December

If you were born in December, you are lucky to have a choice of three gems on the modern birthstone list;blue topaz,turquoise and tanzanite. Blue is the color for December,and the traditional birthstone list also includes zircon and lapis.Blue topaz is an important jewelry stone due to its durability,comes in many colors and is very affordable.Turquoise has been known and valued for thousands of years.The early mines were in Sinai, Egypt.Today the finest turquoise comes from Iran.The brilliant sky-blue color has never lost its fascination for gem – lovers .But due to its relative softness ( 5-6 on the Mohs scale) and porous character ,it requires some care. Tanzanite has become such an important gemstone that in 2002 it was added as an official December birthstone by the Gem Trade Association.Though tanzanite is popular, it was first discovered only in 1967.The original location Tanzania is still the only source for tanzanite.Due to its high refractive index and strong dispersion ,zircon has great brillance and intensive fire.Although relatively hard it tends to be somewhat brittle and therefore requires care when wearing.Most blue zircon come from Cambodia.Don’t be left out in the cold this month .Get your blue on with many colors and styles to choose from for the month of December.