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April babies get one of the most popular and most precious gemstones as their birthstone: the diamond. Diamond jewelry is an ideal gift for a loved one born in April. As the gemstone with the highest rating on Moh’s hardness scale, with a score of 10, diamonds have the unique ability to be cut and polished with the utmost brilliance. Their incredible shine and luster have captivated wearers for centuries. Diamonds add light and beauty to any occasion—especially birthdays! Diamonds are billions of years old—in some cases more than three billion years old. There is evidence that diamonds were being...

Aquamarine and bloodstone, March’s two birthstones, are very different when it comes to appearance, but they share a similar reputation for protecting one’s well-being. The aquamarine birthstone evokes the colors of the sea. From deep green-blue to light, slightly greenish blue hues, faceted aquamarines are often free from inclusions and as clear as water, symbolizing purity of spirit and soul. The bloodstone birthstone is typically a dark-green cabochon that contains red spots of iron oxide, the “blood” that brings health and strength to the wearer.  Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater, and ancient mariners claimed the gem would...

A Question We Are Asked All The Time... As beautiful as they are, how could you ever use them?  Our Answer.....How could you not? Each SoapRock® soap bar lights up under water, and over many uses, slowly weathers away in your hands like a stream stone in geologic time. SoapRocks® soap bars are endowed with extracts of earth: Aloe, Calendula, Chamomile, Comfrey, Lavender, Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil, Olive Oil, Almond Oil. Thus you can experience a beauty that penetrates, yet is skin deep. They are the art that touches us intimately, teaching us to appreciate beauty by using it, and...

Curious about your garnet birthstone’s reputed health benefits? According to Indian astrology, garnet helps eliminate negative feelings (depression, guilt) and instill greater self-confidence and mental clarity to promote creative thinking and peace of mind. In ancient and medieval times, gems like garnet were also thought to be remedies for inflammatory diseases and to soothe the angry heart. Thousands of years ago, red garnet necklaces adorned the necks of Egypt’s pharaohs, and were entombed as prized possessions for the afterlife. In ancient Rome, signet rings with carved garnets were used to stamp the wax that secured important documents.The term carbuncle was often...