Pink Tourmaline Lab Emerald Citrine Earrings in 14K Gold

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

The emerald has been a gem of fascination for over six thousand years. It is so prized that a fine emerald may be twice as valuable as a diamond. Emerald was first translated from Sanskrit as "marakata," meaning "the green of growing things." The name we know it as now is believed to come from an ancient Persian word, "smaragdus." Over time, it was corrupted to "emerald." Records show that the stone was known and sold in markets in Babylon as early as 4000 BC. The stone was worshiped by the Incas and mentioned in biblical information about the apocalypse. The earliest reference to emeralds in Western literature comes from Aristotle. He was a great fan of the gemstone. He wrote that owning an emerald increases the owner's importance in business and gives victory in trials. It also helps settle litigation and comforts and soothes eyesight. He also stated, "An emerald hung from the neck or worn in a ring will prevent the falling sickness (epilepsy). We, therefore, commend noblemen that it... learn more

Citrine has been popular for thousands of years and used to be revered for its rarity, though that has changed with time. The ancient Romans used it for beautiful jewelry and intaglio work. It was also very popular for jewelry in the 19th century. During the Art Deco period between World Wars I and II, large citrines were set in many prized pieces, including the massive and elaborate Art Deco inspired jewelry pieces made for big Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford.... 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