SARA HANDMADE JEWELLERY
A Guide to Gemstones
Australian made
20 Years experience
Ethically sourced gemstones
Crafted to last a lifetime
A Guide to the Most Popular Gems
At Sara Handmade Jewellery Kiama, we love working with coloured gems in our jewellery designs. They come in almost any colour and shade imaginable. Below is a gemstone glossary we’ve written, to help you learn more about our most worked with gems.
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Amazonite (Hardness 6-6.5)
Amazonite which is also known as Amazon Stone or Amazon Jade is a blue green coloured type of microcline which is a member of the feldspar mineral group.
Amethyst (7)
Amethyst is a violet-purple type of quartz. Amethyst is one of the most well known crystals because of its beautiful colour and spiritual meaning. Spiritually, amethyst represents groundedness, calmness and tranquility. Amethyst’s name is derived from the Greek word Amethystos which means ‘not intoxicated’.
Ametrine (7)
Ametrine which is also known as Bolivianite is a naturally occurring variety of quartz. Amethyst is a mixture of both amethyst and citrine and has zoning of both purple and yellow-orange. Nearly all Amerine available in the market originates from Bolivia.
Apatite (5)
Apatite is a name given to a group of phosphate minerals with similar chemical composition and physical properties. Most famously, apatite gemstones are found in neon blues (similar to that of Paraiba tourmaline) but the range of colours includes lighter and darker blues, greens, yellows, purples and browns. With a Mohs hardness of 5, the use of apatite in jewellery is better suited to earrings and pendants.
Aquamarine (7.5-8)
Aquamarines are a transparent blue member of the Beryl family. The name aquamarine is derived from its latin name which means ‘water of the sea’. As the birthstone for March, aquamarine is a popular gift in pieces of jewellery. The colour of aquamarines can range from very light (almost clear) to bright vibrant blues. The brighter the shade of blue the more desired and valuable it is.
Beryl (7.5-8)
With the help of technology we can easily undertake design consultations by phone, email or video call. Together, we can work on a design that will eventually become a beautiful piece of bespoke jewellery. We’ve created custom jewellery remotely for clients in Sydney, Brisbane and further afield.
Chrysoberyl (8.5)
Chrysoberyl is one of the hardest gemstones with a hardness of 8.5. Most commonly yellow, chrysoberyl can also be found in orange, greens and brown. Chrysoberyl is best known for its famous varieties Alexandrite which changes colour in different light, and cat’s eye. Of all gemstones that display a cat’s eye effect, the chrysoberyl variety are the most distinct.
Citrine (Mohs Hardness 7)
Citrine is a variety of quartz that comes in transparent pale yellow to a browny orange. Natural citrine is rare and most found on the market is made by heat treating amethyst. Due to its hardness (7) and affordability, citrine is the most commonly purchased yellow-orange gem.
Diamond (10)
Diamond needs no introduction as it is the most famous and valuable natural material on Earth. Harder than any other substance, diamonds have a long list of unique properties. Chemically resistant, high thermal conductivity and optical properties that include a high index of refraction and dispersion. Most diamonds used as gemstones are colourless or lightly coloured. Coloured diamonds known as ‘fancies’ are rare but can be found in Blue, Champagne, Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, Brown, Pink, Purple, Grey and Black. Our gemstone information page has more on Pink Diamonds.
Garnet (6.5-7.5)
Garnet is the name given to a group of closely related minerals. Garnets are found throughout the world in a large variety of colours. The birthstone for January, people normally associate garnets with a deep red colour. They can however, be found in green, yellow, orange, brown, black, grey, pink and purple. The demantoid garnet that comes in green is the rarest and most valuable variety. The demantoid garnet has a green to rival emeralds and a fire that exceeds that of a diamond.
Iolite (7-7.5)
Iolite is a violet to blue form of cordierite. It can be light through to deeper blue and normally carries a tinge of purple. The durability (7-7.5) combined with its affordability have seen the popularity of iolite in jewellery increase in recent years. The deeper coloured specimens are more valued and command a higher price.
Emerald (7.5-8)
Emerald is the green variety of the beryl family of minerals. Emerald has been one of the most desired coloured stones for over 5000 years. The durability of emerald, as well as its colour and rarity make it one of the most expensive gemstones available.
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Labradorite (6-6.5)
Famed for its iridescent play of colour known as labradorescence, Labradorite is a member of the feldspar family. The stone itself is usually black, dark grey to green with metallic looking colour plays of peacock blue, green, gold and coppery red.
Lapis Lazuli (Mohs Hardness 5-5.5)
Lapis Lazuli or lapis as it is more commonly known has been used in antiquity, and continues to be popular today. Lapis is a deep blue opaque gemstone that is one of the oldest known spiritual stones. Spiritually, Lapis represents universal truth and has been used for power, wisdom, to stimulate psychic abilities and inner vision.
Moldavite (5.5-7)
15 million years ago, in the heat of an asteroid impact is when scientists believe moldavite was formed. Moldavite is a natural glass that is usually yellowish-green, green or greenish-brown in colour. Since the mid 1800’s moldavite has been faceted into gems and used in jewellery
Moonstone (6)
Moonstone is the name for gem quality feldspar exhibiting a soft glow of light appearing to float below the surface. This phenomenon is known as adularescence and appears in a polished gemstone, normally faceted as a cabochon.
Morganite (7.5-8)
Although Beryl is most known for emerald and aquamarine, morganite is beryl in its orange to pink form. The popularity of morganite has grown steadily since 2010 for its beautiful colour and durability. After sapphire, morganite is the second most popular coloured gemstone to be used in engagement rings as a center stone.
Opal (5.5-6.5)
The birthstone for the month of October, opal is one of the world's most popular gemstones. There are many different varieties of opals found around the world. A good gem quality opal can flash every colour of the spectrum with fire equal to or surpassing that of diamonds. The value of opals can vary greatly with top quality pieces being similar to that of diamonds, rubies and sapphires.
Peridot (6.5-7)
Peridot is one of a handful of gems that only occurs in one colour, green. It is a type of silicate known as olivine and gets its colour from iron trace elements. The amount of iron can affect its shade and it can range from golden to olive-green.
Quartz (7)
The most abundant mineral found at the Earth’s surface is quartz. It is a crystalline mineral made up of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. Its unique properties make it one of the most useful natural substances and it has applications in electronics, making glass as well as a gemstone. As a gemstone quartz is durable and some of the popular varieties include; Amethyst, Ametrine, Citrine, Rose Quartz and Smoky Quartz.
Red Beryl (Mohs Hardness 7.5-8)
Red beryl is the rarest variety of the beryl family. Gemstone grade crystals have only ever been found in one location, Beaver County, Utah. A gemological survey estimated that only one red beryl crystal is found for every 150,000 gem-quality diamonds.
Rose Quartz (7)
Rose quartz is the pink variety of the mineral quartz. It is plentiful, found in large quantities and a favourite among lapidary groups.
Ruby (9)
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum of which sapphire makes up every other colour. Most people aren’t aware that the two share the same mineral structure and chemical composition. Rubies can range in colour from orangy red to purple or brownish red. Bright vibrant red to purplish red are the most desirable and valued colours. Rubies are one of the hardest gemstones with a hardness of 9 on Mohs hardness scale.
Smoky Quartz (7)
Smoky quartz is a yellowish-brown to brown variety of the crystalline quartz. Smoky quartz is abundant and inexpensive and is not currently in high demand. It has gained some popularity for jewellery over recent years with orange to reddish brown being most preferred.
Sapphire (9)
Like rubies, sapphires are also a variety of the mineral corundum. Where rubies are red in colour, sapphires are blue. Trace amounts of other elements can also corundum in other beautiful colours including green, purple, yellow, pink and orange. Corundums in any other colour than red or blue are known as ‘fancy sapphires’. Sapphires have a hardness of 9 on Mohs hardness scale making them one of the hardest gems. The hardness of sapphires makes them a perfect choice for all jewellery types. We’ve have more detailed pages on Australian Sapphires and Ceylon Sapphires where you can learn more about this amazing gems.
Sphene (5-5.5)
Sphene is the name used in the jewellery industry for titanite which occurs in metamorphic rock. It is commonly yellow through green to brown in colour and is a softer stone with a hardness of 5.0 to 5.5. Due to its softness sphene is not suited as a ring stone and should be kept for earrings or pendants. What sphene lacks in hardness it more than makes up for in dispersion of light. Sphene is one of the few minerals with a dispersion that is higher than diamond.
Spinel (7.5-8)
Spinel is a very hard gemstone that occurs in a variety of colours. The main colours that spinel are found in include pink, red, orange, blue, purple, brown, black and colourless. For tens of centuries, red and blue spinel have both been confused as rubies and sapphires. Because of this confusion, they have found their way into jewellery of royalty.
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Tanzanite (6-6.5)
Blueish, gem quality specimens of the mineral zoisite were named Tanzanite when they were used in jewellery by Tiffany & Co. The name ‘Tanzanite’ comes from commercially mined quantities only being found in Tanzania. Tanzanite comes in colours that range from blues through to violets. It is a slightly softer stone with a Mohs hardness of 6.5. For this reason, tanzanite is best suited for use in earrings, pendants and dress or occasional wear rings.
Topaz (8)
Beautifully coloured, durable and the birthstone for November are some reasons topaz is an extremely popular gemstone. Topaz is a rare silicate mineral that naturally occurs in colours yellow, orange, pink, red, purple and blue. Topaz has a Mohs hardness of 8 making it great for use in all types of jewellery.
Tourmaline (7-7.5)
Tourmaline is the name given to a group of boron silicate minerals. The chemical composition varies greatly causing different colours and colour zoning. No other gemstone is available in more colours than tourmaline. It is the birthstone for November and one of the world’s most popular gemstones. Tourmaline has a Mohs hardness of 7.0 to 7.5 making it durable enough in everyday wear jewellery. At Sara Handmade Jewellery we love tourmalines and you can learn more about them at our gemstone information page on tourmalines.
Zircon (6-7.5)
Zircon is a renowned gemstone that has been used for well over a millennium. Zircon is found in a large variety of colours and has dispersion that can rival that of diamond. Zircon has a hardness that can range from 6 to 7.5 making somewhat restricted to its use in jewellery. Zircon is more suited to use in earrings and pendants.
Our Services
Sara Handmade Jewellery offers bespoke jewellery, custom designs and everything in between to keep you sparkling
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Bespoke & Custom
Have a piece jewellery custom designed and created just for you. Become a part of the design process for your new special piece.
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Engagement Rings
We will find the perfect gemstone to create you an engagement ring that expresses your love and will be treasured forever.
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Jewellery Remodelling
Have family heirlooms, sentimental jewellery and unworn pieces remodelled into something new. Add gems and give the design your own personal touch.
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Repairs & Restoration
Repair or restore your damaged jewellery to look like new. Resizing, rhodium plating, re-tipping as well as replacing damaged and missing gemstones.
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Dress & Cocktail
Big, bold and beautiful dress rings designed to make a statement. We can help you create your own bespoke statement ring.
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Gemstone Sourcing
We will find the precious and semi-precious gems you are looking for in any colour, size, shape or clarity.
FAQs on Gemstones
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Diamond is the hardest gemstone with a hardness score of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale.
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Both rubies and sapphires are varieties of the mineral corundum. Both gemstones have a hardness of 9 on Mohs hardness scale. This makes rubies and sapphires second only to diamonds in hardness and durable enough for everyday wear.
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Emerald is a variety of the beryl family of minerals along with morganite and aquamarine. Emerald has a hardness of 7.5 – 8 on Mohs hardness scale making it relatively resistant to scratching. All emeralds have inclusions which does make them susceptible to chipping or breaking. When choosing an emerald, make sure the inclusions do not reach the surface of the stone.
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