Gemstone and Birthstone Guide
Adamas Goldsmiths carries a wide variety of gemstones in our showroom in Edmonton. Since there’s so many of them, we also offer to order gemstones in for customers, so there’s no real limit to what we can do. For larger and more expensive gemstones, we can bring in stones just for viewing, just like we do for diamonds. Most gemstones can vary a lot in color and darkness, so it’s usually a good idea to see the stone in person before making a judgement. Pictures never really capture the true look and color of a gemstone.
When it comes to setting gemstones in rings, most people prefer to use a harder stone, such as a sapphire or ruby. Rings tend to get banged around a lot, and diamonds, sapphires, and rubies are hard enough to withstand long term wear. Other gemstones are at risk of breaking or chipping, or abrading over a few years. Diamonds and sapphires come in a wide variety of colors too, so that helps.
Softer gemstones are usually a lot safer in pendants and earrings. Pearls and opals, for example, are very soft, and you should even take caution when you’re cleaning them. Let us know if you have any questions about gemstone maintenance.
Here is the list of the birthstones and the different months they represent. Some months have more than one birthstone, either because the stones are delicate or expensive. Typically, you can use another gemstone with the same color as a replacement. For example, a lot of people will use white topaz or white sapphire in place of diamond, because diamond is expensive. You could also substitute some gemstones with colored diamonds or sapphires if you’re worried about the strength.
January - Garnet (dark red)
February - Amethyst (purple)
March - Aquamarine (light blue)
April - Diamond (white)
May - Emerald (green)
June - Pearl or Alexandrite (darker green)
July - Ruby (red)
August - Peridot (light green)
September - Sapphire (dark blue)
October - Opal or Pink Tourmaline (white or pink)
November - Citrine (orange)
December - Blue Topaz or Blue Zircon (sky blue)