Vibrant Creations: Gemstone Jewelry

Blushing Tones and Vibrant Hues

Gemstones are mined from the earth; like diamonds, they are cut and polished to unleash their beauty and set into precious metals. Colored gemstones can vary in tone, hue, and vibrancy, with the most desirable and unusual colors commanding the highest prices.

Throughout the ages gemstones have been prized for their beauty and symbolism, with each stone encapsulating its own unique story and origins. Gemstones have even been believed to possess metaphysical qualities such as luck, attracting wealth, love and health. Above all though, gemstones are adored for the vibrancy and life that they bring to fine jewelry.

At Washington Diamond, we source premium quality, colored gemstones, representing the most desired hues and tones, perfectly set into our fine jewelry designs. Our collections aim to showcase the natural beauty of colored gemstones in intriguing and creative ways, showcasing the finest modern jewelry-making techniques.

Types of Gemstone Jewelry

Gemstones can be set into a variety of jewelry styles. With a rich history, gemstones can add a beautiful, vintage feel to fine jewelry. Enigmatic emeralds and intense rubies are among the most popular choices for jewelry that gives a nod to the past. Modern jewelry designers use both vivid and subtle gemstones to elevate contemporary designs and add flair to their creations.

A gemstone bracelet is the embodiment of glamour. From snaking, endless rows of sapphires to a single delicate gem set on a chain, gemstone bracelet styles range from every day jewelry to exquisite occasion pieces. The perfect gift for jewelry lovers.

The epitome of elegance. Gemstone necklaces and pendants may present a riot of vibrant color, or a subtle and understated blush. Our collection showcases sensitively designed gemstone necklaces, which highlight the charming beauty of colored gemstones.

Gemstones are also used to adorn gemstone necklaces, watches and broaches, bringing a colorful element to classic and contemporary jewelry.

Gemstone Families

There are a total of 16 gemstone families, however, not all gemstones are suitable for fine jewelry. In order to be suitable for wear, gemstones must be durable enough to be set into fine jewelry without shattering. Some of the less durable gems (such as pearls) can still be set into jewelry, but must be cared for appropriately to avoid deterioration.

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires are the only precious gemstones. All other gemstones are semi precious. Some of the most popular jewelry gemstones: aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, garnet, amethyst, moissanite and lapis lazuli. This categorization isn’t based on any tangible quality (for example, durability, price, rarity etc) so when it comes to choosing gemstone jewelry, you can set aside the ‘semi-precious/precious’ labels.

Exquisite Cuts

Skilled Craftspeople

Premium Quality Gemstones

Exceptional Settings

Gemstones Cuts

Gemstones can be cut into a number of different shapes and facet patterns. In fact, some cuts are specifically engineered to unleash the most from the gemstones; for example, the emerald cut, which was designed to minimize pressure on the stone and emphasize depth and color.

There is one distinctive cut which is rarely used for diamonds, but a popular choice for gemstones. This is known as a Cabochon. Cabochon does not use faceting, instead it uses a smooth, high-polish finish to give a glossy, candy-like appearance.

The cut of a gemstone can have a fantastic effect on the way the gemstone plays with light and displays it's given color.

Gemstone Colors

When it comes to diamond color, things are fairly straightforward. A colorless, icy white diamond is the most desirable and the color grade is based on the presence of color in the diamond on a graduated scale (D-F).

For gemstones, it is a little different. There are two features in gemstone color; tone and saturation. Tone refers to the lightness or darkness and saturation refers to the intensity of the color.

As each gemstone has its own unique visual and physical properties, there is no blanket guidelines for customers when it comes to quality. Generally speaking, a gemstone that displays consistent color throughout the body is the most desirable, but there is much beauty to be found in gemstone that display a variety of different tones and hues.

Popular Gemstones

The 2020’s have already seen an incredible emergence of gemstone jewelry. From royal rings to celebrity statement necklaces, the allure of colored gemstones continues to entice jewelry lovers around the world. There are some gemstones which have reached new heights of desirability in the recent years.

Choosing Gemstone Jewelry

One of the most wonderful aspects of choosing gemstone jewelry is the incredible myriad of colors, cuts and shapes. Gemstone jewelry can reflect a full rainbow of color, from delicate pastel hues to intense, rich shades.

The gemstones we select for our gemstone jewelry must meet the highest threshold of quality. This means that our customers can choose with their hearts, safe in the knowledge that their chosen gemstones will be of exceptional quality.