Aquamarine: wearing the ocean

Aquamarine is a relatively rare gemstone found mainly in Brazil, Nigeria and Zambia and it is the birthstone for March.

Its name, like its hue, recalls the tranquil blue of the sea. Aquamarine was a talisman for sailors who wore the stone to keep them safe and prevent seasickness.

Like the sea, aquamarine can have a blue or blue-green colour. This gem adds the blue component to green emerald. And, because of its rarity it can be as expensive as Emerald. Aquamarine is very much worth the price because it is also quite hard and durable, which means a beautiful long-term investment.

               
                             

This gorgeous aquamarine pendant has a platinum setting and exquisite colour and clarity. It is priced at $8,125.00. It is currently one of our "I need a good home" items which means a deal could be struck when it comes to the price!

While we don't see them much in North America, there have been very desirable saturated blue aquamarine gems found in South America. Aquamarine is generally a light blue, and clear stones are the most valuable and ideal.

Here we have a pair of 14KY and aquamarine earrings with the more rare and very nice saturated blue colour. These earrings are $139.63. 

Aquamarine is another gemstone that should not be heated. In order to do work that requires heat on a piece of jewellery with an aquamarine it is wise to unset the stone first so that it doesn't change colour.

Because of its value, aquamarine is generally set in gold or platinum. For those looking for an affordable option, light blue topaz in sterling silver can be worn as the birthstone for March because the colour can be extremely similar.

The blue topaz gemstones set in these sterling silver earrings very much resemble aquamarine. These beauties are $80.00.

Another example of blue topaz that is indistinguishable from aquamarine, this sterling silver pendant is $47.50. 

We also have blue cubic zirconias that match the clear, light blue aquamarine colour and we can set these in any sterling silver setting for another affordable option.

Each cubic zirconia can be a slightly different shade of blue which is also true of genuine aquamarine. We have many different sizes in blue cubic zirconia which can be set in anything you'd like. 

If you're in the market for an aquamarine, make sure to get an explicit confirmation that it is in fact aquamarine and not light blue topaz or cubic zirconia. We always inform you of the less expensive option and we never present a stone as something it's not - but we can't speak for any other jewellers.

As always, we have a wide variety of finished jewellery and unset stones for you to take a look at.

All About Amethyst

Amethyst is a beautiful stone with many different shades. It is the birthstone for February and can also say "Happy Valentine's Day".

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz. Its colour comes from sulfur and manganese and natural radiation. The shade of purple can vary from a pale violet to a very rich, dark purple; this darker shade is the more popular shade of amethyst.

These two pendants show the different shades of amethyst. The lighter amethyst on the left has a spectacular cut that makes this pendant slightly more expensive than the darker amethyst on the right. Both are set in sterling silver. The pendant on the left is $91.25 and the one on the right is $75. 

Amethyst has been said to have many different powers such as protecting against seduction, protecting crops from locusts, bringing good luck in war and hunting, driving out evil spirits and increasing the intellect. The most common power amethyst is said to have is to prevent intoxication. Afterall, its name comes from the Greek "amethystos", meaning "not drunk".

We can't guarantee that you won't feel the effects of a fun night out while wearing these sterling silver and amethyst earrings ($60), but you will look great!

Amethyst is a relatively hard and tough stone while still being inexpensive. It does have one special quirk in that it can change colour in a couple of different ways. The main way amethyst changes colour is if it is heated. So, any jewellery needing repair or sizing has to have the amethyst unset first so that the colour will stay intact. If amethyst is left in direct sunlight for a very long time, it can also fade, but this is a much less common problem and doesn't happen to every amethyst gem.

Another great example of the different shades of amethyst, the ring on the left is a size 6.5 and is $56.25. The ring on the right is a size 7 and is $93.75.

You can also get a stone called Ametrine, which is a naturally occuring mix of the purple amethyst and the yellow citrine.

We don't have any set ametrines in stock but we do have a few loose ametrine gemstones, including the one above, that you can set in whatever you'd like.

 Amethyst is found in many different places around the world, even Canada has a commercial amethyst mine in Thunder Bay. The finest amethyst gems are found in South America.

These sterling silver viking knit and amethyst briolette earrings were hand-made here at Westdale Jewellers. They have a matching sterling silver viking knit necklace. The earrings are $80.

 

 

We also have a large selection of gold and amethyst jewellery and tons of unset amethyst gemstones to create the perfect custom piece with. So come and take a look at all our pretty amethyst jewellery and gemstones for those February babies or that special someone!



Damascus Steel: From Weapons to Jewellery

Damascus steel has a unique and interesting look that's becoming popular in jewellery. Originally, damascus steel was made into weapons such as this Dirk because of its superior hardness and flexibility.

 

The damascus steel Katana is probably the most popular type of damascus steel weapon. 

 

The original process used to create damascus steel weapons was incredibly labour intensive and produced larger pieces.

The proper term for modern damascus steel is pattern welded steel, but the term "damascus steel" is still used because of its popularity. Although slightly less labour intensive, creating pattern welded steel still requires a huge amount of labour and skill, as well as special machines that require space, which is where most of the price comes from. It is not an easy or inexpensive process, but it's the only way to achieve the look.

This Damascus steel ring has a strip of 14KW gold around the middle and is priced at $837.

 

To create damascus steel (aka pattern welded steel) two different pieces of metal are stacked on top of each other and heated so that the surfaces of each piece are almost molten but the core of each piece is still solid. You hammer the metal together at this stage which essentially molds them into one. You then stretch out the new piece of metal, fold it and repeat the process to get the multiple layers that result in the interesting patterns.

This damascus steel ring is slightly more grey than black in person, and is priced at $387.

The damascus steel rings we now have in stock range from $387 to just over $1,000 and are a great example of the unique patterns damascus steel can be produced with.

Here are a few more of the rings we have in stock:

We have this delicate damascus steel ring priced at $387.

 

This more robust damascus steel ring is also slightly more grey than black in the middle and is priced at $795.

 

Our final example of what we have in stock is priced at $387.

 

You can view the full line when you come into the store; we'd love to see you!