February Newsletter 2022
February is upon us and in the gemstone world that can mean only one thing – Valentine's Day. We spend billions on romantic gifts at this time of year and jewelry accounts for the most money spent. Of course choosing just the right gemstone for a loved one is rather tricky, especially if you want it to be a surprise.
There are a few ways to make the task a bit easier.
By Birth date
Selecting a birthstone as a gift is an obvious option, it will have a special connection to whoever receives this gift.
Using our 'Gemstone by Birth Date' filter you can dig deeper into special gemstone birth connections. The date, month, year, zodiac and more come into play and a few more choices appear. Someone born on the 6th February 1990 and loves red could have ruby or garnet gemstones in stunning red tones.
Find a gemstone by date, month, year here
By Color
Color is king with gemstones. Find out what the recipient's favorite color is and find an ideal gemstone to fit their needs and your budget. This can be done quite subtly without giving away the idea that you are planning to buy a gemstone.
Choosing a gemstone by color could not be simpler than using our color filter. Just click on your desired color below.
By Spirituality
There is always the spiritual aspect to consider. We have a number of guides to gemstones and the spiritual world that can help you choose the perfect present. Certain gemstones can be a significant influence on Karma, the Chakras, Qi or Blood groups. A quick read of these guides should making choosing a gemstone to boost Karmic love or aiding the Third Eye Chakra a breeze.
Or you could just ask him or her which gemstone they would like but that would not be as romantic or inspired and what could be better than a gift that both surprising and thoughtful?
New Arrivals
That does remind me that we have some amazing rubies among our new arrivals this month. Heart shapes and cushion cuts in nice big sizes at remarkable value and the perfect Valentine's Day stone.
Check out these great examples.
Gemstones in the news
Not a great deal about gemstones in the newspapers this month. The only thing that caught my eye was the fantastic Okavango Blue Diamond, flawless, over 20 carats and worth millions. It was discovered in Botswana and, with most of very concerned about the ethics of the diamond trade, this video link is very enlightening.
February Birthstone
A quick reminder that February's birthstone is the Amethyst - a stunning purple or violet gem which was once as valuable as emeralds and sapphires until huge deposits were discovered in Brazil. Most amethysts are still sourced in this South American gemstone powerhouse and you can see our extensive stock here.
Okay, I am sure I have taken up enough of your time, I will say goodbye and leave you with a couple of our questions sent in by customers this month.
Question
What is a Druzy gemstone?
Answer
The term druzy refers to an aggregate mass of tiny crystals of minerals that form on the surface of another stone. These crystal clusters can be formed by many different minerals. Each type of druzy has particular characteristics, such as crystal size, luster and color. Quartz is one of the most common druzy types because of the prevalence of silica throughout the world. No matter what mineral forms the druzy, the overall appearance is like the sparkling of sugar or snow. The tiny crystals are considered beautiful because, like large gemstones, they glitter and catch rays of light.
Question
Is Variscite the same as Turquoise?
Answer
Short answer, no. Variscite is often confused with turquoise, though variscite tends to be greener in color rather than blue. The variscite from Nevada, USA, which usually contains black spider webbing in the matrix, can easily be confused with greenish turquoise. Gemologists can definitively separate variscite from turquoise since turquoise contains traces of copper whereas variscite does not. Variscite is colored by traces of chromium rather than copper. Variscite is a relatively rare phosphate mineral, and high-quality specimens are used as gemstones and for carvings. Its name derives from Variscia, the historical name of Vogtland in Germany, where it was first found in 1837. At one time it also went under the name Utahlite, since significant deposits have also been found in Utah, USA.
That's all for now.
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Happy Gemstone Hunting!
Team GemSelect
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