The planet Jupiter and the sign of Sagittarius govern the month of December. December borns are philosophers, natural teachers, and classified in Divine Astrology as a Truth Seekers. They are also attracted to holistic healing and travel to foreign lands. They can be extremely organized and have a quick mind.

The birthstone of those born in December is the Turquoise stone. Turquoise is an opaque, light to dark blue or blue-green gem with its finest colour being an intense blue. Turquoise may contain narrow veins of other materials either isolated or as a network. They are usually black, brown, or yellowish-brown in colour. Known as the matrix, these veins of colour are sometimes in the form of an intricate pattern, called a spider web.

Neo-Classical Turquoise Chandeliers

The word Turquoise, which dates to the 17th century, is derived from the French word turques for “Turks”, because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in the historical Khorasan Province of Persia. Pliny the Elder referred to the mineral as callais and the Aztecs knew it as chalchihuitl. Turquoise was among the first gems to be mined, and while many historic sites have been depleted, some are still worked to this day. For at least 2,000 years, Iran, previously known as Persia in the West, has remained an important source of Turquoise which was named by Iranians initially “pirouzeh” meaning “victory” and later after Arab invasion “firouzeh”.Turquoise is among the oldest known gemstones and its popularity has spanned the globe for centuries. It graced the necks of Egyptian Pharaohs and adorned the ceremonial dress of early Native Americans. This beautiful robin’s egg blue gemstone has been attributed with healing powers, promoting the wearer’s status and wealth, protecting from evil and bringing good luck.

Turquoise is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times, Turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market.

The finest of Turquoise reaches a maximum hardness of just under 6, or slightly more than window glass. The lustre of Turquoise is typically waxy to subvitreous, and transparency is usually opaque, but may be semitranslucent in thin sections. The colour is as variable as the mineral’s other properties, ranging from white to a powder blue to a sky blue, and from a blue-green to a yellowish green. The blue is attributed to idiochromatic copper while the green may be the result of either iron impurities (replacing aluminium) or dehydration.

The pastel shades of Turquoise have endeared it to many great cultures of antiquity. Despite being one of the oldest gems, Turquoise did not become important as an ornamental stone in the West until the 14th century, following a decline in the Roman Catholic Church’s influence which allowed the use of Turquoise in secular jewellery. It was apparently unknown in India until the Mughal period, and unknown in Japan until the 18th century. A common belief shared by many of these civilizations is that Turquoise possessed certain prophylactic qualities; it was thought to change colour with the wearer’s health and protect him or her from untoward forces.

Turquoise renders its impact through its definite colour, its crystalline structures along with other inherent properties and characters. Both the positive and negative personality traits get influenced by the birthstone.

It provides wisdom of both earth and sky, thereby it is old and yet young. It is considered to be pure as it is believed to hold the atmosphere surrounding the earth and sky, thereby giving life and breath.It promotes prosperity and success and brings in happiness along with good fortune.

Turquoise has the capacity to absorb negative feelings that is prone to December borns. It is also believed to treat infections of the throat and lungs, diseases of the teeth and gums, asthma and other breathing problems, and depressions.

Sagittarians are prone to pondering on thoughts and Turquoise helps to open the communicative faculty in them. It also enhances activeness by offering strength and regeneration in thoughts and behavior that get reflected in actions.

At Gehna, we have experimented aplenty with these brilliant gemstones and have produced results not short of remarkable to celebrate the Turquoise. Explore our online range of Turqouise Egyptian inspired necklaces, colour blocked earrings and much more. Should you feel inspired and want us to breathe life into your inspirations, meet with us and help us design and craft the perfect Turquoise jewellery for you.

View our Turquoise Jewellery Collection: Turquoise Jewellery | Turquoise Silver Jewellery | Turquoise Earrings | Turquoise Hook Earrings

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The sweltering month of May is upon us with all the wrath of the sun in its folds with emerald stone. Maybe we can distract you from the scorching heat with a little insight on gemstones by the month of birth. And what better month to start with than the one that currently torments us!

May borns are understood to be resolute, yet understanding. Their enthusiasm and physical attractiveness make them quite irresistible. As charming as these May-borns are, they always claim the attention of everybody around them. It is no wonder then, that the birthstone of those born in May, is the regal Emerald stone.

Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, coloured green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most Emeralds are highly included, so their toughness is classified as generally poor. And yet, the rarity of finding a beautiful emerald in rich hues makes it a gemstone dearer than all, but diamonds.

Vivacious Emerald and Gold Earrings

The word “Emerald” is derived from the Latin Esmaralda/Esmaraldus, a variant of Latin Smaragdus, meaning green. Emeralds in antiquity have been mined in Egypt since 1500 BCE, and India and Austria since at least the 14th century CE. Colombia is by far the world’s largest producer of Emeralds, constituting 50–95% of the world production. Rare ‘trapiche’ Emeralds are found in Colombia, distinguished by a six-pointed radial pattern made of ray-like spokes of dark carbon impurities. Zambia is the world’s second-biggest producer, with its Kafubu River area deposits.

Glamorous Emerald Jhumki

In general, while grading coloured gemstones, colour is the most important criterion. However, in the case of Emeralds, clarity is considered a close second, and both colour and clarity are necessary conditions. A fine emerald must possess not only a pure verdant green hue but also a high degree of transparency to be considered a top gem. Emeralds tend to have numerous inclusions and surface breaking fissures. Unlike diamond, where the loupe standard, or a 10× magnification, is used to grade clarity, Emerald is graded by eye. If an emerald has no visible inclusions to the eye, it is considered flawless. It is important to note that now jewellers across the world have embraced paler hues with enthusiasm, the uncommonness of the colours in jewellery being a large motivation to do so.

Emeralds that lack surface breaking fissures are extremely rare and therefore almost all Emeralds are treated to enhance the apparent clarity. The inclusions and fissures within an Emerald are sometimes described as “Jardin” (French for ‘garden’), because of their mossy appearance. These imperfections within the stone are unique to each emerald and can be used to identify a particular stone and make Emeralds more likely than other gemstones to be cut into cabochons, rather than faceted shapes. Faceted Emeralds are most commonly given the Oval cut, or the signature Emerald cut, a rectangular cut with facets around the top edge.

Green is the colour of fertility and prosperity. In the western world, as the gem of Venus, the Emerald was considered to aid in fertility. Cleopatra, Egypt’s tempestuous female monarch was as famous for wearing Emeralds in her time as Liz Taylor is for wearing diamonds in our time. Ancient Egyptian mummies were often buried with an Emerald carved with the symbol of verdure– flourishing greenness–on their necks to symbolize eternal youth.

In India, the Emerald is considered the gemstone of planet Mercury. In Hindu mythology, Mercury is the son of the Lord of Love and is a manifestation of Wisdom and Words. However, the planet is also known for its dual nature and as shrewd and astute are those born under the sign of Mercury, those afflicted by the negative effects of the planet may suffer memory loss, inadequate reasoning power, speech defects, lack of concentration, and/or insomnia. The Emerald is believed to shield its wearer from these ill effects of the largely benefic planet. It is believed to harness the positive energy of the planet to its wearer and bring him/her confidence. Mercury also symbolizes younger siblings, in particular, sisters, and the Emerald is therefore believed to nourish the bond between siblings. To reap the astrological benefits of any gemstone, it is recommended that the stone remains in close contact with the skin, as it would in an open set ring or pendant.

The Emerald has been an integral part of quintessential Indian jewellery. Temple Jewellery of South India uses the green hues to brilliantly contrast the rubicund shades of rubies, while Kundan and Moghul Jewellery showcase the Emerald in all its glory. Stones of higher caratage are now being used in conjunction with diamonds for added splendour.

Whether it wards off the ill effects of Mercury, or to aid fertility, or maybe just because you need Emeralds to coordinate with your favourite outfit, we, at Gehna, understand and respect every need. Visit us, or contact us to design your Emerald masterpiece. Talk to us about what other gemstones you would like to enhance the beauty of your precious Emeralds. Brainstorm with our designers on how you can make your emerald sing the green song and wear the perfect handcrafted piece with pride.

If you liked reading our blog on exquisite emeralds, you may also be interested to explore more about our article on Legends and Lore Surrounding Emerald Jewelry & Elegant Emerald Jewellery for a Taurus Woman.

Shop our Emerald Collection – Emerald Jewelry | Emerald Jhumki | Emerald Nosepin | Emerald Earring

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