SAPPHIRE
Soothing, sensuous blue; liquid blue; evening sky blue; cornflower blue ... these are among the many shades of this lovely gemstone. And yet there are many colors and hues of sapphire from which to choose; the hot and soft pinks; the oranges, greens, purples, goods, yellows and whites ... all for your pleasure.

Since ancient times, man has treasured sapphire. Some thought the heavens crystallized to form a huge sapphire upon which the earth rested. All sought the pure colors of this gem variety as an expression of beauty and wealth. Yet the perfect sapphire is as rare as the finest work of art. And thus, we have evolved methods over the centuries to enhance the purest hues of sapphire. This is often achieved by controlled heating of the gemstones to improve their clarity and color. Heating sapphires is a permanent enhancement, as lasting as the gems themselves.

EMERALD
Emerald, to many, symbolizes rebirth and life abundant. The rich green hues bring to mind regeneration of life in spring, and hope of new possibility. Yet perfection in emerald, as in all things, is among the most rare of nature's treasures. When they are mined from the earth, almost all emeralds have unique birthmarks that distinguish them as truly natural gemstones.

Early gem merchants in India sought to purify the color of their emeralds by immersing them in clear o s or paraffin. They found that clear oils and waxes rendered surface fissures nearly invisible to the naked eye. Today, we have many sophisticated technologies with which to clarity enhance emeralds. In addition to the oils and waxes of ancient method, we now use clear resins to penetrate the open fissures surfacing in the stones. "Hardeners" are often added to solidify these liquids. This step prevents the resin from evaporating from the stones, thus making the clarity enhancement more permanent than oiling or waxing the gem. Ask your jeweler for information regarding your emerald selection and care. To understand the journey your emerald has traveled from the earth to you is to gain special insight into its magic.

AQUAMARINE
The very name, Aquamarine, brings to mind the limpid, clear blue tint of the sea. Many Aquamarines are greenish when mined and cut. For those who prefer the purer blue, these stones are heated to enhance their blue color permanently. Yet many Aquamarine fanciers prefer the greenish hues, saying the greener tones remind them more of the sea. The color tones of Aquamarine are subtle and varied. Their soft luster is a wonderful addition to any natural colored gemstone jewelry collection.

TANZANITE
Tanzanite is renowned for the exquisite combination of purple and blue hues of this loveliest of gems discovered in modern times. Mined in Tanzania, at the feet of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, virtually every tanzanite is heated to permanently change its color from orange-brown to the spectacular violet-blue color for which this precious gemstone variety is known.

BLUE TOPAZ
Nature rarely produces Topaz in the blue variety, although some examples have been found. Challenged by this rare occurrence of nature, man has discovered an enhancement method to "excite blue color from a clear to brownish Topaz variety. After the raw Topaz is mined, it s irradiated to brown and then heated to a rich sky blue. This enhancement process is permanent.