GEMSTONES
LEARN
'Each gemstone species is unique in chemical makeup and presentation, and like us every stone has its own character. This variety offers us the opportunity to wear something that reflects our own uniqueness.' ~ Clayton
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There are hundreds of different minerals that have been used as gemstones. Some are worth a lot more than others and can attract very high prices. Some share the same hues and visual characteristics but are never exactly the same. Learn more about different gemstone varieties and open the door to a world of stunning colour and beauty.
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At Clayton Delville we only sell 100% natural gemstones and diamonds. No exceptions.
Contact Clayton for a personalised , skilled and reliable gemstone sourcing and concierge service based in Harrogate, Yorkshire and servicing the entire UK.
ALEXANDRITE
Emerald by day and Amethyst by night. Alexandrite is one of a few vary rare gems that display the magic of colour change. When viewed under normal daylight is displays beautiful uniform bluish green hue and under incandescent light ( normal light bulbs) it displays a rich rasberry grape hue.
A member of the chrysoberyl family, Alexandrite is extremely rare in gem quality and becomes its value sky rockets along with its ability to change colour, and of course the intensity and tone of those colours. Found mostly in the Ural mountains of Russia but also sometimes found in East Africa, Zimbabwe and Brazil. Normally only owned by avids collectors and connoisseurs, you would be very lucky to see a fine quality gem in real life.
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Alexandrite is believed to balance ones thoughts and emotions. It encourages one to dream big and to pay attention to your inner voice. It boosts self esteem and allows one to live with strong will.
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Birthstone : June (Shared with Pearl)
AQUAMARINE
Blue shades of almost every kind, Aquamarine is described as Sea Foam "greeny" blue to sky blue. Whatever the shade or hue , aquamarine is guaranteed to compliment any skin colour.
A member of the beryl family aquamarine shares its roots with Emerald, Morganite and all other shades of beryl. Found mostly in Brazil, Mozambique, Nigeria and Madagascar aquamarine boasts some of the most beautiful gems ever known to man. Traditionally the most prized stones came from the Santa Maria mine in Brazil but almost equal beauty can be found in Mozambique, the "Santa Maria Africana"
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Aquamarine is believed to be soothing in relationships and aids in creating clear and loving communication. It therefore makes a good anniversary gift. It also protects those who travel on or near water. Blue is associated with the throat chakra, therefore an excellent stone be worn by public speakers or teachers as it a helps those with fear of speaking or aids in communication.
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Birthstone : March
AMETHYST
A variety of Quartz, Amethyst contains aluminium and iron which give it its beautiful violet hue. Fine Amethyst gemstones can stand side by side with some of the worlds most beatifull gemstones. Its soft velvety appearance compliments any skin tone and is especially striking in a large pendant. Exceptional stones will even display red flashes.
Fine Amethyst is always eye clean and displays uniform well saturated colour throughout the stone. Amethyst was once considered to be one of the most valuable gemstones until many large deposits were discovered in various locations around the world and although fairly common , the finest Amethyst I have seen has consistently been from the large deposits in Zambia and Minas Gerais in Brazil.
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Amethyst is thought to calm ones mind, promote healing and offer protection in times of conflict.
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Birthstone : February
DIAMOND
By far the most famous of all the gemstones. Diamond has traditionally being the most widely worn and collected gemstone, especially in western cultures. Large mining and retail houses have spent vast amounts of resources marketing and extracting the rare gemstone. Unlike most coloured gemstones, diamond mining is done on an extremely large and resource intensive scale and only the massive diamond market can support such operations.
Generally speaking to most sought after diamonds are ones that are graded as "colourless" (white) and "flawless" (without inclusion). The diamond market is fully developed and very sophisticated in all its processes. There are established are market accepted grading scales for colour and clarity that make it very easy for buyers to know exactly what they are buying and its market value. Diamonds also need to be cut to exact proportions using very advanced techniques in order to get full brilliance and visual appeal. A well cut diamond should display strong flashes of light in all the colours of the specturm. Diamonds are extremely hard and can be worn daily in exposed settings. They rarely require re-cutting or polishing.
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Diamond is a symbol of wealth and abundance. It is an excellent conductor and therefore unifies the body and the mind. It stimulates all conduits of communication, such as the brain and nervous system.
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Birthstone : April
FANCY COLOUR DIAMONDS
Chemically "pure" diamonds are colourless, but what happens when a diamond has chemical "impurities" ? . It gets colour! Fancy coloured diamonds are diamonds that display strongly saturated colour that is outside of the normal diamond colour scale (D-Z) of colourless to light yellow. Pink, yellow, blue and green are just a few examples of the extremely rare gem quality fancy diamonds that occur. The most valuable of them all being blue and pink. The record in fact sits at $2.6 mil per ct for a fancy pink diamond bought on auction by Harry Winston. Red diamond is in fact far rarer, but so few have ever entered the market that it is difficult to gauge their value, maybe priceless? The most commonly traded fancy colour diamond has to be fancy yellow and surprisingly affordable.
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Diamond is a symbol of wealth and abundance. It is an excellent conductor and therefore unifies the body and the mind. It stimulates all conduits of communication, such as the brain and nervous system.
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Birthstone : April
EMERALD
Emerald is rare and even more valuable when it has a good colour. Almost all emeralds on the market have eye-visible inclusions and only the most valuable are eye clean. Emerald inclusions are often attractive and are said to give each stone its unique character. Emerald has been a favorite amongst the world's wealthy for many centuries in fact as far back as ancient Egypt where Cleopatra was an avid emerald admirer. A well saturated and clean emerald will leave a vivid impression on your mind, something that you will never forget.
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A member of the beryl family Emerald shares its roots with Aquamarine, Morganite and all other shades of beryl. Found mostly in Zambia, Columbia Brazil and Russia emerald boasts some of the most beautiful gems ever know to man. Traditionally the most prized stones came from Chivor mine in Columbia but almost equal beauty can be found in Zambia. Columbian emerald fetches the highest price on the market with Zambian stones offering the same quality for a little less.
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Emerald opens the heart and creates unconditional love. It is the stone of life-long friendship and companionship. It inspires us to discover love and a deeper meaning in life. It encourages us to seek out truth and meaningful purpose. It triggers creativity and passionate thinking. Emerald is one of the most powerful gemstones and is associated with the heart chakra.
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Birthstone : May
MORGANITE
Beautiful subtle shades of pink, Morganite is described as light pink to peachy pink depending on the origin and quality of the stone. Morganite gem quality stones seldom have any inclusions and display a very pleasing and uniform softness. Morganite has found huge popularity of late due to its incredibly beautiful colour that compliments all skin tones. Its relatively low cost and dazzling brilliance make it extremely good value for money.
A member of the beryl family, Morganite shares its roots with Emerald, Aquamarine and all other shades of beryl. Found mostly in Brazil, Mozambique and Madagascar morganite is prized the world over . Morganite is gaining in popularity and is a favorite gemstone for lovers of rose gold. Like all types of beryl, morganite is a generally soft stone that will require a protective setting as well as care when worn.
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Morganite is the stone of divine love, Its soft pinks like the first rays of light on a warm summer morning. It warms the soul, encourages compassion and love. It cleanses us of anxiety, stress and pain and leaves us open to warms waves of pure love.
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Birthstone : October
RUBY
Like emerald, ruby has held itself as one of the most valuable gemstones in the world. For thousands of years it has been sought after and fine examples worn by the worlds wealthiest individuals. Kublai Khan was said to have offered a city in exchange for a fine ruby. Ruby is the red variety of the gemstone species corundum and shouldn't be confused with pink sapphire which is also corundum. Ruby is mined in many locations around the world and traditionally the finest ruby hailed from Mogok, Myanmar. Today, most of the worlds fine ruby is mined in Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Malawi and Mong Hsu in Myanmar. Ruby holds the record for the most $ p/ct ever achieved on auction. The sunrise ruby smashed all records and sold for just over $30mil ( $1.2mil p/ct )
Ruby vs Pink Sapphire. Generally speaking corundum with a primary red and secondary pink or violet hue can be classified as Ruby. Stones with primary hue pink should be classified as Pink Sapphire. Many dealers and jewellers will try and pass on pink sapphire as ruby as the price of ruby can be ten fold more than pink sapphire. Whenever buying ruby, make sure that you received a reputable lab certificate classifying the stone as ruby and natural. Although commonly accepted in the marker, heat treatment can also lower a rubies value considerably.
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Ruby is believed to stimulate the blood stream and revitalise the heart. It is associated with base chakra, increasing ones chi or life energy. It increases ones physical energy and can help overcome laziness and lethargy.
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Birthstone : July
SAPPHIRE
The most widely known coloured gemstone, Sapphire has been a prized gemstone for thousands of years and still demands some of the highest prices today. The most popular of all sapphires is of course blue sapphire. However sapphire occurs in almost all the hues in the spectrum. Sapphire is a favorite amongst gemstone collectors and jewellery wearers due to its many favorable attributes. Sapphire is one of the hardest gemstones in existence. It can be worn daily in rings without fear of scratching or damaging the stone. Fine sapphire displays an extremely attractive and crystal clear hue that is by far one of the most incredible sights to behold in the world of gemstones. A fine sapphire in any colour will always be absolutely beautiful. Sapphire is found in many locations around the world with most gem material currently mined on African soil in Tanzania and Madagascar.
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Blue Sapphire | By far the most popular and in fine quality the most valuable, in fact sometimes fetching over $150,000.00 per carat. The most valued stones display a hue described as Cornflower Blue with a crystal clear clarity or the famed Kashmir Blue with a very rare soft silky appearance.
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Pink Sapphire | Gaining in popularity over the last few decades, Pink sapphire can fetch very high prices in fine quality. Fine pink sapphire displays a unique highly saturated "bubblegum" pink that has become very popular with high fashion houses and top jewellery brands.
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Padparadscha Sapphire | The rarest form of fine sapphire. Padparadscha sapphire has a unique orangey pink colour change that is traditionally and described as viewing the sunset through the petal of a lotus flower. Good colour change and clean stones are incredibly hard to come by and will always fetch high prices. Most fine Padparadscha sapphire is bought as additions to fine gem collections and are due to its rarity not often seen in jewellery.
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Yellow Sapphire | Displaying a uniquely rich and well saturated yellow to gold hue, yellow sapphire is my favourite yellow coloured gemstone. Fine examples should be eye clean and well cut to create a beautiful and bright display of yellow delight.
Sapphires, due to their high popularity and value are unfortunately often imitated and synthetic forms grown in laboratories to be sold on the market as natural sapphire. When buying sapphire, always insist on a certificate from a reputable gemologist or gem lab. Some synthetic sapphire is so well made that even jewelers are fooled.
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Birthstone : September
TANZANITE
At the foothills of the great mount Kilimanjaro lies a small area known as the Mererani Hills. It is the only place in the world that Tanzanite is known to exist and is mined. It is mined by large mining companies as well as local miners living in the area. All Tanzanite rough over 1 gram is processed within Tanzania ensuring that Tanzanians benefit from the sale of it own gems.
Tanzanite occurs naturally as a brownish stone and is heated either in the ground by natural means or after extraction in man made furnaces. Most of the first gem quality stones discovered on or near the surface were thought to have been heated by wild fires. It is relatively soft compared to other gemstones and will require more care and protection.
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Tanzanite has always been a good stone for healers, counselors and care givers and helps those who wear it share spiritual information and knowledge.
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Birthstone : December
TSAVORITE
Tsavorite is a variety of the the gem species, grossular garnet. Its bright green colour is attributed to trace elements of chromium and vanadium. Tsavorite is garnet is extremely rare and currently gem material stones are only found in Tanzania and Kenya. Its colour rivals that of emerald and in some cases is even better. Tsavortie is mostly sold as very slightly included to eye clean and is very rare in stones larger than 5-7cts. The gem is notoriously difficult to mine due to its know locations and deposit formation. Tsavorite is most definitely undervalued and a very important investment stone. It is becoming increasingly well known in the market and at the same time rare enough to eventually demand extreme prices.
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As with most other green gemstones, Tsavorite is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. It aids is healing and rejuvenation by encouraging the creation of new cells in the body.
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Birthstone : January (Garnet)
GEMSTONE DEALER & CONCEIRGE SERVICE
As a gemstone dealer based in Harrogate, Yorkshire in the UK I am committed to providing my clients with the finest natural diamonds and gemstones available. With over 20 years of experience in gemstone grading, cutting and sourcing, I have the knowledge and expertise to offer you a superior quality stone at an unbeatable price point. I am dedicated to sourcing only the highest quality gems from around the world, ensuring that my clients receive the best possible option at the most affordable price.
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I travel frequently to gemstone and diamond trading centres all over the world and purchase directly from cutters and mines, ensuring full transparency, authenticity, and value. My unique positioning in the market sets me apart from other jewellers, allowing me to offer almost unbeatable quality and always at a lower price than the high street. Whether you're looking for a special piece of jewellery or simply want to add to your gemstone collection, I am here to help you discover the perfect gemstone or diamond to suit your needs. So why settle for anything less when you can work with a gemstone dealer who is truly committed to quality, value, and customer satisfaction?
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Contact Clayton for a personalised , skilled and reliable gemstone sourcing and concierge service based unique to your needs.