Gemstones

We adore precious and semi-precious gemstones, as they are nature’s treasures. They come from various depths and locations all around the world and many have taken thousands of years to form. Each individual gemstone is unique with no identical match. Therefore stones may slightly differ from those in our pictures.

Each month of the year is associated with a birthstone. Download our free Birthstone guide here to find out more.

Care instructions

As gemstones are natural and come in various degrees of hardness, we advise to handle them all with care. Please do not bash or scratch and beware of hard surfaces. Preferably keep out of direct sunlight. Please take off your jewellery before daily rituals such as showering, lotion, perfume, exercise, cleaning, washing dishes etc. Wash with warm water and dish soap. You may use a soft toothbrush. We recommend to check the stone settings yearly with a professional goldsmith.

Amethyst

The amethyst belongs to the quartz group consisting of a violet or purple variety.  Amethysts can be found for example Brazil and even in Finland.  Amethysts are believed to represent hope and strength, which is why, throughout history, heads of state and clergy have used them as a sign of power.

Other famous varieties of quartz are the prasiolite, as know as green amethyst, citrine, and the lemon quartz which has a unique bright neon yellow shade.

The Amethyst is the birthstone of February.

Citrine

The citrine also belongs to the quartz group and its colours range from yellow to orange.  Its name originates in the French word for lemon citron’.  The citrine is known as the stone of joy, positivity and of light.  Some of the oldest found citrines date back to 300 B.C and were favoured amongst Ancient Greeks and Romans.

The Citrine is the birthstone of November.

Sapphire

The sapphire is known as the stone of wisdom.  It is believed to give its holder peace, energy and vitality.  The sapphire belongs to the Corundum family of gems and comes in all colours of the rainbow; with the blue sapphire being the most well known.  The Buddhists believe the sapphire can calm the mind and drive away negative thoughts.

The Sapphire is the birthstone of September.

Topaz

The topaz is a silicate mineral and it is believed it got its name from an island, Topazios, located in the Red Sea.  They are generally colourless, yellow, reddish brown, pink, light green or light blue.  According to tradition, topaz is a stone of joy and peace.  They can be found around the world including Finnish Lapland.

The Topaz is the birthstone of November.

Morganite

The morganite belongs to the beryl family and found in various shades of light/dark pink to pink/peach.  The morganite is named after the famous stone collector J.P Morgan. It is a stone representing love, joy and forgiveness as well as self-love.

Garnet

The garnet is a silicate mineral and ranges in colours from dark red, almost black, brown, green, yellow/ orange to near colourless.  In ancient times it was believed garnets formed the eyes of dragons.  The Roman Caesar Tiberius had a ring in the form of a snake with a garnet stone in its mouth.  It is supposed to protect you from evil and to give a sense of calm. Also, it is said to have great healing power.  Garnets can be found for example in Czech, South Africa, Australia and also Finnish Lapland.

Hessonite is a variety of the garnet family with a golden yellow to brownish orange/red.

The Garnet is the birthstone of January.

Tourmaline

The tourmaline is a crystalline boron silicate mineral and is known to be Earth’s most colourful mineral and gemstone.  Its name comes from the “Sinhalese” word “tourmali”.  Historically one of the most significant sources was the island of Elba, off the coast of Italy.  Today, the major source is Brazil, where tourmalines can be found in almost every colour. Throughout history, tourmalines have been used for protection and as healing stones.

The Tourmaline is the birthstone of October.

Moissanite

The moissanite was discovered by the French chemist Henri Moissan in 1893. At first the discovery was mistakenly identified as diamonds but almost a decade later, he realized that it was composed not of carbon, as in diamonds, but as silicon carbide.  Although discovered almost a century before, the moissanite was only introduced to the jewellery market in 1998.  It is believed that the moissanite provides composure and strengthens the inner self of the wearer, filling natural and spiritual awakening in the life.

Onyx

The onyx has a long history of use for hardstone carving, jewellery and as early as the Second Dynasty in Egypt was used to make bowls and other pottery items.  The black onyx is believed to be a powerful protection stone that absorbs and transforms negative energy, and helps prevent the drain of personal energy.

Spinel

The black spinel is one of the rarest minerals that comes from the spinel family and is a true gemstone often confused with black tourmaline.  Black spinel is usually mined along with ruby and sapphire, which is why the stones share so many similar properties.  It is most commonly found and mined in Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.  The origin of its name cannot be clarified today but it can either be traced back to the Greek “spinos” for “spark” or “sparkle” or to the Latin “spinella” or “Little thorn”.

Kunzite

The kunzite was named after pioneering gemologist George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932) and is found in Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar and the US state of California.  The Smithsonian Institution houses a faceted heart-shaped kunzite that weighs 880 carats.  A relative newcomer to the array of coloured gemstones available for use in jewellery, it has proved to be a highly desirable gem.  The kunzite is a beautiful crystal, pure in energy and joyful in nature.  It is known as a stone of emotion, encouraging one to release walls built around the heart for protection, and to be receptive to the experience of unconditional and abundant love.

Tanzanite

The tanzanite is only found in Tanzania, in a very small mining area near Mount Kilimanjaro.  The jeweler Tiffany & Co named the gemstone after its scientific name of “blue-violet zoisite” was not thought to be consumer friendly enough, who introduced it to the market in 1968. Tanzanite is pleochroic, that is having multiple colours when viewed from different angles. Rarer than diamonds, tanzanite is a highly sought-after gemstone for its rarity and beauty.

The Tanzanite is the birthstone of December.

Peridot

The peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one colour: olive-green.  The intensity and tint of the green, depends on the percentage of iron in the crystal structure. The mining of peridot, called topazios then, began about 1500 B.C. on St. John’s island in the Red Sea. They were mined explicitly for the Egyptian pharaohs. Associated with the sun, peridot has been praised since the earliest civilizations for its protective powers to drive away the forces of darkness. 

The Peridot is the birthstone for August.

Aquamarine

The aquamarine, named after the Latin phrase “water of the sea” referring to its sparkling ocean-like colour.  It is a variety of Beryl which also contains other gem varities, including emerald, morganite and heliodor.  Light blue topaz is easily mistaken for aquamarine as their colours can be identical as well as their physical properties.  It is said that this gem calms waves and keeps sailors safe at sea, as well as, is thought to enhance the happiness of marriages.

The Aquamarine is the birthstone of March.

Chrome Diopside

The chrome diopside is a beautiful intense, stunning bright green gem. It is mined almost exclusively in a region of Eastern Siberia.

Rose Quartz

Rose quartz is one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family and it is found in abundance around the world. It is most commonly found as opaque with cloud like inclusions. It is known as the stone of universal love, appearing in pale pink to peach shade. Also known as the Heart Stone, rose quartz may have been used as a token as early as 600 B.C.. Facial masks of rose quartz have been recovered from Egyptian tombs, as Egyptians believed it could clear the complexion and prevent aging.

Diamond

The diamond is a solid element of carbon and thus the hardest of all precious stones.  Its name comes from the Greek word adamas, which means unconquerable and suggests its hardness.  Diamonds are formed 80km below the earth’s crust in extreme conditions. Although known as colourless, diamonds can be found in green, yellow and most expensive pink and blue.  The largest cut diamond, known as the African Star, is 530 carats in size and is mounted in the head of the Sovereign’s Scepter with Cross, found at the Tower of London.

The Diamond is the birthstone of April.

Emerald

The emerald is 20 times rarer than the diamond, and is a variety of the mineral beryl with a rich, distinctively green colour. Although the emerald has a hardness of 7.5-8 of the Mohns scale, it can be vulnerable to breakage and general damage due to its soft and porous nature, numerous inclusions and surface reaching fractures. Never place an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner. This gem has been adored and desired for centuries even with Cleopatra, and were mined in Egypt as early as the 300 B.C.

The Emerald is the birthstone of May.

Ruby

The ruby is the most valuable variety of the mineral corundum, family to the sapphire. It has a stunning pinkish red to blood-red colour, and has been a symbol of passion, protection and prosperity since ancient times. Often known as the king of all gemstones, it is particularly prized in Asian countries, with records suggesting it was traded along the China’s North Silk Road as early as 200 B.C..

The Ruby is the birthstone of July.