Unearthing rare treasures

Since the beginning of time, humans have loved the idea of adorning themselves, be it with animal tooth or metals and precious stones as seen today. While we all have our personal preferences when it comes to the metals we wear, jewellery has evolved by leaps and bounds as soon as man began discovering and unearthing precious gemstones. Whether or not a gemstone holds any astrological significance is open for debate, but what we are exploring today is the beauty and grandeur that certain gemstones bring to the wearer. Here's a lowdown of some of our favourite ones…The beginners' choiceIf yellow makes you happy and hopeful, then the beautiful gemstone, citrine, is something that you must try. Fortunately, there is no one shade of yellow that you have to settle for, as citrine colours can range from a very pale yellow to a deep yellowish orange. The perfect gemstone for your rings, earrings or bracelets, citrine lends itself to delicate pieces as it can be cut easily. Add to that, the translucence gives it an ethereal feel. If affordability ranks high on your priorities, then don't give this gemstone a miss!A flash of passionOne of the most impressive and impassioned gemstones in the world is the ruby, which comes from the mineral corundum. Very few of us know that both ruby and sapphire originated from the same mineral. Rubies of excellent quality and large sizes can easily compete with diamonds in terms of price. While rubies can be found in many parts of the world, the Burmese rubies are known to be the most famous kinds, as they were used for adornment by kings and queens of the ancient eras.Going green with envyEmeralds have gained immense popularity in recent times, thanks to the interest and exposure generated by leading jewellers of the world. The emerald can be traced back to the mineral beryl, which has been around for thousands of years in mines that loaded with hot water or steam. While South America is most famous for its emerald deposits, the finest emeralds probably belong to the Muzo and Chivor mines of Columbia.The multi-starrerUnlike its contemporaries like the ruby and emerald, topaz is not identified with a single colour. But that is where its beauty lies, we believe. Found in vibrant colours like yellow or blue, and the lesser famous brown and brownish green, topaz has almost every colour imaginable. A special variety of topaz known as the Imperial topaz is seen in colours like pink, orange, violet and the rarest of all, red. The name 'imperial' comes from its popularity amongst the Russian royalty way back in the 19th century.