One of the few stones that are available in just one colour variety; vivid green. The traditional birthstone for the month of August, its name derives from the Arabic word faridat meaning “precious stone”.

The largest and most colourful family of gems; everyone is familiar with garnets that are red to red-orange to red-purple. However, garnets exist in a vast range of colours. In fact, they come in all colours except blue. There is no such thing as a blue garnet. The word garnet comes from the Latin granatus, which means “seed,” due to the fact that garnets in rock resemble dark red pomegranate seeds.

Of the entire gem world, quartz has the most different varieties and expressions. It can be transparent, translucent or opaque, and it comes in almost every colour imaginable. The purple variety known as amethysts are the birthstones for the month of February.

The birthstone for the month of May, the rich green colour is associated with hope, strength, and longevity. Emeralds often have “gardens of inclusion” where the flaws in the stone are appreciated as part of its beauty. Emeralds are soft gemstones that shouldn’t be worn whilst doing abrasive or rough activities.

The birthstone for the month of September. The word sapphire comes from the Greek sappheiros, which means blue. The Persians believed that the Earth rested on an enormous sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its colour. These stones range from blue-tinted with violet to almost black in colour, however, the Sapphire family exists on a spectrum including orange, yellow, pink and even peach. This strong stone is beaten only by diamonds for durability.

A relatively new gemstone, named after Tanzania where it was discovered in 1967. Tanzanite is a transparent gemstone, its colour varies from blue to violet to bluish-purple. One of the recognized gemstones for the birth month of December. A somewhat fragile gemstone, care should be taken whilst wearing jewellery set with Tanzanite.

Unlike most precious stones classified as minerals, pearls are made of organic material called nacre. Pearls come in several colours; cream, yellow, pink, blue, grey, brown, bronze, black, silver, gold, however, the most common of which is white. Pearls are the birthstone of June, and popular bridal and special occasion jewellery. Pearls are quite fragile. The sensitive external layers of nacre have a tendency to crack, scratch, and peel when exposed to hard stones and some chemicals included in cosmetics and perfumes. When pearls are cared for they can last a lifetime.

The birthstone for the month of March. The word aquamarine comes from the Latin aqua marina due to its colour, which brings the sea to mind. Greeks held them in high regard and often engraved Poseidon, the sea god, on aquamarines. Such stones thus protected the person wearing them from any danger. Aquamarines belong to the same family of gems as emeralds and share the familial softness od emerald.

Tourmalines come in a vast range of colours. In fact, almost all colours are possible, covering the entire spectrum, as well as bi- and tri-colour varieties. The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese turamali, which translates as “stone of mixed colours”. The pink variety is the recognized birthstone for the month of October. Tourmaline’s vast range of colours and durability make this gem very popular.