Warm-hued Gemstones: A Sparkling Tasting
Manifesting SPRING with an evening of warm-hued gemstones!
In the spirit of encouraging Mother Nature to bring on SPRING, this Sparkling Tasting of warm-hued gemstones surprised and delighted guests!
During this luminous gathering, we discovered extraordinary gems, as well as learned about their value, metaphysical properties, and what responsible sourcing means.
OUR “GAME” IS… GUESS THE GEMSTONE!
HINT: can be any color of the rainbow
Tanzania
2.44 carats
HINT: the great imposter
Tanzania
1.29 carats
HINT: it is pleochroic
Nigeria
3.00 carats
SCROLL DOWN TO FIND THE ANSWER….
MANIFESTING YOUR INTENTIONS WITH JEWELRY
Just as our ancient ancestors believed gemstones were imbued with special properties, such as protection, wisdom, or courage, today we are empowered by the metaphysical properties of gemstones to manifest what we wish to create.
You may be interested in my guide to visualize your intentions through the metaphysical properties of gemstones and jewelry.
Create an EMPOWERING LAYERING NECKLACE
GARNET
Garnet has way more charisma than many people realize. Why are they special? Garnet can be any color of the rainbow (similar to sapphire and tourmaline among others), but what makes it extraordinary (in my opinion) is that it can exhibit the widest variety of color change hues among all gemstones.
The most common variety we all know well is the raspberry-red, purplish-red rhodolite garnet. Rare garnets are mandarin (like this one), spessartite, emerald-green tsavorite, and the most coveted is demantoid.
SPINEL
Spinel was unfairly deemed the “great imposter” for being mistaken as ruby for centuries. It is not that anymore! Historically it has been found alongside deposits of ruby and sapphire, which accounts for the confusion. It was not until 1783 that spinel was differentiated as a separate mineral species.
Spinel exhibits not only ruby red hues, but it can also be shades of pink, orange, green, blue, violet, and purple.
Beyond beauty, it is a durable colored gemstone. It is an 8 on the Mohs Scale, meaning it is a beautiful option as an everyday or engagement ring.
TOURMALINE
Tourmaline can also dazzle with a vast array of juicy hues - from the electric blue of Paraiba to emerald green chrome to ruby red rubellite.
All tourmalines are pleochroic, meaning the color changes when viewed from different angles.
This one is a light pink hue with whispers of yellow as it dances in the light. The colors of any gemstone are determined by trace elements of other minerals when it was formed. A great parallel to this is a wine’s flavor being expressive of “terroir” - the elements of the earth!
THE MOHS SCALE
Gemstones that are harder than quartz, a 7 on the Mohs Scale, are great options as everyday and engagement rings.
Diamond is the hardest at 10, meaning it is ideal as an engagement ring, as is sapphire and ruby at 9, and spinel at 8.
Tourmaline is 7 - 7.5 and garnet is 6.5 - 7.5. These are on the cusp as an everyday ring, so a setting that is designed to protect it from accidental bumps with hard surfaces is ideal.
All of these would be amazing as cocktail rings!
WARM-HUED GEMSTONES:
A CURATION OF COVETED FINE JEWELRY
What to know about ETHICAL GEMSTONES and GOLD to ensure your jewelry is NOT FUNDING CONFLICT
WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLY SOURCED MEAN?
A sample report outlining details of a single Nomad’s gemstone, as well as the history of origin and traceability story.
This is an example of a proprietary provenance report that demonstrates Nomad’s commitment to transparency, trust, and traceability. Beyond the descriptive details about each gemstone, the report discloses the history of the origin and a specific gemstone’s journey to their cutting wheel. Nomad’s developed 4 levels of traceability - from Level 1, acquired through direct “mining partnership”, to Level 4 acquired through a dealer in an “open market” with the origin being determined by a gemstone laboratory.
In the same way that we know where our food is from and who made our clothes, why not jewelry?
Responsible sourcing goes beyond ethically or sustainably sourced. This encompasses conflict-free, traceability, protecting people, their skills, and the environment be it land or sea. This is an open, evolving conversation worth having, as we all seek to make choices that align with our values.
As much as possible, the designers in this community do their best to choose jewelry “ingredients” that honor this.
Gemstones can be responsibly sourced or post-consumer recycled (recovered from previously worn jewelry to be reset in a new design).
For precious metals, this can mean using recycled gold - or a step further is mercury-free Fairmined gold.
WHAT IS FAIRMINED GOLD?
As we make ethical choices with Fairtrade wine, food, and fashion, why not the gold in our jewelry? Let’s compare recycled gold versus Fairmined gold…
THE BRILLIANT CONCIERGE: YOUR FINE JEWELRY GUIDE
I find discerning jewelry that aligns with your values. Beyond gemstone sourcing, this includes private shopping for:
rings
earrings
necklaces
bracelets
responsibly sourced gemstones
Learn more about this white-glove service.