The Ruby is the distinguished red member of the Corundum family of Gemstones. Ruby, like other corundum occurrences has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, the second hardest gemstone after the diamond.

Although Rubies have been found in Thailand, India, Madagascar, Brazil and Afghanistan, all producing fine gem material, the prized Burma Ruby from Mogok, Myranmar is the the most valuable of gem quality Rubies.

With a color range from bright red to a dark reddish brown, the "pigeon blood red" or "Burmese Ruby", as it is often referred to, is a bright red color with slight bluish hues. This color is considered exceptional in the Ruby. A large Ruby from Burma of several carats that is flawless and possesses this exceptional color can be worth millions of dollars.

Most Rubies do not fall in this exclusive category and are of a brownish-red hue and are from Thailand. These stones can be heat-treated to enhance color and transparency. Unless otherwise certified by an independent gemological laboratory as a natural Ruby you should consider the stone to have been heat-treated.

The Sapphire is a multi-colored member of the Corundum family of Gemstones. Sapphire production occurs in Africa, Kashmir (India), Sir Lanka, Thailand, Australia, and the United States.

In addition to the recognizable blue occurrence of corundum it is also represented in pinks, oranges (the rare orange-pink is known as padparaschah), yellows, greens purples and white colors; in actuality the Ruby is really a red Sapphire. The Sapphire, like other corundum occurrences, has a hardness of 9 on the mohs hardness scale, the second hardest gemstone after the Diamond.

The main rocks associated with Sapphire occurrences are Marble, Basalt and Pegmatite. The most desirable color of Sapphire is described as "cornflower blue" or the Kashmir Sapphire.

Tanzanite was not considered a gem material until 1967. Originally known as Blue Zoisite, it was renamed by Tiffany's in 1969 to Tanzanite, named after the East African state of Tanzania

Possessing a strong violet-blue color, Tanzanite has become a popular and less expensive alternative to the Kashmir-blue sapphire.

Tanzanite is known to be a trichroic stone, giving off different colors when viewed at different angles, allowing for a variation in color ranging from blue to violet to reddish brown.

Aquamarine, (Latin for "Water of the Sea." Roman sailors believed it protected them from drowning and ensured a good catch of fish.) is a member of the Beryl family of gemstones. Aquamarine's color is light to medium blue, blue green and the most desirable dark blue. Aquamarine has a Mohs hardness of 7.5.

It is mined in various locations throughout the world including Brazil, Africa, Russia and the United States.

Peridot is French and derived from the Arabic word "faridat", meaning gem. Ancient Egyptians called Peridot "the gem of the sun," although, due to their brightness, the stones were supposedly invisible under the desert sun. At night, or in darkness, they were said to give off a light all their own.

This lovely stone ranges in color from light yellow-green, to the intense bright green of new grass, to a more olive hue. Found in various parts of the world, the oldest known source is St. John's island on the Red Sea, off the coast of Egypt. The largest known faceted peridot is a magnificent 310-carats stone that is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.

This enchanting stone derives its name from the Greek "opallios," meaning to see a change of color. Ranging from a flash of pastel color to the fiery intensity of the darker varieties, opals reflect light like dew drops in the sun. It should come as no surprise then, that opals have a very high water content, anywhere from 3-33%, but generally in the 6-10% range. The base color ranges from colorless to white, orange, blue, gray and black and in some instances yellow, red or purple. The actual play of colors occurs when a precious opal stone is moved, allowing for viewing in different directions, revealing a spectrum of colors from soft banded pastels to vibrant reds, greens, and blues.

Their unique color has made them long prized by royalty. An opal was featured in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor, and is still among the crown jewels of France (including the 77-carat opal of Louis XVIII, kept in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris). The most treasured variety of opal is the black opal.

Opals are found in various parts of the world with Australia being the most notable source. They are also mined in Mexico, Honduras and the United States. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6.5.

Turquoise dates back to Egypt's first dynasty and its use in the native American culture can be traced back to approximately 700 B.C. Chinese Turquoise dates back to 1200 A.D. while in Persia it was used as a form of currency.

It is available in a color range from green to blue depending on its mineral content. Iron content imparts a greenish color while the presence of copper imparts the bluish color.

Three main sources of Turquoise are the United States, China and Persia. The two main varieties of Turquoise are the "robins egg blue" primarily from Persia and the "spider web matrix" from the U.S. and China.

Turquoise hardness on the Mohs scale ranges from 2 to 6 depending on the density and quality of the gem material. Most of today's material is treated for hardness stabilization or color enhancement. These treatments may affect a specific stones value.