Gem stone popularity rises and falls with designer catwalk trends. Loose diamonds seem to always maintain their aura of elegance and have been used to highlight accessories from jewelry to handbags and shoes on the catwalk. Loose diamonds are precious stones and will set you back a bundle if you use them too much. However, this fall, you may also get a chance to add some semiprecious stones to your fall wardrobe, amping up the color while paying less for fine jewelry.
The three semiprecious stones that are being promoted for fall 2007 are: amethyst, moonstone, and rutilated quartz. The last two are lustrous white and pale shades ranging from blue in moonstone to straw-colored in the rutilated quartz. All of these gemstones work well together and add a dash of luster and glow to your fall wardrobe.
Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the most popular semiprecious stones out there. It used to be considered a precious stone until a large amount of the gem stone was located in Brazil. The availability of the stone then marked down its value from precious to semiprecious.
It is January’s birthstone, so if you happen to be born in January this fall will allow you to extend the usage of your birthstone jewelry. It comes in deep purple to a light lavender shade. To appraise the value of an amethyst, you should look for large pieces in darker shades of purple for a higher value. It is a translucent stone that should be kept free of finger oils, cosmetics, and other environmental dirt that can mar its beauty.
Amethyst has long been prized by spiritual people. It is believed that the dark purple color indicates it is good protection against negative energies. It is said to help raise the vibrations in a space or surrounding the people who wear it. Purple is also associated with spiritual qualities of mastery, love, and high spiritual attainment.
Moonstone
Moonstone is a very soft stone that can be damaged easily. You might be familiar with the moonstone from some old mood rings of the past. This stone was highly popular in vintage jewelry, but due to its softness is not cut but rather polished into cabochons. So, you might see it used in pins in the past.
Moonstone can be used for a June birthstone, in the modern version of the birthstone calendar. Its appearance has an opal-like quality that radiates out luster from different layers in the stone. It has a wide range of color possibilities, even though the main appearance is of a white stone with rainbow-like lusters. Sometimes, the luster can be more predominantly blue, pink, yellow, or even green, depending on the stone. Other times it is a milky-white and less lustrous. Since it is easily damaged, one should take care not to mishandle moonstone jewelry.
Moonstone is associated with the Goddess and feminine energies. It is associated with moon energies, and may have some association with the name given to it. Moon energies are said to enhance female power and intuition. It is said to have a powerful effect on love issues and was thought to be able to resolve some female problems in the past. It is a stone that brings balance and confidence to women who wear it.
Rutilated Quartz
Rutilated quartz is like crystal quartz, but with needles of the mineral rutile within it. This gives the stone a very unique appearance of luster and translucence at the same time. The luster can come off the needles within the transparent quartz crystal. In some cases the needles can even look gold-like, instead of straw-colored. It can be worn with any of the other two choices of semiprecious stones this fall and complement them completely.
Rutilated quartz isn’t associated with the birthstone calendar. It can come in very clear quartz with distinguishable needles ranging from pale yellow or brownish to gold. Or, you might get a crystal that is more opaque, in which case the needles may be hard to distinguish. The clearer the quartz and more easily distinguished the needles with a good color, the more the stone will cost. It also costs more if it is cut into specific shapes rather than presented as an uncut crystal or a cabochon.
As with other stones, there are magical properties associated with this gem stone too. It is believed to help alleviate depression and add energy to those who wear it. Quartz, itself, whether rutilated or not is said to be a very healing stone.
Pairing Semiprecious Stones with Diamonds
While you do want to include some of these stones in your fall wardrobe, remember that diamonds are timeless and classic. They also wear well with amethyst, moonstone, and rutilated quartz. The clear quartz can be echoed in the diamond crystalline structure. The luster and sheen of moonstone can pair well with the fiery sparkle of diamonds. And finally, amethyst goes particularly well with diamonds in that they both are translucent and cut into gem stones that are made to use the ambient light to show off the stone’s unique beauty.
If you want some jewelry with both semiprecious and precious stones in them, you can do that too. There are many designers who can take lesser quality diamonds and include them with semiprecious stones to make an ornate and inexpensive set of jewelry, while giving it an air of luxury. If you have some loose diamonds from older jewelry that you are trying to redesign, there’s no reason you can’t have them set with some of these stones. However, once the style goes out of season, you may want to have your diamond back all to itself. The choice is up to you. If you have a birthstone that is one of these stones, pairing it with diamonds and wearing it year-round can be a form of claiming your identity without depending on the fall styles. Or, if you just happen to like the look there is really nothing that says you can’t wear it well into the following year as well.
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