Scotch Street Vintage ~ Birthstone Guide
Birthstone jewelry can be a meaningful and sentimental gift that can be "that" present they always remember. My husband once bought me a diamond and aquamarine bracelet, our birthstones together. It is my favorite thing he has ever given me. Having something beautiful to wear that reminds her of the gift giver is so meaningful.
With wowwing her in mind here is a quick breakdown of each month’s birthstone, what you should know about them and my current favorite from Scotch Street Vintage.
January - Garnet
Garnets are most often recognized with a deep red gemstone but there are also orange and green garnets although these varieties are much more rare. Even though their color saturation is very rich they are a transparent stone not an opaque stone. We have a huge selection of Vintage Garnet Jewelry because I love old hollywood glamour and nothing represents that more than the sunning garnet.
February - Amethyst
Amethyst is a beautiful purple gemstone that has a true color of its own, so there are NOT a lot of fakes out there. This gemstone has been widely available for a long time so quality stones are fairly inexpensive compared to other gems. This availability also makes them ideal to find quality antique pieces you can find all our here Scotch Street Vintage Amethyst Collection.
March - Aquamarine
The aquamarine can be found in a wide range of greens and blues. From almost clear to bright blue these stones have stunning clarity. Aquamarine has long been the runner up to diamonds for engagement rings since long ago these gemstones were said to bring happiness to a marriage. They are also a very hard stone (only diamonds are harder) so they can stand the test of time and we have a big selection you can find here Scotch Street Vintage Aquamarine Jewelry Collection.
April - Diamond
Oh these lucky girls! I don't want to get into the "3Cs" here you can find that information all over the web. What I do want to say is I think a lot of people hear diamond and think expensive. Which is exactly why vintage is such a wonderful option for all budgets. Lets take the above ring which is $1,200, one of a kind, and almost 100 years old. At a jewelry chain for a similar 2 stone with almost 0.50 carats you would pay around $2,300 for a ring hundreds of others have and has no story of it's own. You can find all our diamonds here Scotch Street Vintage Diamond Jewelry Collection.
May - Emerald
Emeralds are a stunning deep and bright green gemstone. These stones are expected to have many flaws and imperfections. If you are considering an emerald that is perfectly clear it is probably man made. No man made here but we do have a nice selection Scotch Street Vintage Emerald Jewelry Collection.
June – Pearl
The pearl is a beautiful classic that comes in a wide range of colors but it’s most popular is the lustrous cream pearl. There are natural and cultured pearls. Natural pearls occur in nature when something, like sand, irritates a mollusk’s body. A cultured pearl happens with human intervention when a small seed or bead is inserted into a mollusk. You can find our pearls here at Scotch Street Vintage Pearl Jewelry Collections.
July – Ruby
Rubies are a truly beautiful gemstone with a stunning deep pinkish red color. Rubies are the big dog in the colored gemstone market because of their rarity which demands a high price. Because of this there are many imposters out there but one of the most notorious is the spinel. Make sure to ask if the gem has been tested to be a ruby. You can find all all our wonderful rubies here Scotch Street Vintage Ruby Jewelry Collection
August – Peridot & Spinel
Peridots are a lovely light green (almost a grass green color) stone that sparkle yellow. Peridot goes all the way back to the Egyptians who thought the radiant green stones would scare away evil spirits, which is why there were often used in evil eye rings.
Spinel gemstones have a huge variety of color which led to them being labeled the great imposter for a long time. Often people discover that their long loved family heirlooms that they thought were rubies or sapphires are actually spinel. Now spinels are standing on their on beauty and hug range of color.
You can find either of these beautiful gems here Scotch Street Vintage Peridot Jewelry or Scotch Street Vintage Spinel Jewelry.
September – Sapphire
Sapphires are most often recognized as the brilliant blue stone which are known as the royal stone. However, sapphires come in many colors and styles. My favorite sapphire is the star sapphire which is a sapphire cut as a cabochon that has a natural 6 point star visually. As with ruby you want to make sure any sapphire you are considering is not a spinel. See all our stunning sapphires here Scotch Street Vintage Sapphire Jewelry Collection
October – Opal
Opals are my favorite because their color play can be so unique and amazing. Whether it is a sparkling opal that is like looking through a kaleidoscope of color or a swirling color opal which reminds me of the northern lights, they are all different and unique. Opals are very delicate and should never be soaked in water or harsh cleaners. See all our opals here Scotch Street Vintage Opal Jewelry
November – Citrine & Topaz
Citrine are beautiful earthy yellow and orange tone stones. The earthy tones of the citrine lend it to be a favorite in the boho style and they are often paired with the just as earthy Garnet.
The topaz birthday girl should be the happiest of all because Topaz come in the widest range of colors. So there is no reason this girl can’t find exactly what they want.
Here are the links to find them all Scotch Street Vintage Citrine Jewelry & Scotch Street Vintage Topaz Jewelry
December – Turquoise & Tanzanite
Turquoise goes back about as far as history can look back. It has been used in art and jewelry for thousands of years and its incredible blue and green colors compare to nothing else.
Tanzanite wasn’t even discovered until the late 1960s when it was found in Tanzania. So there is not a lot of vintage tanzanite jewelry out there but I do keep an eye out for this beautiful purple blue stone in late 1970s jewelry.
You can find all the December birthstone here Scotch Street Vintage Turquoise Jewelry or Scotch Street Vintage Tanzanite Jewelry
So there is your birthstone breakdown and a great place to start for that perfect holliday present. Don't forget Scotch Street Vintage offers layaway to make that big gift easier to buy. Never hesitate to ask me a question because that is what I here for. Contact Us
SMILE – Lori