June Birthstones: Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone

June has not one, but three birthstones: Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone. In this issue of Adina’s Newsletter, find out some interesting information about the fascinating and unusual birthstones of June:

1. There is only one other month of the year that boasts three birthstones. December’s birthstones are turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite.
2. The pearl is also the birthstone for the Sun Signs Gemini and Cancer.
3. Pearls are organic gemstones created when a tiny irritant such as sand enters a mollusk’s shell. The mollusk secretes nacre to coat the object, and the layers become pearls.
4. You can tell if a pearl is real by sliding it across your teeth. If it’s gritty, it’s probably real.
5. Around 90 percent of pearls are cultured, meaning they are made by mollusks under controlled conditions,and are difficult to differentiate from naturally occurring pearls.
6. Shortly after her death in 2011, Elizabeth Taylor’s La Peregrina pearl necklace was purchased at her "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor" Christie's auction for $11.8 million — the highest amount any pearl has ever sold for at auction.
7. The largest natural pearl was discovered in Patterson, NJ.
8. Alexandrite is a rare gemstone made of the mineral chrysoberyl that changes from green to red in incandescent light.
9. The Alexandrite was named after the Russian tsar, Alexander II, and was the national stone of old Imperial Russia.
10. Moonstone was given its name by the Roman natural historian Pliny, who wrote that moonstone's appearance was altered with the phases of the moon — that belief held until some time after the 16^th century.
11. The blue seen in moonstones is not mineral color, but a form of iridescence from multi-layer interference of light known as adularescence.

If you’re looking to buy birthstone, Adina by Empire Jewelers has a beautiful collection of estate and vintage jewelry, available at true wholesale prices. Shop online today and enjoy our vast selection of fine pearl jewelry, watches, diamonds, gold, sterling silver, estate and vintage jewelry, coins and more. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Emerald, the May Birthstone

Emerald, the May Birthstone

Here are some fun facts to help improve your knowledge and lore of the stunning and ever-popular Emerald:

Emerald, the May Birthstone

1. Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl.
2. Emerald green is the most sought after and valuable shade of emerald.
3. Emeralds get their green color from trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium.
4. Ireland is known as “the Emerald Isle” for its lush green fields.
5. The emerald is the gemstone for the Zodiac star sign, Taurus.
6. Emeralds are traditionally given as gifts for 20th, 35th and 55th anniversaries.
7. An emerald with the right color and characteristics can be rarer and more expensive than a diamond of similar size.
8. Emeralds are symbolic of springtime and rebirth, and so are believed to help with  fertility, ensure a healthy pregnancy, and ease childbirth.
9. The word emerald is derived from the Greek word, smaragdos, which means means green stone.
10. On a scale of 10, emeralds are a 7.8 – 8 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
11. Today, most emeralds are found in Colombia, and the most famous emerald deposit is called the Muzo mine, located northwest of Bogota.
12. Up until around 200 years ago, peridots were commonly mistaken to be emeralds.
13. Green Swarovski crystals are used to make replica emeralds because they can be more precisely faceted.

April Birthstone Q&A Quiz: Diamond

Are diamonds your best friend? Before you answer, take this quiz and test your knowledge of official birthstone of April! Scroll down for the answers — but no cheating!

1. Diamonds are a naturally occurring allotrope of what element?
   
2. Diamonds are formed deep inside the Earth’s interior when carbon is crystallized over a long period of time. What two factors cause the crystallization?
   
3. Diamonds are appraised and priced according to the 4 Cs: color, clarity, carat weight and cut. What organization created this standard grading system?
   
4. Diamonds were first mined in India around 800BC. Today, what are the four top diamond producing countries in the world?
5. A state park in Arkansas is the only diamond-producing location in the world that allows the public to dig for and keep the diamonds they find. What is the name of the state park?
   
6. Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in what 1953 film?
   
7. In the 1963 film, The Pink Panther, Peter Sellers played clueless police inspector Jacques Clouseau on the trail of a jewel thief known as The Phantom. In the movie, what is the name of “the largest diamond in the world?”
   
8. In December 2011, Elizabeth Taylor’s renowned jewelry collection was auctioned at Christie’s in New York. One of her most famous pieces was the Taylor-Burton diamond ring, given to her by husband, Richard Burton. How many carats is it, and what is its estimated worth?
   
9. In James Cameron’s movie Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, what is the name of the fictional blue diamond lost to the ocean?
10. On December 10, 2012 at the final lot of Christie’s “Magnificent Jewels” auction, a new world auction record was achieved for a reddish-orange fancy colored diamond. What was the diamond’s carat weight, and what did it sell for?

Diamond Quiz Answers:

1. Carbon
2. Heat and pressure.
   
3. The 4 Cs grading system was created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
   
4. Australia, Zaire, Botswana, and the former Soviet Union.
5. Crater of Diamonds State Park.
6. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
7. “The Pink Panther.”
   
8. The Taylor-Burton diamond is a 69.42 carat pear-shaped stone estimated to be worth $3.5 million. Taylor sold the diamond in 1978 following her divorce from Burton to fund her charity work.
   
9. “The Heart of the Ocean.”
   
10. The rare 3.15 carat diamond is the largest reddish-orange diamond ever graded at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and sold for $2,098,500, setting a new world auction record for a reddish-orange diamond and a new per-carat record price of $666,200.

If you’re lucky enough to have been born in April, you’re even more lucky to claim the diamond as your birthstone. An April birthday or not, you wouldn’t be alone if the diamond is your favorite gemstone. If you’re looking for diamond jewelry, shop Adina’s eBay store for a magnicent selection of estate and vintage diamond jewelry, including a vast collection of rings, necklaces and bracelets as well as other precious and semi-precious estate and vintage jewelry, gemstones and more.