Hallmarks are authenticating marks struck on most silver items produced or offered for sale in Ireland. Since 1637 the Assay Office in Dublin Castle has been the only body with the authority to perform this task. The marks serve several functions: * they verify that the item is of the correct quality. In Ireland, sterling […]
For as long as people have treasured gemstones, rubies have been associated with power and emotion. They are the same colour as the blood that flows in our veins, and were always believed to hold the power of life. Its colour gave rise to a belief that an inextinguishable flame burned in the stone, and […]
When you are looking through the microscope at a gemstone, there are some many beautiful things to see. These inclusions and characteristics that you can see tell you a lot about the stone; some tell you where it formed, or if it is natural or man-made. Some tell you about the condition of the piece. […]
Following on from a previous post about sapphires, this post deals with the different colours of Blue that can be found in them. In ancient times, it was believed that the sun’s rays caused the wonderful deep blue colours that we see, and that the longer the stone was exposed to the sun, the deeper […]
Malachite is a gorgeous green banded stone, with colours of the bands ranging from light green to a very dark green. It is very easily recognised, and has a distinctive, attractive look. Its name comes from old Greek, meaning “mallow-coloured stone”, after the Mallow plant. It has been called the “mirror of the soul”, and […]
Diamond crystals have been worn and admired since at least as far back as Roman times. They were worn in rings as status symbols and charms. At the time, however, they were not the sparkly objects we know today, but were left in their natural state; this was because of the belief that they would lose their magical properties […]
Emerald is one of the earliest known coloured gemstones, having been prized since antiquity. Its name comes from the Greek word “Smaragdus” which means green. The earliest known emerald mines were in Egypt, about 3000BC, from a location near the Red Sea that would later be known as “Cleopatra’s mines”. Cleopatra was known to have […]
This post is about opals, their sources, and what to look for in a good opal. To view the opal rings we have for sale, click here: Weldons Opal Rings for sale Opals are among the most intriguing and visually stunning gemstones known to man. In ancient Rome, the opal symbolised love and hope. The Romans called the […]
The Hastings Diamond is a large Golconda diamond, weighing 101 carats. It was named after the British Governor general of India, Warren Hastings. It was given to King George III in 1785, the gift of Nizam Ali Khan, the ruler of Hyderabad. Hastings was at the time on trial in London for what were rather […]
Pearl were once believed to be drops of moonlight that fell into the sea and were eaten by oysters, or to be tears of angels fallen to earth. They have been collected by man for as long as people have gathered shellfish. Originally they were adornments of Gods and Monarchs, they were the symbols of wealth and good fortune. They range in size, […]