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The vivid colors of colored gemstones and the rich sheen of pearls make these precious jewels distinctive gifts of luxury. Find out how to choose the high-quality gem she'll love:
Gemstones
Want to add some color to her life? A beautiful gemstone is a striking solution. Angara offers four varieties:
Ruby - She'll stand out in
ruby's classic red hue. Made from the mineral corundum, the best color is a deep, pure red or slightly purplish red.
Sapphire - It comes from the Greek word for blue, but
sapphire (which, like ruby, is made from the mineral corundum) is available in many colors, including pink and yellow. In the classic blue, a strong medium blue is most prized.
Emerald - Treasured by powerful women from Cleopatra to Elizabeth Taylor, the most valuable
emeralds have a fresh, pure green - although a darker bluish green is also common.
Tanzanite - the velvety blue of
Tanzanite is found only in the hills of Tanzania near Mount Kilimanjaro. Introduced in 1968, a tanzanite has blue and purple crystals, and shows different colors when viewed at different angles.
Buying tips:
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Color quality is key. The brighter and more vivid the color, the more sought after and valuable. |
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The better the clarity, the better the stone. Like diamonds,
colored gemstones exhibit internal characteristics known as inclusions. In general (though there are exceptions), the fewer inclusions in a gemstone, the more valuable. |
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Expect to pay more per carat for a large gem than a small one. Colored gemstones are measured by weight, not size -- in carats, just like diamonds. But some gems, like emerald, ruby and sapphire, rarely come in large sizes, so those are far more valuable than their small counterparts. |
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A good cut delivers the most brilliance and beauty.Colored gemstones reflect light, the same way diamonds do. So a quality cut makes a big difference in terms of brightness. |
Pearls
These exquisite and alluring gems grow in pearl oysters and are prized for their layers of lustrous, iridescent coating called nacre. Today, over 95% of pearls are "cultured," which means they do not appear naturally but are grown and harvested. A bead is implanted in the mollusk, spurring the growth of nacre. Angara offers four varieties of beautiful pearls:
Akoya - These classic pearls come from the Akoya saltwater oyster, which is grown in Japan and China. The best color is white with rose overtones.
Freshwater - Cultivated in mollusks in lakes, rivers and ponds, most freshwater pearls come from China. While they look very similar to Akoyas, they are often smaller and less symmetrical - but they can be a very attractive and affordable alternative.
White South Sea - Larger than Akoya or freshwater pearls, these exceptional versions come from the white-lipped grown in Southeast Asia and French Polynesia. The best color is white with silver overtones.
Tahitian - Dramatic and unique, these large pearls come in unique shades of black, silver, gray, green, gold and purple. They are a product of the black-lipped oyster in French Polynesia.
Remember:
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The more layers of nacre a pearl has, the more luster. Since a larger pearl has more layers, it makes sense that it would typically have more nacre. |
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Round is the classic.Pearls come in a variety of shapes, including teardrop and various assymetrical options. But the classic round shape - like Audrey Hepburn wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - is the most sought-after. |
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The smoother the pearl, the more valuable.The finest pearls have hardly any bumps, pits or wrinkles - although since they come from nature, all pearls will have some surface characteristics. |
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