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Fun Facts / Facts
| Fun Gemstone Facts |
Fun Celebrity Facts
|
| Mali Garnet | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Mali Garnets
come from the Republic of Mali in western Africa. A
grossular-andradite, Mali
Garnet is typically yellow, green, or brown.
Garnet’s high refraction led to the belief in ancient times that they
could protect the wearer from harm and light their way in the dark. (Source: GIA and Euro Gem) |
Think you have a lot of jewelry?
Chances are English monarch Queen
Elizabeth II has more. Estimated at $57 million the
Queen’s jewelry collection is housed 40 feet beneath Buckingham Palace
in a room the size of an ice rink. (Source: International Colored Gemstone Association) |
| Gypsy
Rose Garnet |
Elizabeth Taylor & the Shah's Yellow Diamond |
| Gypsy Rose Garnet was
discovered in 2005 in Tanzania’s Umba Valley. What makes this
attractive orange-red
garnet different is its unusually high grossular content
(7.0-8.5%). This grossular component may give Gypsy Rose its
special hue which is lighter and brighter than most other red
garnets. Although Rhodolite
Garnet is similar to Gypsy Rose Garnet
in that both are
pyrope-almandines found in East Africa, they differ in this grossular
component, hue and in Gypsy
Rose Garnet’s lack of rutile inclusions within the
stone. (Source: GIA and John D. Dyer) |
Love inspired
Shah Jahan
to build the Taj Mahal
as a tribute to his dead wife. Not neglectful while she was
alive he
also gave her a heart-shaped yellow
diamond
which was regifted in more
recent history by Richard
Burton to Elizabeth
Taylor. (Source: International Colored Gemstone Association) |
| Ruby
Confusion |
Marlene
Dietrich Bakes a Cake |
| When a sapphire
is red
it is called...a ruby!
The confusion with rubies
doesn't stop there, in former times red spinels
were often mistaken for rubies.
Even the Imperial British crown's “Black Prince’s Ruby” was found to be
a spinel! Formally owned by Mughal rulers and currently in Queen Elizabeth II’s possession is the 352.50-carat “Timur Ruby” which is also (oops!) a spinel. (Source: International Colored Gemstone Association & Fun Trivia) |
World War II singer and actress Marlene Dietrich
wore her own cabochon emerald
jewelry in many of her films. These pretty gems were
especially appropriate for her roles as jewel thief (Desire) and
blackmailer (Stage Fright).
Not easily parted from her jewelry Marlene once lost a 37.41 ct emerald ring when
cooking for dinner guests. No worries...It turned up in one
of her guest’s piece of cake! (Source: International Colored Gemstone Association) |