5. May ~ Emerald

The gemstone of May is one of the most rare and valuable gemstones. Emerald is a deep green variant of Beryl. The stunning green colour has made these gemstone highly sought after and their rarity makes them highly valuable. Excellent quality specimens with few inclusions are more valuable than a similarly sized diamond. 

--> Click here to visit our collection fo Emerald jewelry

6. June ~ Pearl / Alexanderite

Alexandrite is one of the most recent additions to the list of birthstones. While most gemstones on this list have been used as decoration throughout history, Alexandrite was only discovered in 1830 in the Ural mountains of Russia. Alexandrite is a fascinating gemstone because of its fascinating property of changing colour depending on the light source. While in mixed or bright daytime light Alexandrite appears to be deep purple, in fading light or by candle light it changes to a vivid yellow or orange. The change is very dramatic with not just a flash of yellows coming through the gemstone but the entire gemstone changing colour. 

Alexandrite is incredibly rare and valuable. While we don't currently stock alexandrite we are able to obtain pieces on a one off basis for custom orders. 

Pearl is the other more common birthstone of June. While not technically a gemstone because of the way it is formed pearl is nonetheless valuable and highly sought after. Pearls are often farmed inside of oysters. A small particle of sand or other foreign body is placed inside of a live oyster. In response to the invasion the oyster will coat the inclusion in a layer of calcium. The longer the inclusion is allowed to grow inside of the oyster the bigger it will become. While pearl is quite common larger pearls or uniquely coloured pearls, especially ones that are perfectly round are very valuable. 

--> Click here to visit the Metal Studio Jewelry collection of pearl jewelry

7. July ~ Ruby

Ruby is a pink to deep red variant of the mineral corundum. It is common through India and Burma with the Indian version being more pink in coloration with more inclusions. The Burmese variant is especially valuable and sought after. The Burmese rubies are a deep red in colour and very clear. 

The value of ruby is tied into the coloration and how free of inclusions it is and of course the carat weight with the deep red or 'pigeon blood' variation being the most sought after. These stunning gemstones are additionally valuable and prized in Thailand because of the long history of use in Thai and Southeast Asian jewelry. 

Rubies are also incredibly hard with only a diamond and moissanite being harder. 

---> Click here to visit Metal Studio Jewelry's collection of Ruby jewelry

8. August ~ Peridot / Spinel

Peridot, one of the shared birthstones of August is one of the few gemstones that comes in only one colour, green. Various shades of green can be found in the peridot family depending on the amount of iron in the crystal structure. Peridot is a fairly common and affordable gemstone but the deep olive green colour makes it a very pretty gem that really stands out when placed in jewelry. It also makes a very cost effective alternative to the more rare and valuable emerald. 

--> Click here to visit the Peridot jewelry section of Metal Studio Jewelry

Spinel is a stunning gemstone that typically has a very clear internal structure. Spinel comes in a huge range of colours form pinks, purples, blues, to black and even nearly translucent specimens. 

An interesting bit of history of spinel gemstones is that they have been around for a long time however before scientific testing of the internal mineral structure was possible they were classified as ruby. This was especially true of pink or even deep red spinel which can look virtually identical to ruby to the naked eye. 

--> Click here to visit out collection of Spinel Jewelry

9. September ~ Sapphire

Sapphire is another gemstone that is deeply ingrained in Thai traditions and traditional jewelry designs. Its internal structure is very closely related to ruby and is part of the corundum family of gemstones. Sapphire is most commonly a deep blue in coloration but can also be found in pinks, greens, yellow, purple and orange. While many of the best rubies in the world come from Northern Thailand and Burma. Sapphires come from central Thailand on the border to Cambodia. The Chantaburi sapphire markets are world renowned for mining and trade of gemstones. 

--> Click here to visit Metal Studio Jewelry's collection of Sapphire jewelry

10. October ~ Tourmaline / Opal

Tourmaline is another gemstone that is very similar to spinel in that it comes in a huge variety of colours. Often tourmaline has a graduation of colours within a single gemstone. Of these gemstones watermelon tourmaline, so called because of the gradient that changes from green to yellow and then to pinkish red, is a hugely popular and stunning gemstone for use in jewelry. Typically these watermelon tourmalines are cut into flat pieces that display the gradient. Tourmaline beads that have a range of colours are also another very popular option for tourmaline jewelry designs. 

Tourmaline is classified as a semi precious gemstones and because of this can be used to create affordable pieces of jewelry with large very high quality gemstones. 

--> Click here to visit the tourmaline jewelry collection

*See April birthstones for a more full write up of opals and their use in jewelry

--> Click here to visit our collection of opal jewelry. 

11. November ~ Citrine / Topaz

Citrine is a variety of quartz that produced a brilliant yellow gemstone that can range from very light in colour to yellow that has a nearly dark brown colouration. Most Citrine comes from Brazil and South America and makes a very unique gemstone to use in jewelry because of a lack of other gemstones that have a similar colouration. Citrine and Amethyst are very similar and can often be found together in a single crystal. If you were to cut the citrine and amethyst together to have a yellow to purple gradient in the gemstone it would be known as ametrine.

--> Click here to visit the citrine jewelry section of our shop. 

While all topaz can be used for jewelry the traditional birthstone of November is the more rare orange topaz. Typically topaz comes in a light blue colouration but can be found in a gambit of colours including a very dark blue (known as London Blue Topaz) oranges, pinks and purples. Topaz is closely related to citrine and there is often misidentification between the two gemstones. 

--> Click here to view the topaz jewelry collection

12. December ~ Zircon, Tanzanite and Turquoise

While Metal Studio Jewelry does not typically have zircon one tanzanite jewelry in stock we do have some loose gemstones and if you have your heart set on a piece of zircon or tanzanite jewelry we would be happy to talk to you about a custom design. 

--> Click here to contact us in regards to creating a one off piece of bespoke jewelry 

We do however have a large selection of turquoise gemstones and jewelry. Turquoise is a gemstone that has been used for jewelry and decoration for thousands of year. Its unique deep blue to green hue makes it very easy to identify. Turquoise is often associated with the deposits in the American South and was commonly used as a gemstone and decoration prior to Spanish arrival. It continues to be popular in the American South West today. However Turquoise is not limited to American deposits and is also found in abundance in Tibet and is commonly used in Tibetan and high Himalayan cultures and traditions. In recent years closures of many of the most prolific American Turquoise mines have caused the price of American Turquoise to skyrocket. 

--> Click here to visit the turquoise section of Metal Studio Jewelry

6 things to know about handmade jewelry

4. Designers expertise 

Another lot of these stunning 18k gold twist band rings set with hand selected Australian opal gemstones is now in stock. Metal Studio made a few of these at the end of 2016 and they sold out very quickly. These make a perfect alternative engagement ring for couples that are looking for a piece of jewelry that is both unique and hand made and represents their love. These stunning rings wont last long so come by Metal Studio Jewelry in Chaing Mai and have a look. We can do sizing on all rings so if you find the perfect ring but its not the right size please just let us know and we can do a custom sizing. 

The final product is a pendant that is crafted from 22k gold with gemstone set to represent each of the family members. Boom also added a few small diamonds set into droplets of gold in order to fill out the pendant and create a more unique and uniform design on the final piece of jewelry.