Jewelry isn't the first thought that comes to mind after watching a superhero movie, but the motion picture production of Black Panther actually employs aesthetic creations from Marve's first licensed jewelry makre, Douriean Fletcher. The designer makes use of her unique and powerful creative tastes to help paint a world where one's ability and skill define one's role more in society.



African themed jewelry was an integral creative focus for her pieces, but she also wanted to show the manifestation of both bold strength and graceful spirituality- two traits that the women of Wakanda held proudly in their technologically advanced society. Fletcher mentions that the goal of her jewelry pieces is to remind wearers of an inner strength that they possess.



Her beautiful work was also shown for a brief period at the end of 'Avengers', another movie in the marvel cinematic universe. The usage of gold in feminine, yet strong motifs governed a large portion of the collection used by Marvel. The gemstone amethyst was also incorporated into some designs, possibly pointing to its historical connection with royalty and nobility.



Jewelry does not simply exist to be shown off as bauble or fashion statements. Throughout our existence on this planet, the wearing of precious metals and gemstones signified importance, wisdom, expression and culture. The passing down of mementos and heirlooms was something seen across every nation, with the intent of the older generations to leave behind a guiding emblem of their love and learnings to the children of the future.

(Photography: Marvel Studios & Press)

Quartz is a very well known gem species, with variations in many different color ranges and phenomena. The jewelry trade has seen its forefront designers make use of this gem in a wide diversity of designs and carvings. Now, two of the most popular quartz variants come into the spotlight for us to examine and talk about.

 

Amethyst is the purple variety of the quartz species. It's been hailed as the world's most popular purple and violet gem for as long as anyone can remember, at one point in time- even matching the fine reputation of ruby, sapphire and emerald.

Nowadays, amethyst has held its popularity, although with the advent of widely emerging sources in brazil and other countries, its value has become more commercial compared to diamonds or the big three colored stone varieties.

Its color is caused by exposure to the earth's natural radiation, and the presence of iron trace element atoms. Without these factors, the crystal would just be regular SiO2, or colorless quartz.

Heating amethyst alters its internal atomic structure, creating a amber brown or yellowish color, and decreasing or diminishing the crystal's pleochroism.



Citrine is the golden yellow variety of quartz, and a majority of its demand is now being filled by the production of heated amethyst crystals from Brazil. Despite the moderate availability of natural citrine, the golden yellow hues produced by treated amethyst seem to appeal more significantly to many buyers in the trade today.

There is debate among the gemstone buying societies as to whether heated amethyst should be called "citrine" or not, as some would still feel that "treated" amethyst or even "baked amethyst" is more accurate a term.

The price and supply of this heated material also remains to be the number one factor in its usage for Citrine market demand. Some treaters even segregate the heating area of an amethyst crystal, producing a bi-colored purple and yellow variant called ametrine.



Ametrine can be found in nature, especially in specific localities in Bolivia, however a majority of those you see being used for jewelry are a product of partially heating amethyst specimens.

Citrine, as a gemstone is favored by many Asian cultures because of its golden color. People seem to associate its bright yellow hue with fortune and monetary abundance. Wealth is factor often tied to the possession of gemstones, and gold is another material people would often link with the two.

Citrine's vivid, and almost aureate appearance lends to its importance in eastern beliefs and practices like feng shui. In contrast, amethyst's depth of purple color has allowed it to gain affluence in the past- as a royal gemstone, signifying nobility, trust and sobriety.

External Image credits to T. Spann & L. Morganston

Others put an attachment between crystals and their zodiac signs, which are different for the western and eastern versions of the zodiac system. The interweaving of crystals into our culture seems to be derived from history's longstanding view of crystals and gems as symbols of importance.

One particular, and very often uniformly accepted association of gemstones to human culture- is the designation of birthstones. Here's a quick look at each month's assigned birthstone according to the general public:

January's Birthstone is Garnet, which is actually an entire mineral group that's made up of different species and varieties- all called garnet as well. Tsavorite, Demantoid and Rhodolite are all garnets that have slightly different properties due to deviances in their crystals.

February's Birthstone is Amethyst. Along with citrine, amethyst is one of the most popular varieties of the mineral known as quartz. There was a time long ago when amethyst was considered as precious and as valuable as ruby, sapphire and emerald. When the vast Brazilian mining sources turned up, the supply of amethyst skyrocketed and was able to meet worldwide demand. Because of this though, it's prices also became much more affordable for everyone.



March's Birthstone is Aquamarine. This is the stone of the ocean, whose name is literally derived from the sea. Aquamarine is the second most expensive variety of the gem species known as beryl, and is the most famously known light-blue colored gemstone in the world.

April's Birthstone is Diamond, which needs no introduction. Diamond is the hardest mineral on the planet. It symbolizes one's eternal commitment to a partner, and has grown to be the ultimate symbol for marriage in our contemporary society.

May's Birthstone is Emerald. The green variety of beryl is typically its most expensive type. Emerald is also considered one of the 'Big Three' colored stones that make up a huge portion of the jewelry industry. It's said that the best emerald source is Colombia, where the mines of Muzo and Chivor produce emeralds with intensely saturated viridian greens.

June's Birthstone is either Pearl or Alexandrite. There are four types of pearls used today in the jewelry trade: Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and Freshwater. Any can be used as appropriate birthstone jewelry for June. Likewise, alexandrite is also a famously traded stone today, as the color-change variety of fine chrysoberyl.

July's Birthstone is Ruby, which was once referred to as ratnaraj or 'the king of all colored gemstones'. Ruby actually holds the most expensive price-per-carat of all gemstones apart from diamond. It's also been mentioned in bible passages four times, and has a distinct recognition in the history of many popular cultures and ethnicities.

August's Birthstone is Peridot, which is the most famous light green stone variety in the world, and the gem-quality version of the mineral known as olivine. Peridot specimens were even harvested from meteorites that fell from space.



September's Birthstone is Sapphire. The blue hues of sapphire may be the most famous, but sapphire actually comes in a rainbow of colors, including orange, yellow, pink, black and green. Ruby and sapphire actually have nearly the exact same chemical composition, differing mainly just by their trace-elements that cause their unique colors.

October's Birthstone is either Tourmaline or Opal. Tourmaline is also a mineral group, and one that boasts the greatest variety of colors out of any popularly traded gem today. Some tourmaline specimens can even have up to five colors in a single crystal (Liddicoatite). Opal on the other hand, is an amorphous gem that exhibits a beautifully dazzling phenomena called play-of-color.

November's Birthstone is either Topaz or Citrine. Both are famously known golden gemstones, although topaz can come in other colors as well. These two gems are very much associated with fortune and the attraction of prosperity.

December's Birthstone is either Tanzanite, Zircon or Turquoise. Each of these three stones exhibit different shades of blue, with tanzanite usually holding the most in terms of saturation and intensity. It is also the most expensive of the three.




Some say that the origins of adopting gemstones to symbolize one's birth month has its roots in biblical sources. In the book of Exodus, there is a mention of Aaron's breastplate, which was inlaid with twelve different gemstones to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel during that period. The stones that were present included sapphire, emerald, topaz, carbuncle, sardius, agate, amethyst, ligure, onyx, beryl, jasper, and diamond.

Carrying one's birthstone, or wearing it on your person is said to bring benefits to him or her, especially during the month of their birth. While this is again, outside of the gemological realm, it is a part of jewelry market studies. People often use birthstone themes to create beautiful pieces that appeal to each individual by a specific personal attachment (the birthday).

Whether you believe in birthstones or not, it is quite curious to note that gemstones that have had significance back during the days of our ancestors, still hold a special place and meaning for us today, in modern society.

Amethyst is the violet to reddish-purple variety of quartz. Its name is derived from the Greek word amethystos, which roughly translates to "remedy from intoxication" referring to a long lost belief that stones protected their wearers from becoming drunk after taking wine.




It's currently the most popular purple gemstone collected worldwide by jewelry owners and gemstone afficionados. Despite its current affordability on the markets however, Amethyst at one point was as rare and valuable as ruby, sapphire and emerald. It wasn't until the 18th century and the discovery of large amethyst geodes in the mines of Minas Gerais (Brazil), that the stone's supply skyrocketed internationally. This may have brought prices to more normal levels, but it also allowed this beautiful gem to reach every little corner of the world, lending its appreciative beauty to many different societies and cultures.

Amethyst is the designated gemstone for the entire month of February. Its deep and affectionate purplish hue is simply perfect for the incoming Valentines' day romance.

People from Metro Manila love using amethyst as a favored gemstone in their bracelets, beads and even rings. Some of the older texts on crystal beliefs and gemstone healing, suggest that amethyst is believed to increase nobility and spiritual awareness in a person. It's contact with the wearer's skin was also said to impart healing properties that cured general ailments and insomnia.

All quartz varieties, including amethyst and its cousin Citrine, exhibit piezoelectric properties. This means that when a crystal is subjected to a certain amount of force, movement or pressure, its structure will release a tiny charge of electric energy, and vice versa. This fact was made extremely useful in many various industries, such as watch-making / horologie, due to the precision of the movements generated through the unique property.



Amethyst for the longest time, was a revered gemstone associated with royalty and exclusivity. Its color was paralleled by no other in the range, not even by purple sapphire. This led many jewelers to use it in their masterpiece creations, even after the Brazilian sources were found. Crystals tend to come in clear, almost eye-clean qualities, which is perfect for designer-cuts and modified faceting. Amethyst is now quickly becoming a favorite of modern gem-cutting artisans for its pure clarity and deep saturations.

A word of caution for collectors though, it might not be wise to expose your amethyst stones to very bright sources of light and heat. Amethyst's color comes from a complicated atomic defect associated with the iron impurities in its crystal lattice. Some people who want to change amethyst to Citrine, heat their crystals in specific controlled environments with precise temperatures. The fact remains however, that some exposure to strong heat / light may cause the stone's dark purple to fade lighter over long periods of time.

(Below is a picture of Bolivian ametrine, a bicolored crystal variety of quartz that's created by partially heating raw amethyst. Photo credit to Kingstone Gems.)