Gemstones to Give and Wear Over the Festive Season and New Year

There is a whole wealth of gemstones celebrated and worn over the course of the festive season, and too associated with the month of Christmas. Lets take a look at some of them, what they are and the reasons why these stones shine brightest during the darkest of months.

December Birthstones

Whilst the garnet is undoubtedly the gemstone most commonly associated with the month of December, it is not the only stone.

Turquoise Before the garnet took the top spot as the December birthstone, turquoise was the stone hailed as that of the 12th month. Celebrated and used most famously during the Art Deco period and to create fine Art Nuevo jewellery items, turquoise make a perfect and wonderfully alternative option to garnet this Christmas.

Hematite A relatively common mineral, hematite varies in colour from a steely grey to an almost pitch black. Today drusy or Rainbow hematite is also available, but almost all genuine antique jewellery containing hematite will feature specular (almost entirely black) hematite as it became very fashionable during the Victorian Period when mourning jewellery too first gained in popularity.

Zircon Zircon found in antique pieces is most commonly of an icy blue or turquoise in colour, making it a perfect and stunning stone to wear during the cold months. It is also a stone which, alongside the garnet and turquoise many people choose to give and wear to celebrate the month of December and was one of the stones most prized during the Edwardian Era during which many exquisite platinum fabrication rings, brooches and earrings were created and inlaid with zircons.

Christmas and New Year Zodiac Stones

A person neednt be passionate about the Zodiac to enjoy or make the most of the stones most closely associated with the Winter Star Signs. The wealth of literal gems synonymous with the two star signs that cover or overlap the month of December provide the perfect proof, but what are they?

Sagittarius Stones (22nd of November to December 21st)

Whilst turquoise is again a stone worn and given to celebrate the birthday of Sagittarians, there are two other stones which are equally gifted to and worn by Sagittarians.

Amber A fossilised resign produced by Conifer trees, the most sought after amber is that of the

Baltic region and bears a golden translucency or honey-like hue. Amber was most popularly used to create jewellery items in the Georgian, Victorian and Art Deco periods. As such, there is a wealth of choice when shopping for antique amber inlaid jewellery pieces.

Tourmaline A stone famous for providing its wearers with a rainbow of colours and options, green, red, yellow and even pink coloured tourmaline was all used during the Victorian period of jewellery making. Perhaps in part because of the wealth of colour choice and clarity of high quality tourmaline, like amber it continued to be popular well into the Edwardian Era and Art Deco Period, when richly coloured green tourmaline was best favoured.

Capricorn Stones (22nd of December to January 20th)

Blue Topaz Another icy coloured and beautifully translucent stone and the worlds 2nd most popular gemstone, second only to the diamond, blue topaz was a stone much loved during the 1980s, when jewellery makers often coupled it with diamonds to create stunning engagement rings. So, for anyone looking to propose this Christmas or New Year, a vintage blue topaz and diamond ring might just prove the perfect choice.

Garnet to come full circle, we return finally to the garnet. A gemstone favoured by Victorian jewellery makers, the garnet is most often shown bearing a deep red colour and was used to create a plethora of Victorian jewellery items including earrings, rings and brooches. Perhaps the most stunning examples of garnet inlaid Victorian jewellery though come in the form of the intricately made bracelets made during this era. Hence, a Victorian bracelet provides a wonderfully unusual and stunning way to give the gift of garnets this Christmas.