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Precious Gemstones

The Big Four

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires are the major four precious gemstones, representing some of the more popular selections at our custom jewelry designer in Seattle and Bellevue. These jewels have been sought after throughout history for their elusive beauty.

For many women, a diamond is among their preferred jewels. Perhaps Marilyn was correct when she crooned about the fond affection a woman has for diamonds. Diamonds, which are revered throughout the jewel world, are a great symbol of love for many women. Of course, this may be because Diamonds are the standard stone for engagement rings.

Diamonds are among the most revered of the precious gemstones. Historically, they have symbolized wealth, and now in the 20th and 21st centuries they have grown to become the main symbol of love. This is especially evident each year as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day draw close.

Rubies, which tend to have a higher density than diamonds, are notable for their beautiful red color. Rubies are among the hardest gemstones, which along with their lustrous color, makes them highly sought after. For many years, ruby was a popular girls name. Ruby red is a shade often attributed to the lips of a beautiful woman. This deep red evokes images of love, beauty and even royalty for many people.

It is believed that those seeking political office should wear a ruby to enhance their power. This belief has led to the common political practice in the U.S. for a politician to wear a deep red tie in order to appear more powerful during important events.

Many a writer has penned the phrase "emerald green eyes". The emerald is a symbol of exotic beauty. Although these stones are used in a variety of shapes, the Emerald Cut usually springs to mind first when you are considering purchasing this jewel. Emeralds are primarily mined in India, but due to their precious state, they have also been synthetically produced since the mid-1850’s. The process is so refined now that it is often almost impossible to see the difference between a real emerald and a synthesized one.

Sapphires, the birthstone for September, are associated with faith and loyalty. Historically, they were also believed to protect the wearer from harm. Although the standard sapphire is cornflower blue, sapphires actually exist in a variety of colors from pink to red, and they can sometimes even be found in green.

Why They Are Precious

Precious gemstones are categorized as such because they are the hardest to find. As with anything that’s rare, demand for these types of stones often outstrips supply. Therefore, precious gemstones are worth more than non-precious stones because there is more desire than availability. If diamonds could be found anywhere in the world, the price would likely drop significantly.

With exploration throughout the world, many gems that were previously hard to find have been discovered in abundance in certain areas. These four precious gemstones are not among them, however, and so they remain the most revered for their historical connections and because of their limited supply in the nature world.