; every colour of the [...]
10 Reasons to Rock a Ruby [July's Birthstone] Ruby is the quintessential red gemstone and, as July’s birthstone, we thought we’d share 10 great reasons for you to rock a ruby this season: 1. In ancient Sanskrit, rubies are called “Ratnaraj”, which means “The King of Gems”. 2. Rubies are the second hardest gemstone after [...]
Of all the birthstones, June’s birthstone is perhaps the rarest of all. To many, alexandrite is an enigma; a gem they have heard of, but never seen. A gemstone chameleon, alexandrite has been described as “emerald by day; ruby by night”. Alexandrite is a unique and rare colour-changing variety of the mineral chrysoberyl, and was [...]
Emeralds are, of course May’s birthstone and whilst not the only green gemstone in the world, they are certainly one of the most popular. Like many gemstones, there is much history and folklore associated with emeralds, so we thought we’d share some of the lesser known emerald facts with you this month: 1. In addition [...]
If you’re celebrating your birthday this April, count yourself lucky – your birthstone is diamond, perhaps the most well-known and popular of all gemstones. With a history that dates back thousands of years, diamonds are unique in many ways. To celebrate diamonds as April’s birthstone, we’re bringing you 15 fascinating diamond facts that you probably [...]
Aquamarine is a timeless gemstone, and with its palette of blue hues, the colour of water and sky, is believed to embody eternal life. As the birthstone for March, it symbolises youth, hope, health and fidelity, and aquamarine’s soothing influence on married couples has made it a popular anniversary gift. Often, aquamarine is light in [...]
With Valentine’s Day falling in the middle of this month, February is traditionally celebrated as the month of love. And, with rich, velvety purple hues, amethyst is the perfect birthstone for February. Purple is considered the most regal of colours and so, over time, amethyst has appeared frequently in royal and religious jewellery. Indeed, the [...]
