Alexandrite Amethyst Onyx Necklaces in 14K Gold

Alexandrite is the birthstone for June (along with the pearl) and the Anniversary stone for the 55th year of marriage. It is also considered Friday's stone, or the stone of "Friday's Child." It is an extremely rare gemstone and a reasonably modern one to boot. It does not share the ancient history and lore of most other gems because it was first discovered in the 19th Century. The name Alexandrite comes from the fact that the gemstone was first found in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1830, on the day of Prince Alexander II of Russia's birthday. The story of the stone's discovery goes like this: Miners were working alone in the mountains one day, collecting emeralds. One miner gathered some stones, which looked like emeralds, and took them back to the camp at the end of the day. But in the campfire's light, the stones shone a brilliant shade of red! The miners were perplexed. When morning came, and they saw that the stones were green again in the... learn more

Amethyst has been a prized gem for centuries. It is the birthstone for Pisces and the month of February, and the gemstone for the 6th anniversary of marriage. The stone is included in royal collections all over the world, from ancient Egypt to the British crown jewels. The Smithsonian has an amethyst that weighs 400 pounds! Ancient civilizations prized the stone more than many gems, which today, enjoy more recognition and value, including the sapphire and the ruby. In olden times, Amethyst saw its place in the Christian church, worn on Bishops' rings. The royal purple color used to symbolize Christ. Saint Valentine was thought to wear a ring set with an antique Amethyst carved with an image of Cupid. The stone is also a symbol of Saint Matthias. There are a number of Biblical references to the amethyst. It was also one of the twelve precious stones in the high priest Aaron's breastplate. The twelfth foundation of the Holy City was built of amethyst. For some time, true amethyst was val... learn more

Onyx is the birthstone for Leos and the anniversary gemstone for the 7th year of marriage. Black Onyx is the anniversary gemstone for the 10th year of marriage. Onyx is a variety of the microcrystalline quartz, called chalcedony. The name "chalcedony"" comes from Calcedon or Calchedon, an ancient port on the Sea of Marmara in Asia Minor. Ornamental materials were once mined in that area and it was an active center for trading various stones. Onyx were used widely in the past as bases and handles for gold items, as well as for stone inlay work. Onyx seals were very popular with the Romans, who carved the pattern of the seal in negative relief to give a raised point. They often used stones with several layers, each of a different color, which were then individually carved to produce a different pattern each year. They originally used the onyx name for a variety of marble having white and yellow veins. Onyx is the Greek word for ""claw"" or ""fingernail"" because these veins resemble the ... learn more

Many different gemstones can be bought in today's market. There are sapphires, opals, rubies, emeralds and more. What you may not know, however, is that all of these gemstones may not be what they appear. Some gemstones on the market are not natural gemstones, and should be marked by the seller as either "lab-created" or "simulated". You may find that some of these so-called "fake" gemstones may be almost as expensive as their natural counterpoints! This may seem suspicious to you, but actually, it is an accepted practice in the jewelry trade, that is, if the "fake" is actually grown in a laboratory, which makes it quite real in fact.... learn more