I absolutely love sapphires...and they happen to be my new baby niece's birthstone!! I am so excited for when I can make special Montana sapphire jewelry for her to wear.
Sapphire gems can be gorgeous in jewelry, and are durable as well! Because sapphires are number nine on Moh's hardness scale (second only to number ten, diamond, the hardest known mineral), they make great gems for engagement and wedding rings. An excellent alternative for someone who doesn't like what a diamonds represent, or even for someone who just wants to wear a little color. I just finished making a custom engagement ring using a teardrop Montana sapphire that was mined in the 1940s and eco-friendly recycled rose gold.
I LOVE Montana sapphires. I use only Montana sapphires that haven't been heat-treated, dyed, or otherwise altered from their natural state, other than being cut (unlinke the majority of gemstones in jewelry today which are heat- or otherwise-treated to enhance their appearance). Though more rare, untreated Montana sapphires come such a beautiful array of colors naturally! I used three natural colored Montana sapphires for my engagement ring, and set them in recycled platinum.
In honor of my new niece Evie, I created a new sapphire ring this month. Featuring a tiny blue or purple Yogo sapphire from Montana, I love how sweet these rings are. Even at a diminutive 2mm, the color in these sapphires really pop, even more so than in the photo! Yogo sapphires are mined in only one area of Montana called Yogo Gulch, and are famous for their brilliant blue and purple hues.
My husband Jared and I are planning a trip out to Montana next summer to go mining for sapphires...we are so excited! I am hoping to come back with lots of beautiful sapphires to make into jewelry.
October's birthstones are up next...and I promise to write about them before the month is over!
Laurie Lynn Berezin
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