This series of blogs will, over the coming months, explore some of the background to our collection by focusing as much on the materials and techniques as the makers themselves.We will consider questions as simple as “exactly what is a Carat?” and “why are Rubies usually red” as well as giving practical tips for the care of your jewellery to ensure that you can continue to get a lifetime of enjoyment from it.
So let us start with a basic gem stone question. What makes a Ruby red and a Peridot green?
Gemstones are produced naturally, deep in the earth’s crust, where temperatures and pressures combine to provide an environment where they can form and absorb other available elements which in turn give them their individual characteristics. Ruby and Peridot are both very popular gemstones used in contemporary jewellery.
As with all gemstones there is some basic chemistry involved whereby the addition of ions of an outside material (in the case of the ruby it is Chromium) changes the light energy absorption to give an overall single colour. In the case of the ruby it leaves a range of shades of red from the lovely deep red usually associated with rubies through to a lighter pink, although these are sometimes classified as Sapphires.
Natasha Heaslip ring with Peridot and Rubalite
Natalie Harris ring with a range of three green Tourmalines
In Peridot it is the inclusion of Iron which determines the hue of the usual olive green stone which works particularly well in a yellow gold setting.
This process of “contamination” means that Corundum gives Sapphire its fantastic blue colour, while other gemstones such as Tourmaline display across a much wider colour range depending on their chemical make up.
Even Diamonds are available in a colour range although generally yellow, through to brown and black. Talking of diamonds, I will be taking a deeper look at our favourite gemstone in the next blog.
If in the meantime you have any questions or would like some more information do feel free to contact us at contactprimavera@aol.com