Gemstones
Learn about the qualities, symbolism and care of gemstone jewelry.
*Always follow care instructions included with your jewelry.
Amethyst
- Amethyst is the name of the purple variety of quartz. It comes in a range of hues, from pale lavender to deep royal purple.
- It is February's birthstone and represents sincerity, tranquility, courage, calmness, spirituality and health.
- To care for amethyst jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid lengthy exposure to sunlight, as this can cause the stone's color to fade, and avoid exposure to heat.
Aquamarine
- Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family. It ranges from pale blue to blue-green in color.
- It is March's birthstone and represents happiness, youth, calmness, tranquility and courage.
- To care for aquamarine jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid lengthy exposure to sunlight, as this can cause the stone's color to fade, and avoid exposure to heat.
Carnelian
- Carnelian is a translucent variety of chalcedony, and may appear pale red, deep clear red, brownish-red or yellow-green.
- To care for carnelian jewelry, wipe it gently with a soft, lint-free cloth. Exposure to sunlight can change the color of carnelian, so take care to store away from sunlight.
Cat's-Eye (Chrysoberyl)
- Nicknamed for the reflective quality that mimics the luster of a cat's eye, chrysoberyl most commonly appears in yellow, green-yellow and golden hues. The cat's-eye effect can sometimes also be seen in other gemstones.
- To care for chrysoberyl jewelry, clean it with a soft, damp cloth or have it cleaned it by a jeweler. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and extreme temperatures.
Chalcedony
- Chalcedony refers to various types of colored quartz stones, including agate, aventurine, carnelian and onyx.
- To care for chalcedony jewelry, clean it with a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners can be used to clean chalcedony.
Citrine
- Citrine is a member of the quartz family ranging in color from light yellow to deep golden yellow.
- It is November's birthstone and represents protection, romance, enlightenment, increased self-esteem and success.
- To care for citrine jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid lengthy exposure to sunlight, as this can cause the stone's color to fade. Avoid exposure to heat.
Crystal
- Crystals are created from a combination of minerals and quartz sand. The process produces a stone that is purer and of higher density than glass. Crystals are often coated with a metallic film to add color.
- To care for crystal jewelry, polish it with a soft cloth. Avoid abrasives and contact with water. Store your jewelry in a soft pouch to avoid scratches.
Cubic Zirconia
- Cubic zirconia is a manmade gemstone created to resemble a diamond.
- To care for cubic zirconia jewelry, clean it with any commercial jewelry cleaner and a soft cloth. Clean often to avoid buildup of oil and dirt.
Drusy
- Drusy describes a coating of fine crystals that forms on a rock surface, such as the stones found in a geode. The most common form of drusy is drusy quartz.
- To care for drusy jewelry, clean it with unscented dishwashing detergent, water and a soft brush.
Emerald
- Emerald, a member of the beryl family, is a green stone ranging from transparent to translucent.
- It is May's birthstone and represents success, love, prosperity and eternity.
- To care for emerald jewelry, take it to a professional jeweler for cleaning. If cleaning at home, do so gently with a soft brush and lukewarm water. Always remove emerald jewelry before showering, doing dishes or using any cleaning agent. Avoid chipping your emerald against hard surfaces.
Garnet
- Garnet comes in all colors except blue, with red being the most common, and ranges from transparent to opaque.
- It is January's birthstone and represents constancy, faith, eternity, truth, natural energy, self-confidence, creativity, friendship and good health.
- To care for garnet jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid sudden temperature changes.
Jade
- Jade is lustrous, transparent to opaque, and ranges in color from white to milky green.
- To care for jade jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid heat, harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners.
Marcasite
- The metal used in modern marcasite jewelry is actually pyrite. In the medieval and early modern eras, the two metals went by the same name. This tradition has continued in the jewelry industry. Marcasite as it is known today is not used in jewelry because of its brittleness.
- To care for marcasite jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Ultrasonic cleaning is acceptable. Clean marcasite and silver jewelry often to avoid buildup of tarnish.
Morganite
- Morganite, named after the financier J.P. Morgan, is a form of the mineral beryl. It is a transparent to translucent gemstone, most often pink with orange and yellow varieties.
- To care for morganite jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and warm, soapy water.
Mother-of-Pearl
- Mother-of-pearl comes from the iridescent inner lining of certain mollusk shells.
- To care for mother-of-pearl jewelry, gently clean it with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. As a soft gemstone, mother-of-pearl should avoid any chemicals or scratches; these will destroy its luster.
Onyx
- Onyx is a variety of chalcedony consisting of parallel bands of black and white.
- To care for onyx jewelry, clean it with warm water and a soft cloth. Onyx is prone to cracking and chipping if struck against a hard surface, so avoid sharp blows and store each onyx piece in its own soft compartment or jewelry bag.
Opal
- Opal is prized for its ability to diffract light and create shimmering, iridescent rainbows. Opal's base color is usually green or white.
- It is October's birthstone and represents hope, good fortune and purity.
- To care for opal jewelry, wipe it with lukewarm water and a soft cloth. A very delicate stone, opal should be kept away from excessive heat or extreme temperature changes (to prevent cracking), solvents, abrasions and ultrasonic cleaners. To prevent breakage, opals mounted on a backing should never be submerged in water.
Peridot
- Peridot, also known as olivine, is a transparent gem that ranges in color from bottle green to olive green.
- It is August's birthstone and represents happiness and protection.
- To care for peridot jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid chemical or ultrasonic cleaners and acids. Avoid sudden temperature changes, as they can cause peridot to crack.
Quartz
- Quartz is a versatile stone available in many colors from transparent to opaque.
- To care for quartz jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid excessive heat and sudden temperature changes.
Ruby
- Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, which is the second hardest gemstone after the diamond. Rubies are usually transparent, but opaque rubies can also be found in jewelry.
- It is July's birthstone and represents contentment, love, freedom and peace.
- To care for ruby jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water.
Sapphire
- Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, which is the second hardest gemstone after the diamond. While blue is the color most commonly associated with sapphires, the stone can also be found in white, pink and yellow varieties.
- It is September's birthstone and represents insight, truth, clarity, clear-thinking, sky and heaven.
- To care for sapphire jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water.
Tanzanite
- Tanzanite is the blue form of the mineral zoisite. It is named after Tanzania, the only place it has been found on Earth.
- It is one of the birthstones for December, along with blue topaz, zircon and turquoise.
- To care for tanzanite jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid chemicals and ultrasonic cleaning and do not strike against hard surfaces.
Tiger's-Eye
- Tiger's-eye is a member of the quartz family prized for its silky luster and shimmering stripes. Most commonly golden brown, it also occurs in reddish and blue hues. The blue variety is often called hawk's-eye.
- To care for tiger's-eye jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water.
Tourmaline
- Tourmaline is a transparent gemstone available in a variety of colors.
- To care for tourmaline jewelry, clean it with a soft brush and jewelry cleaner or warm, soapy water. Avoid sudden temperature changes.
Topaz
- Topaz is a transparent gemstone. The most precious color is a wine-yellow; other colors include colorless, yellowish brown, gray, pale green, blue, lavender and red.
- The blue form of topaz is one of the birthstones for December (along with tanzanite, zircon and turquoise) and it represents strength, success, luck, forgiveness and happiness.
- To care for topaz jewelry, clean it with a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. Avoid sudden temperature changes or prolonged exposure to light, as this can destroy the color. Store your topaz jewelry away from direct light.
Turquoise
- Turquoise is an opaque stone that is blue to bluish green in color and is usually marbled or veined. Turquoise is often cut into cabochons.
- It is one of the birthstones for December, along with tanzanite, blue topaz and zircon.
- To care for turquoise jewelry, clean it with a soft cloth. Do not use an ultrasonic cleaner and avoid contact with acids, cosmetics and grease.