Alexandrite Garnet Lab Ruby Necklaces in 14K Yellow 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

Garnet is the birthstone for January and the stone that celebrates the 2nd anniversary of marriage. The name "garnet" comes from the Latin word "Garanatus," meaning 'seedlike', in reference to a pomegranate. This reference makes sense as small garnets look like the bright red seeds you find inside in a pomegranate. The garnet has been a popular gem throughout history. Garnets were found as beads in a necklace worn by a young man in a grave that dates back to 3000 B.C. This is proof of the hardness and durability of the stone.... learn more

"There's no place like home."", whispered Dorothy, as she clicked her ruby slippers three times and was magically whisked away to the comfort of her Kansas farmhouse. Sparkling red in the glow of Hollywood lights, Dorothy's ruby slippers were actually nothing more than a rhinestone studded prop. Nonetheless, the allure of rubies and ruby jewelry is so strong that it has worked its way into all the cultures of the world from the beginning of history up to modern time."... 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