Gemstones

	Amber		Amethyst
	Amber comes chiefly from the resin of pine trees that grew in Northern Europe millions of years ago. Lumps of amber often contain interesting inclusions, flora and insects that were trapped as the resins flowed from the trees.		Amethyst is a purple or bluish-violet gemstone and is a variety of quartz. It was traditionally thought to help prevent drunkenness, and to encourage an abstemious and sober mentality. It is found in locations such as Brazil, Canada and the Urals.
	Black Agate		Blue Topaz
	Agate is a type of Chalcedony, and has coloured bands running through it. The colours of the bands are created by various impurities. Because Agate is porous it is frequently dyed to improve the original colour. Collected in Germany since 1548, it is also found in other locations such as Brazil and Uruguay.		Pure Topaz is colourless. To create Blue Topaz, colourless Topaz is heat treated or irradiated by natural or artificial means. Topaz is found in Brazil, USA, Sri Lanka, Burma and Siberia, amongst other locations.
	Citrine		Cubic Zirconia
	Citrine is a yellow gemstone with some shades more orange and brown in colour. It is a type of quartz, and the name citrine derives from the French 'citron' meaning 'lemon'. It is found in Brazil, Spain and Madagascar.		(Synthetic Zirconium Oxide). Cubic Zirconia resembles diamond so well it has replaced virtually all previous diamond simulants. It is softer than a diamon and may eventually show scratches and signs of wear.
	Garnet		Lapis Lazuli
	Garnet occurs in several varieties, two of which are red: Pyrope is blood red in colour, whilst Alamandine is an even darker red. Other varieties range from pink or green to brown/orange. Traditionally garnet was said to to be heartwarming and to alleviate melancholy. Found worldwide, including USA, South Africa, Argentina and Australia.		Lapis Lazuli is a mineral called lazurite, and is blue in colour. Traditionally it was thought to safeguard the wearer from evil. The mask of Tutankhamun contains some lapis lazuli, and it was used for jewellery by the ancient world. The best quality material comes from Afghanistan, where it has been mined for over 6,000 years. It is also found in Argentina, Chile, USA and Canada.
	Moonstone		Peridot
	Moonstone is a type of Orthoclase, and is milky and translucent with a blue or white sheen. Throughout history it has been used in jewellery pieces by moon-worshippers. The best quality moonstone is found in Burma and Sri Lanka, but it also occurs in Madagascar, Brazil and India. Wilkie Collins' famous detective novel 'The Moonstone' is not actually about a moonstone, however; the stone in question is in fact a yellow diamond.		Peridot is the mineral olivine, and is green in colour. It ranges from a light olive green, to a darker, bottle green - but it is always green. High quality specimines are very rare, and it is only found in certain locations. Most famously, Peridot has been mined on St John's Island (Egypt) for over 3,500 years, and it was from there that the Crusaders brought it home and introduced it to Europe.
	Pink Shell and Paua Shell		Pink and Lavender Zirconia
	Tiny nacre crystals overlap breaking up light that falls on them into varying rainbow colours. This is what gives shells such as Paua and pink shell their irridescence. Paua shells are found in American waters where they are called Abalone, and in the seas around New Zealand where they are called Paua.		Pink Zirconia and Lavender Zirconia are synthetically coloured versions of Cubic Zirconia.
	Ruby		Sapphire
	Ruby is a type of Corundum, and is red in colour. The colour spectrum varies widely from pink, to purple to blood-red or brown-red tones. Only diamonds are harder than rubies, which makes them very good for jewellery settings. The highest quality material is found in Burma, but rubies are also found in Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Vietnam.		Like Ruby, Sapphire is also a form of Corundum. In fact, any corundum that is not red is called Sapphire, although we associate the name with blue coloured stones. The most valuable stones are a clear, deep blue. Traditionally sapphire was worn to foster peace and harmony within an individual. The best quality stones are found in Burma, India and Sri Lanka.