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Amethyst-February's Birthstone

Amethyst was considered to be the stone of bishops. St. Valentine wore an amethyst signet ring, engraved with the figure of Cupid. Valentine’s Day is the 14^th of February and aptly, Amethyst is also the birthstone for this month. As a birthstone, amethyst symbolises sincerity and is reported to soothe and calm, absorbing negativity. Amethyst is also the stone for the zodiac sign Pisces.

Amethyst is the most highly valued gemstone of the quartz family. Amethyst has a hardness of 7 on Mohs' scale, which makes it a durable gemstone for jewellery.

According to Greek mythology Bacchus poured wine over clear crystal, giving it its purple colour, and created amethyst. This led to the belief that drinking wine from an amethyst cup would prevent drunkenness. The name comes from the Greek word ‘amethystos’ meaning ‘not intoxicated’.

The rich, deep violet colour of amethyst has made it a stone for royalty over many thousands of years. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also favoured by Catherine the Great and Egyptian Pharoahs.

Amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic churches in the Middle Ages because it was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety During this period of history, it was also used as a medication, believed to dispel sleep and sharpen intellect.

We have a wide range of amethyst jewellery for birthdays, valentines or treating yourself with. Come in and have a look or buy online at www.zigzagjewels.com. With free delivery and free gift wrapping it couldn’t be easier to get something special for that special someone!

Garnet-Birthstone for January

We have beautiful Garnet jewellery starting from just £15 in our showrooms, drop in and take a look at our collection. Alternatively you can pick up something wonderful online-with free postage and beautiful complementary gift wrapping.

Garnets have been used as gemstones throughout history. It was said that Noah used a lantern of garnet to guide his ark in the night. With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs' scale thay are very durable for use in jewellery. Garnets come from India, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, Russian and African countries.

The name ‘garnet’ comes from the Latin ‘granatus’. When garnet was first found as grains in rock, it was likened to the rich, red seeds of the pomegranate. A Greek myth tells the story of Persephone, the goddess of sunshine, who was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. Persephone was eventually released by Hades, when he offered her some pomegranate seeds, which made sure she would return to him. It is from this legend that garnet is the protective gemstone for travellers. A gift of the stone symbolises the desire for a loved one’s safe journey and speedy return home. Garnets were widely used in jewellery in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times.

Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and the Capricorn zodiac sign (December 22 to January 21). It is also the traditional wedding anniversary stone given to celebrate two years of marriage.

Turquoise for December...

We have lots of stunning turquoise jewellery in the shops, including plenty of one off and unique pieces, as well as some beautiful simple classics on the website. This vibrant stone also has the added benefit of suiting almost all colourings so makes a great choice as a gift whether it is a birthstone or not.

Turquoise forms in a range of colours from sky blue to green grey. The brighter blue colour is due to a higher quantity of copper, while iron gives a deeper green hue. Brown and black veins in the stone can occur during its formation known as matrix. Turquoise is a valuable mineral, and possibly the most valuable opaque mineral in the jewellery trade, the best quality being a pure, sky blue, with or without its matrix.

Turquoise deposits can be found in Iran, from where the most beautiful turquoise comes, Kazakhstan, China, Australia, Tibet, China, Mexico, Brazil and Egypt. The states of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and California are also producers of light coloured turquoise.

The name turquoise comes from the old French word turquoise meaning "Turkish Stone" as turquoise originally found its way to Europe from Persia (Iran) via Turkey. It is one of the world’s earliest used gemstones and has been revered for thousands of years. It was worn by Pharaohs of early Egypt. In Iran, turquoise was the national gemstone. The Incas crafted beads and figurines out of it, and the Aztecs in Mexico made pendants and decorated their ceremonial masks with the stone. Turquoise also has a rich history in the American southwest, with Native Americans using the stone to create stunning jewellery and ornaments for around 3000 years.

Turquoise is regarded as the protective stone of pilots, aircrews and any other people who have a high level of risk in their work. Turquoise is often given as a stone of friendship and affection, as it is said to be responsible for faithfulness and consistency in relationships.

Turquoise is the birthstone for December and for the zodiac sign of Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21). It is can also be given as a gift to celebrate the 5th and 11th wedding anniversary.

Citrine-This Month's Birthstone

Bring some sunshine to a grey November day...


Citrine is a member of the macro-crystalline quartz group of minerals and and ranges in colour from light yellow to golden brown. Names such as Brandy or Madeira Citrine are used for the darker varieties.

The name 'Citrine' is derived from the French 'citron' meaning lemon. From the middle of the 18th Century, many Amethyst and Smoky Quartz were subject to heat treatment as it was found that the purple and brown would disappear and be replaced by yellow. Today heat treatment of these stones is completely accepted in the trade and most Citrines on the market are heat treated. Natural Citrine is very rare and is usually a pale yellow colour. Citrine has a hardness of 7 on the Moh's scale.

Citrine occurs in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and is found in Brazil, Spain, France, Russia, Scotland and the USA.

For a very long time Citrine has been considered to have magical powers. it was thought to protect against the plague, snake and spider bites and evil people. It was also thought to improve the functioning of some organs sunch as the liver, heart, kidneys and digestive system. Given as a present Citrine is a symbol of hope and strength.

If you want to give Citrine to somebody special this November take a look at our mixed stone Iris pendant (above). Available on the website, it combines Citrine with a collection of other semi-precious beauties-a perfect pendant for the party season.

Calling all bargain hunters…

Just a quick post to let you all know about our autumn sale. In our Epsom showroom only we have a sale on, the whole shop is full of lovely one off pieces, samples and some of our classic zigzag designs. It is well worth popping over to have a look, pick up some treats for yourself or lovely little gifts.

I had a quick look round and picked out some of my favourite bits that you simply shouldn’t miss out on, but be warned some of these are one offs so you better get in quickly if you want to snap them up.

Firstly there is this lovely Lapis and Gold Vermeil Necklace, it’s a real wow piece and the Lapis beads are truly beautiful. It was £895 and had been cut to £450. It’s also a great colour for the party season with all the rich peacock tones in the shops it’s a good wardrobe staple as well as being right on trend at the moment.

I also spotted some of these ‘Nathalie’ bracelets lighting up a shelf. These were originally £130 and are now £75. These are a great buy because they are a true classic.

I couldn’t count all of the earrings I fell in love with but I can tell you there were various beautiful pearl studs and hooks and some stunning gold vermeil chandelier styles with pretty, glittery Cubic Zirconia nestling inside that made me want to take them dancing immediately.

I can only urge you to have a look for yourself before its all snapped up.

October's Birthstone

We can hardly believe its October already but it here so you might like to know a little bit about Aquamarine-the birthstone for the month.

Aquamarine is the pale blue variety of the mineral beryl, with a wonderful shine and is almost completely free of inclusions. Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5 – 8.0 on Moh's scale, which makes it extremely durable for jewellery. The intensity of the blue colour depends on the quantity of iron within the mineral. The most valuable aquamarines are those with an intense blue colour. Some aquamarines can even have a light green hue.
The most predominant deposits of Aquamarine crystals are found in Brazil but can also be found in Namibia, Kenya, Madagascar, Burma, the Ural mountains in Russia, Sri-Lanka, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin ‘aqua’ for water and ‘mare’ for sea, due to the colour. Since ancient times, aquamarine has been seen as a gemstone of vision and aquamarine crystals were often used for eyes in statues, to symbolize power and wisdom. According to legend, any person that looked at the statues became wise and gained the ability to see into the future. These statues were often placed in strategic positions on the coast where they could calm the wrath of Poseidon, thus ensuring the safe return of ships. It is perhaps from this myth that aquamarine has been regarded as the sailors’ lucky stone. With its association with the ocean, aquamarine is considered to be a gemstone of purification that cleanses the mind with fresh and positive thoughts and is used by those who meditate, due it its calming effect. It is also believed to eradicate fears and phobias. Additionally, wearing an aquamarine is said to ensure a good marriage and to bring the wearer happiness and good fortune.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and October. It can also be given to celebrate nineteen years of marriage. We have some very pretty Aquamarine pendants in the shops, starting from £19 and beautiful beaded necklaces in a variety lengths and styles, we can also make bespoke pieces especially for you if you would like us to.

However, Aquamarine can be a very expensive stone so we also have our 'Solitaire' pendant in Blue Topaz as an alternative. The Pendant is £25 and the studs are £15 so at just £40 for the whole set it makes a really lovely gift.