It's Gonna be a Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas!

December Birthstones:  Three Choices of Beautiful Blue Gemstones

It's Gonna be a Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas! Beautiful blues for December!

December babies are the luckiest!  Not just because they get the biggest celebration of all the in same month, Christmas, but because they get the choice of THREE equally gorgeous brilliant blue gemstones to choose from for their birthstone.

The other good news?  You can buy something with any of these stones or their representative colors from our store, The Pink Pigs!  Yay!  Yay because ALL proceeds help the rescued animals at Rooterville Animal Sanctuary too and it FEELS good to do good, getting a gorgeous piece of jewelry at the same time is icing on the cake.

Let’s get started with these beautiful gemstones:

 Tanzanite

The key identifier of real tanzanite is the color change of the stone as it reflects light.  It is not just blue, it is a multi-color stone that will show flashes of violet, pink or brown.  Tanzanite is the blue to violet variety of the mineral zoisite. Tanzanite was first discovered in 1967 in Tanzania, East Africa. It is mined commercially in only one area of the world: The Merelani Hills of Tanzania, which is where it gets its name. is where it gets its name. Legend says that it was Masai Castle herders that first noticed this stone some 30 years ago after a fire caused by lightning burned areas in Tanzania. The herders noticed that brown zoisite crystals had turned a deep blue-purple due to the heat from the fire. In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association chose Tanzanite as a December birthstone, the first change to their birthstone list since 1912. Tanzanite is usually a reddish-brown in its rough state, requiring artificial heat treatment to bring out the blue-violet of the stone. A deeply saturated blue is the most valuable color of Tanzanite. Paler tones are more affordable.  Tanzanite is a chameleon in jewelry, available in sapphire blue, purple and burgundy tone!

One thing for sure, whether you prefer the more expensive deep blue or the more affordable paler blue, you are going to LOVE tanzanite, even if you aren’t born in December!  We have several pieces of this spectacular gemstone available in our store, one for every budget!

These earrings are STUNNING.  Set in fine 14K solid gold they are 6.75cts of deep blue tanzanite surrounded by over 2.5ts of high quality genuine diamonds!  WOW!  Appraised by a local appraiser for over $10,000! 

But you can enjoy tanzanite like this beautiful ring in sterling silver for much less!  At just $59.95, you get a beautiful purple amethyst surrounded by a tanzanite halo.  This is such a pretty ring and so affordable.  Check out all of our gorgeous Tanzanite jewelry and other fun and beautiful products when you visit our store! 

 ZIRCON

 Zircon is a very unique color of blue!  Zircon is a well-known mineral that makes an important gemstone of many colors. Its brilliant luster and fire, combined with good hardness, make it a desirable gem. Natural Zircon with good color and transparency is uncommon; most Zircon crystals are opaque and brownish. However, most Zircon gemstones, especially the blue and white forms, are enhanced by heat treatment. Zircon is an important gemstone, with several color forms used in various forms of jewelry. Zircon is also the most significant ore of the element zirconium, and it is also the most important ore of the rare element hafnium, which can be present in considerable quantities in Zircon. In several localities, Zircon is also an ore of the radioactive element thorium. Wow, right?  All that aside, let’s just say that Zircon is a special gemstone with a rare beauty all its own.  You can buy one of these gorgeous and sparkly angels with zircon color crystals.  We can order zircon jewelry for you if you would like it, just ask! 

 TURQUOISE

 Few things in the Southwest are as iconic as turquoise Native American Indian jewelry. This striking blue gemstone has truly stood the test of time, appearing in American Indian jewelry as early as 1600 CE in Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo and weaving its way through generations of artists, traders, and collectors, and into the hands of modern-day fashionistas.

 Turquoise has been cherished and used by the Southwest Native American Indian tribes for centuries in trade, for ceremonial purposes, and to enhance their beautiful art forms -- from sand paintings to Indian jewelry.

 While the thought of turquoise to many people conjures up images of Native American jewelry, turquoise is found in many places around the world. As far back as the 14th century, the people of Turkey were known for their taste for the mineral -- so much so that the French named the stone after them: turquoise.

 SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

Nearly every Native American tribe has made some use of turquoise, whether for healing or aesthetic purposes. Perhaps due to its reminiscence of sky and water -- two sacred elements here in the Southwest -- this rare blue-green gemstone carries spiritual significance for many of the tribes in this region.

 HISTORY OF TURQUOISE

Due to its tremendous importance to so many Native (and non-native) peoples, turquoise has been mined in great amounts over the years. Throughout the Southwest, more than 200 prehistoric mines have been located -- some of which were being worked as early as 300 CE. Many Native myths and legends included turquoise: the gods had playthings, ornaments, weapons, and even houses made of turquoise. Medicine men, caciques, and shamans could not carry out their duties properly without turquoise. Indeed, few rites, festivities, or religious ceremonies took place without the official use of turquoise in some way.

 During the 18th and 19th centuries, as tribes began to develop their own styles and methods of jewelry making, turquoise became the most popular stone to appear in Southwest Indian jewelry. Because of its early prominence, turquoise will continue to be a representation of Native American cultures and traditions for years to come, and it is certain to be showcased and preserved by beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.

 Becoming rarer, turquoise has enjoyed an increase in value and perfectly blue pieces are much pricier than the typical mottled looking stones used in southwestern jewelry like our beautiful ring pictured here.  Turquoise is often ground and made into a paste to create stones of pure blue.  Expect to pay more for an intact stone of pure blue color.  Our Celtic Love Knot jewelry set is solid turquoise and is absolutely stunning and very inexpensive in solid sterling silver, it even has small diamonds to give it just a little sparkle.

 With a beauty all its own, turquoise will be found to suit every taste from rustic to fine jewelry.  We have several turquoise choices including our windchime bells!  Imitation turquoise is quite popular as well like our cute chakra bead heart and paw bracelet which you'll find in the "Pet Lovers" collection.

There is something for everyone in The Pink Pigs boutique!  Our best friends love animals and knowing that their purchases improve the lives of hundreds of rescued animals is the icing on the cake for them.  Go ahead, spoil yourself or someone you love with the beautiful jewelry and gifts found in The Pink Pigs gift boutique! 

Don’t forget to share!  The more friends who buy from us, the more animals we are able to help!  Thank you!