Anyone who knows us or has spent time browsing our showroom has a good idea of how much we love precious colored gemstones. I suppose our love for color has caught the attention of others and we are very excited (and a bit flattered) to be featured in the current issue of The Retail Jeweler Magazine where we were interviewed about how we are successfully marketing and selling fine colored gemstones.
There is a whole world of options – literally – when it comes to color and there are endless creative possibilities to explore when incorporating exciting, vibrant colors into any design. Colored stones also allow the customer to acquire a uniquely beautiful fine jewelry design in almost any price range without sacrificing the look or quality of the piece. Take, for instance, sapphire. Sapphire’s extraordinary crystal properties make it a very durable, tough gem that is perfect for any type of jewelry because of its ability to withstand typical wear-and-tear. In fact, sapphire is a 9 on the Mohs scale which is just one notch below diamond’s rating of 10. And although diamond may still be much more difficult to scratch than sapphire, sapphire is actually a bit tougher (more difficult to break) than diamond. Another great thing about sapphires: While many people think that sapphires only come in various shades of blue, sapphires are in fact found naturally in almost every color of the rainbow… and when it is red, it is a Ruby – yes, ruby and sapphire are both part of the corundum family and chemically, they are identical with the exception of tiny bits of trace elements that find their way into the crystal during formation. In its pure form, corundum is actually colorless and transparent. Depending on the environment in which the corundum crystal forms, different trace elements may replace certain atoms which changes the crystal from colorless to any number of colors depending on the element. In rubies, it is chromium that gives the gem its famous hue.
We would love to hear your feedback! Do you have a favorite colored gemstone? Are you curious to learn more about a particular type of gem? Have you or someone you know opted for a colored gemstone engagement ring rather than a classic diamond ring? Please feel free to share!
