8/23/16

Tanzanite, Tuquoise & Topaz Tuesday...


I'm going to treat myself to a birthday present this year. I want a new birthstone ring. Not an expensive one, but one that is considered a fashion ring with my birthstone in it. 

My birthday is in December. And for some reason, December has FOUR different birthstones. One is called Tanzanite. The International Gemstone Color Association (IGCA) says "Tanzanite is an extraordinary gemstone. It occurs in only one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint of purple, is a wonderful colour. Thanks to its unusual aura and the help of the New York jeweller's Tiffany, it has rapidly become one of the most coveted gemstones in the world.It is named after the East African state of Tanzania, the only place in the world where it has been found."



Okay...let's rethink tanzanite. Rare? One place in the world to fine it? Tiffany's uses it? Yep, way out of this girls price range. So my next choice is turquoise. I do like turquoise but I always feel like I should dress in suede and fringe and move to Arizona or New Mexico. Don't know why I feel that way, but I do if I want to wear turquoise jewelry. 



So that brought me to my next birthstone. The beautiful, beautiful blue of Zircon. I really like it. But it is a very dense gem and therefore the weight of it is heavier which means a smaller stone if I want the ring to be comfortable. Plus the IGCA says it is more brittle and easier to crack, chip or break. So mark that off my list. 


Which leaves me with the Blue Topaz. The blue topaz is a man made gem that is made using special processes to create a clear topaz into a blue topaz. There are blue topaz gems in real gems, but they are rare and hard to find. So I'm sure they would be too expensive. But I do love the man made blue. It comes in various shades depending on the process they use. 


So I went searching for rings I might like in the blue topaz. This was one that I liked.  

But this is one I fell in love with. 


Would love to know what your birthstone is....