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Fair October wears the opal’s frost and fire,Hope and courage in misfortune to inspire.(Tiffany & Co., 1892) October’s child is born for woe,And life’s vicissitudes must know,But lay an opal on her breast,And hope will lull those woes to rest.(Tiffany & Co., 1892) When fair October to her bring the beryl,No longer need she fear misfortunes peril.(Tiffany & Co., 1909) Birthstones Modern,…

Dowager Empress Tz’u Hsi (Cixi), who ruled China from 1860 to 1908 wearing a headdress of tourmaline and pearls (source) The Empress Dowager Cixi—aging, embattled, yet unwilling to surrender her grasp on beauty—found solace in the soft gleam of pink tourmaline. It was more than a gemstone; it was reinvention, a gesture toward Western elegance after the Boxer Rebellion left the old China…

The Logan Sapphire (source) The Logan Sapphire sits heavy in its brooch, a stone the size of a large egg, but far more consequential. Weighing in at 422.98 carats, it measures nearly two inches long and one and a half inches wide. This isn’t just any sapphire. It’s a mixed cushion-cut gem, a rounded rectangle of deep blue with the faintest whisper of violet. The cut, crafted not for brilliance…

Tiffany & Co boxes (source) The practice of wearing and giving birthstones has a long, long history that dates way back to ancient Jewish tradition. I’ll spend some more time writing about that ancient, Jewish-Greek-Roman-Medieval history in another post. The idea of birthstones as we know them today really dates back to about the mid-1800s. Up until the mid-1800s only really wealthy people…

cross-section slice of a meteorite with peridot (olivine) inclusions (source) In 2000, a 925-pound meteorite crashed in Fukang, China, showing no immediate signs of the remarkable beauty hidden inside. However, when a thin slice of the rock was removed, it revealed an extraordinary surprise. This meteorite was not just any space rock; it was an incredibly rare pallasite, a stony-iron meteorite.…

Peridot crystal (source) Peridot is the gemstone variety of the mineral called olivine. Peridot is one of the few gemstones to come in only one color: green. However, depending on its iron content, peridot’s green color may range from a light yellow green to a brownish golden green. Peridot’s Many, Many Names Peridot was the most misunderstood gemstone in history. Not only did peridot have…

Bouquet of red poppies (1940) by Elsbeth Müller-Kaempff (1869–1940), Oil on canvas. Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale), from the Swallowtail Garden Seeds collection of botanical photographs and illustrations. (source) Wear a carnelian, or for theeNo conjugal felicity;The August borne without this stone‘Tis said must live, unloved and lone.(Tiffany & Co., 1892, 1909) Loving once and always,…

Star ruby (source) Loving, doubting, only finds her restWith a ruby glowing on her breast.(Tiffany & Co., 1892) The glowing ruby shall adornThose who in July are born;Then they’ll be exempt and freeFrom love’s doubts and anxiety.(Tiffany & Co., 1892) The heav’n blue turquoise should adornAll those who in July are born;For thus they’ll be exempt and freeFrom love’s doubts and anxiety.(Tiffany &…

This alabaster statuette, adorned with stucco hair and a crescent moon of gilded bronze, features arms once tied to the body with gold wires. The rubies in its eyes and navel, originating from distant Burma, hint at its historical journey. Likely from Babylonia’s Parthian period (1st century BCE – 2nd century ACE), these figurines were placed in women’s graves, representing an idealized version…

Alexandrite ring, shown in daylight (green) (source) Alexandrite is the color-change variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Green in daylight or fluorescent light, alexandrite is red to purplish red in incandescent light or candle light. The Most Expensive of All Gemstones Large deposits of alexandrite were found in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1830. The Ural Mountain alexandrites displayed…

Lake Superior Agate (source) Blue agate ring (source) In the past, Agate was THE BIRTHSTONE for June! Here are some more Agate Symbols. AGATE as a BIRTHSTONE Traditional (1800-1900): JuneHistorical (pre-1900): May: Jewish, Roman, Italian June: Arabic, Polish, Russian AGATE ANNIVERSARIES 12th (alternate) agate14th moss agate AGATE CELESTIAL SYMBOLS Angel AmbrielPlanet Mars and VenusZodiac…

Poodle carved in pink chalcedony with ruby eyes (source) Fish carved in banded agate (source) Chimpanzee carved in banded agate with diamond eyes (source) Mouse carved in smoky quartz with ruby eyes and a diamond encrusted tail (source) Hippopotamus carved in nephrite jade with diamond eyes (source) Fabergé’s exquisite animal figurines, inspired by Japanese netsuke, stand out as masterpieces…

Bavarian Lover’s Knot Tiara (source) The Bavarian Lover’s Knot Tiara Queen Therese of Bavaria (1792–1854), wife of King Ludwig I, reigned as Queen of Bavaria and is immortalized through the annual celebration of Oktoberfest, originally created to commemorate their wedding. Queen Therese had a profound affection for pearls, and her exquisite jewelry collection prominently featured the Bavarian…

Moonstone, the opalescent variety of orthoclase feldspar, takes its name from its white or blue-ish sheen, caused by the reflection of light from the stone’s internal structure and often compared to the shine of the moon. Other varieties of moonstone can be yellow, peach or colorless. Moonstone is said to balance yin and yang energy. It is one of the birthstones for June and for the zodiac sign…

Coco Chanel 1931 (source) Coco Chanel changed the world. Chanel was to fashion what the Model T was to the auto industry. Revolutionary Ideas Before Chanel, women wore tight corsets and fussy, impractical clothing. Chanel introduced revolutionary ideas that changed attitudes about women and women’s wear around the world. A short list of Coco’s contributions to fashion -The Little Black…

June, with health and wealth and many happy years,Wears an agate lest her sunshine turns to tears.(Tiffany & Co., 1892) moss agate ring (source) Thro’ the moss agate’s charm, the happy yearsNe’er see June’s sunshine turn to tears.(Tiffany & Co., 1909) Who comes with summer to this earth,And owes to June her hour birth,With ring of agate on her handCan health, wealth and long life…

Jackie Kennedy wearing her famous faux pearl necklace (source) First Lady Jackie Kennedy famously stated, “Pearls are always appropriate.” Her iconic faux pearl necklace, originally purchased for $35, fetched an astonishing $211,500 at auction in 1996. Pearls have long symbolized elegance and sophistication, but what makes these iridescent treasures so invaluable? Natural pearls are incredibly…