April is here, that means it's Diamond month, yay! This month we will be shinning the spotlight on Herkimer and Payson Diamonds.

Herkimer Diamond is an exceptional Mineral loved and sought after by many people, especially by Mineral enthusiasts. Herkimer is a double terminated Crystal (points on both ends) and is naturally faceted. It originates from Herkimer County New York,  plenty of people visit the city of Herkimer to mine this Diamond. For the best results, people use crowbars, sledgehammers and heavy chisels to chip away at the Dolostone to reveal pockets or cavities full of Herkimer Diamonds. Some pockets can be as small as a pea, and some can be a big as six feet in diameter, containing up to thousands of Diamonds in the one pocket. An extremely rare and lucky find would contain a Herkimer Diamond with Enhydro (water bubble inside) and flakes of Anthraxolite (bits of black coal-like substance) floating around inside the water bubble.
 
Formed in the mountains of Sedona Arizona, Payson Diamonds are also naturally faceted and a double terminated Crystal, found in a wide range of clarity and sizes. Payson crystals are often naturally stained a reddish rust color from the Arizona limonite. Many people are drawn to this Diamond because of the Metaphysical properties associated with it. It's believed that Payson Diamonds are the high energy seekers of the Crystal world. Payson Diamonds are also considered a Power Stone in the workplace, bringing positive attention through your achievements. 

Visit us at any of our 3 locations, Santa Fe, & Taos, NM, and Sedona, Az.

Aquamarine​ is a durable stone that mirrors the tint of various bodies of water. The name itself is Latin  for "seawater", Aqua meaning "water" and Marina meaning "of the sea". In ancient times, many people had lots of presumptions about what powers this stone has. Out at sea, Romans referred Aquamarine as the "sailors gem" believing it brought them a safe passage during the stormy weather. It was also believed by some that the stone was a symbol for happiness and everlasting youth. In medieval times, people were convinced that Aquamarine would reawaken the love between married couples. 

The stone can show a variety of colors, such as blue, green, yellow, or it may even appear colorless depending on the angle it's viewed. The term for this is called The Pleochroic Effect. To bring out the  color, majority of the stones have been heat treated. Around 800 degrees Fahrenheit will bring out the blue tones and fade out the green/yellow tones. Back in the 19th century, the sea green color was most popular, but today the blue tones are much more favored. 

A very popular cut for Aquamarine is the Emerald cut followed by Oval & Pear shaped cuts. To find the highest quality stones, you will need to travel over to Brazil. This is also where one of the largest Aquamarine was found, weighing in at 243lbs! It was then cut into many smaller pieces, yielding over 200,000 carats. The stone can also be found in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union, India, United States, Pakistan, and Madagascar (where some darker blue stones are found).