Fire Opal Pink Tourmaline Jade Jewelry in 14K Gold

Mexican fire opals are named for their uniform flaming orange or cherry red body color. They are always very brightly colored, and can be a little bit cloudy to almost perfectly transparent. Transparent specimens have a good luster. Like the traditional opal, fire opals can occasionally display signs of iridescence in very bright light. Fire opals have a very low density, lower than that of glass, with which it is sometimes confused. Fire opals, like other opals, are relatively hard, rating a 5.5 to 6.5 on the hardness scale.... learn more

Tourmaline is the alternate birthstone for October, along with the opal. The stone was first discovered by Dutch traders off the West Coast of Italy in the late 1600's or early 1700's. The name tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese term "turmali,"" which was the name given to all colored crystals on the island of Sri Lanka at that time. This all inclusive name indicates the inability of ancient gem dealers to differentiate tourmaline from other stones. In fact, at one time in history, pink and red tourmaline were thought to be rubies. Pink tourmaline tends to be pinker in color than ruby. However, their similarities in appearance are so strong that the stones in the Russian crown jewels believed to be rubies for centuries, are now thought to be tourmalines"... learn more

Jade is the stone given in celebration of the 12th, 30th, and 35th anniversaries of marriage. For thousands of years, the stone has been revered in China and other countries throughout the world. The Chinese, Mayas, Aztecs, and the Maoris of New Zealand have long prized the stone for its use in jewelry, and in carvings of sacred religious figures. Before there were written records of jade, it was used for axe heads, spear points, daggers, and sacred knives in pagan religious ceremonies. From the earliest days of jade's history, it has been the most favored gem among the Chinese. There are collections of jade with Chinese carvings, dating back to 2000 BC in museums throughout the world. These include carvings of meaningful shapes such as fish, birds, bats and dragons. Jade was used extensively in daily and ceremonial objects of Chinese nobility and represented high rank and authority. Jade amulets were actually buried with the dead in China. The Spanish conquistadores adopted the use of... learn more