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Hodgkins Jewelry & Repair, 41969 50th Street W, Quartz Hill, CA (2026)

12/06/2016

December’s birthstones offer three ways to fight the winter blues: tanzanite, zircon and turquoise – all of them, appropriately, best known for beautiful shades of blue.
These gems range from the oldest on earth (zircon), to one of the first mined and used in jewelry (turquoise), to one of the most recently discovered (tanzanite).
All of these stones are relatively inexpensive, but their beauty rivals even precious gems. Colorless zircon is a convincing replacement for diamond, tanzanite often substitutes sapphire, and turquoise is unmatched in its hue of robin’s egg blue.
Whatever your style preference or budget, one of December’s three birthstones will match your true blue desires.
Tanzanite
The common story of tanzanite’s discovery tells of Maasai herders who found blue crystals in the Merelani Hills near Arusha, Tanzania, while tending livestock in 1967. They notified a prospector named Manuel d’Souza, who promptly registered claims with the government to begin mining.
Admired since ancient times, turquoise is known for its distinct color, which ranges from powdery blue to greenish robin’s egg blue. It’s one of few minerals to lend its name to anything that resembles its striking color.
Turquoise
The word turquoise dates back to the 13th century, drawing from the French expression pierre tourques, which referenced the “Turkish stone” brought to Europe from Turkey.
The U.S. is now the world’s largest turquoise supplier. Nevada, New Mexico, California and Colorado have produced turquoise, but Arizona leads in production by value, as well as quality. The stone’s popularity here makes it a staple in Native American jewelry.
Turquoise is found in arid regions where rainwater dissolves copper in the soil, forming colorful nodular deposits when it combines with aluminum and phosphorus. Copper contributes blue hues, while iron and chrome add a hint of green.
Zircon
Zircon is an underrated gem that’s often confused with synthetic cubic zirconia due to similar names and shared use as diamond simulants. Few people realize that zircon is a spectacular natural gem available in a variety of colors.
The name zircon likely comes from the Persian word zargun, meaning “gold-colored.” Others trace it to the Arabic zarkun, meaning “vermillion.” Given its wide range of colors – spanning red, orange, yellow, green, blue and brown – both origins make sense.

11/01/2016

Topaz is a gemstone that is incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, many people do not know all that much about it. Most people are aware of the fact that Imperial Topaz is one of the birthstones for the month of November and that Blue Topaz is one of the birthstones for the month of December. Few people know much else about this gemstone, however. If you are interested in learning more about the history and lore of this gemstone, then you have come to the right place. Here are some interesting facts about Topaz.

The Egyptians believed that the Sun God, Ra, is the one who gave the gemstone its beautiful hue. Since there are many varieties of the gemstone which are yellow orange in color, it is easy to see why the Egyptians felt this way. Due to this popular belief, the Topaz gemstone was highly valued in the Egyptian culture. The Romans also believed that the sun was accountable for the color of Topaz. Many of the European countries believed the color of Topaz was closely associated with solar energy.

The name Topaz originates from the Sanskrit language, and has a meaning of “fire.” The reason that the gemstone may have been given this name, since many cultures did believe that the sun was the reason for its color. Since the sun is often referred to as a large ball of fire, this may explain where Topaz got its name from. Since there are orange and red varieties of the gemstone, this may also be the reason that it was given this name.

Topaz is a gemstone that is mined in quite a few locations throughout the world. Brazil is the location where the largest amount of Topaz has been found to date. Russia and Pakistan are two of the other main locations where it is mined. Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, Sri Lanka, Italy, the United States, and Mexico are all other countries where Topaz is mined on a regular basis. Although it is most common for colorless and light brown varieties of the gemstone to be found in all of these locations, there are areas where it is not at all unusual for colored varieties of Topaz to be discovered.

In 1740, the Braganza diamond was discovered in Brazil. It was 1,680 carats. Since it was believed to be the largest diamond that was ever found, the Braganza diamond was set in the Portuguese crown. It was later found that the Braganza was not a diamond, but was a colorless Topaz instead. The Portuguese Crown can currently be found in Dresden, Germany.
One of the interesting things about the different color varieties of Topaz that are also birthstones is that they seem to conform well with the month that they have been chosen for. Imperial Topaz, which tends to be a shade of yellow or orange with hints of brown, is one of the birthstones for the month of November. Since these are the main colors of autumn leaves, it makes a lot of sense why this would be the birthstone for November.

10/02/2016

October Birthstones are Opal & Tourmaline

Opal’s kaleidoscopic hues have delighted us for centuries. Loved for its spellbinding play-of-color, this October birthstone seems to be a bit magical and mysterious. In 75 AD, the Roman scholar Pliny observed, “Some opali carry such a play within them that they equal the deepest and richest colors of painters. Others…simulate the flaming fire of burning sulphur and even the bright blaze of burning oil.” He marveled that this kaleidoscopic gem encompassed the red of ruby, the green of emerald, the yellow of topaz, the blue of sapphire, and the purple of amethyst.
Many cultures have credited opal with supernatural origins and powers. Arabic legends say it falls from the heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Greeks believed opals gave their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease. Europeans have long considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity, and truth.
Get ready to find out where it comes from – and how it forms.
Bedouins thought opal contained lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms. The truth is more down to earth: the October birthstone is found in Australia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil and other locales. Typically, it was created when seasonal rains drenched dry ground. The showers soaked deep into ancient underground rock, carrying dissolved silica (a compound of silicon and oxygen) downward. As the water ev***rated over time, it left solid deposits of silica in cracks and between layers of the underground rock. These silica deposits became opal. When light passes through the tiny silica spheres that form opal, it breaks up (diffracts) and produces the familiar kaleidoscopic play-of-color.

Tourmaline
The word tourmaline comes from Sinhalese word turmali, which means “mixed.” Tourmalines exist in more colors and color combinations than any other gemstone in the world. Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed tourmaline could inspire artistic expression – it has a color palette for every mood. What color tourmaline best fits your mood?
Pink and green tourmalines are widely available and affordable. More expensive and rare tourmalines are blue indicolite, red rubellite, Paraiba (neon blues to greens) and an intense green tourmaline found in Kenya and Tanzania called the chrome tourmaline. Tourmalines are most commonly found in Brazil, but also through Africa, the Middle East, and even in California and Maine in the United States.
Tourmalines grow in long, pencil-like crystals so are more commonly cut into an emerald shape stone. Tourmaline ranks 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which is relatively hard and suitable to everyday wear.

09/05/2016

Sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September.
The name sapphire is derived from the Latin word ““saphirus” and the Greek word “sapheiros,” both meaning blue. Some believe that the name sapphire is derived from its association with the planet Saturn. The name can be roughly be translated to mean “dear to the planet Saturn” in many different languages.
Sapphires have been prized as great gemstones since 800BC. Rulers of ancient Persia believed the sky was painted blue by the reflection of sapphire stones. And a great poet once described the sapphire as “the blue of a clear sky just minutes after sundown.”
Kings wore sapphires around their necks as a powerful defense from harm. They preserved the wearer from envy and attracted divine favor. In the 12th Century, the sapphire was known as the most appropriate stone for ecclesiastical rings. The Cingalese believed that the star sapphire served as protection and a guard against witchcraft. The great Oriental traveler, Sir Richard Francis Burton, had a large star sapphire which he referred to as his “talisman,” for it always brought him good horses and prompt attention wherever he went. Just the mere sight of the stone was believed to bring luck and he showed it to people everywhere he went. King Solomon wore a sapphire ring. And in modern times, the sapphire grew notorious when we saw Prince Charles give a sapphire engagement ring to Lady Diana.
The sapphire is a corundum, an aluminum oxide with a trigonal crystal structure, in the same family as the ruby. The only difference between a ruby and a sapphire is simply the color. Red corundum is a ruby. Other colored corundums are called sapphires, which come in many colors, the most well-known being blue. Because sapphires are available in so many colors, they are the most important and versatile of all the gemstones. Rubies and sapphires are said to be prized just under the level of diamonds because of their hardness. Diamonds are listed as a ten in terms of hardness, sapphires as a nine. The attribute of hardness of the sapphire makes it a perfect choice for jewelry that needs to stand up to everyday wear, such as in rings or bracelets.

08/05/2016

Peridot is the Birthstone for August

Peridot has always been associated with light. In fact, the Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Some believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their left arms to ward off evil spirits.

The word peridot comes from the Arabic “faridat,” which means “gem.” Most peridot formed deep inside the earth and was delivered to the surface by volcanoes. Some also came to earth in meteorites, but this extraterrestrial peridot is extremely rare, and not likely to be seen in a retail jewelry store.

Early records indicate that the ancient Egyptians mined a beautiful green gem on an island in the Red Sea called Topazios, now known as St. John’s Island or Zabargad. Legend has it that the island was infested with snakes, making mining unpleasant until an enterprising pharaoh drove them into the sea. From the earliest times, people confused this stone—now known to be peridot—with other gems. It was one of many labeled as “topaz.”

Some historians believe that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection might actually have been peridot. People in medieval times continued to confuse peridot with emerald. For centuries, people believed the fabulous 200-ct. gems adorning the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral were emeralds. They are, in fact, peridots.

07/04/2016

Ruby – The Birthstone for July
How Are Rubies And Sapphires Related?
Like sapphires, rubies are also members of the corundum mineral species. The different types of corundum can be categorized by color, optical phenomena (asterism, for example), internal features, and transparency. The distinguishing characteristic of a ruby is its red color.
Rubies receive their red color from high levels of the trace element chromium. While rubies are universally accepted as red corundum, the categorization of red gemstones, and thus rubies, can include shades of pink in some Asian markets. In European and North American markets, red and pink corundum is often delegated into two separate color categories. Pink corundum would fall under the pink sapphire category and red corundum, with medium to very dark red tones, would be categorized as ruby.
Rubies and sapphires are only found in a few locations around the world. The most famous ruby sources are Myanmar (Burma) and Sri Lanka (Ceylon).Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been a key source of the highest quality rubies for centuries. The quintessential Burmese ruby has the perfect combination of intense color, silk, and strong fluorescence. Rubies from Myanmar are mainly found in two locations: the famous Mogôk Valley, and Möng Hsu. While exact dates are hard to come by, it is believed that the Mogôk Valley has been a source of rubies for almost a thousand years. The Möng Hsu area was only recently developed in the 1990s. In 2008 Congress passed an act that banned the importation of Burmese jade and ruby into the United States. Prices for Burmese rubies are at a premium as the number of stones for sale is limited to items imported before the act. Sri Lanka has a long history with gemstones and is a great source of sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones. The Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans coveted rubies and the Indians called Sri Lanka “Ratnadeepa,” meaning “Island of Gems.” Sri Lankan rubies tend to be more brilliant than rubies from other locations, and also tend to have higher clarity. However, they are typically lighter in color tone and contain pink or purple secondary colors.

06/05/2016

Alexandrite, the birthstone for June. Its chameleon-like qualities, is a rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Its color can be a lovely green in daylight or fluorescent light, changing to brownish or purplish red in the incandescent light from a lamp or candle flame. This is a result of the complex way the mineral absorbs light.

Alexandrite’s dramatic color change is sometimes described as “emerald by day, ruby by night.” Abundant alexandrite deposits were first discovered in 1830 in Russia’s Ural Mountains. Those first alexandrites were of very fine quality and displayed vivid hues and dramatic color change. The gem was named after the young Alexander II, heir apparent to the throne. It caught the country’s attention because its red and green colors mirrored the national military colors of imperial Russia.
The spectacular Ural Mountain deposits didn’t last forever, and now most alexandrite comes from Sri Lanka, East Africa, and Brazil. The newer deposits contain some fine-quality stones, but many display less-precise color change and muddier hues than the nineteenth-century Russian alexandrites. You’ll still find estate jewelry set with some of the famed Ural Mountain alexandrites. They remain the quality standard for this phenomenal gemstone.

05/07/2016

Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most emeralds are highly included, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor.
Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds.

The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'Esmeralda', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as 'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century.
The magnificent green of the emerald is a color which conveys harmony, love of Nature and elemental joie de vivre. The human eye can never see enough of this unique color. Pliny commented that green gladdened the eye without tiring it. Green is perceived as fresh and vivid, never as monotonous. And in view of the fact that this color always changes somewhat between the bright light of day and the artificial light of a lamp, emerald green retains its lively vigor in all its nuances.

04/06/2016

Diamond is the birthstone for April.
The name diamond is derived from the ancient Greek αδάμας (adámas), "proper", "unalterable", "unbreakable", "untamed", from ἀ- (a-), "un-" + δαμάω (damáō), "I overpower", "I tame".[3] Diamonds are thought to have been first recognized and mined in India, where significant alluvial deposits of the stone could be found many centuries ago along the riversPenner, Krishna and Godavari. Diamonds have been known in India for at least 3,000 years but most likely 6,000 years.[4]
Diamonds have been treasured as gemstones since their use as religious icons in ancient India. Their usage in engraving tools also dates to early human history.[5][6] The popularity of diamonds has risen since the 19th century because of increased supply, improved cutting and polishing techniques, growth in the world economy, and innovative and successful advertising campaigns.[7]

Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers (87 to 118 mi) in the Earth's mantle. Carbon-containing minerals provide the carbon source, and the growth occurs over periods from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years (25% to 75% of the age of the Earth). Diamonds are brought close to the Earth's surface through deep volcanic eruptions by a magma, which cools into igneous rocks known as kimberlites and lamproites. Diamonds can also be produced synthetically in a HPHT method which approximately simulates the conditions in the Earth's mantle. An alternative, and completely different growth technique is chemical v***r deposition (CVD). Several non-diamond materials, which include cubic zirconia and silicon carbide and are often called diamond simulants, resemble diamond in appearance and many properties. Special gemological techniques have been developed to distinguish natural, synthetic diamonds and diamond simulants.

03/01/2016

Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March. The seawater color of aquamarine has given this gemstone its name as the name “aquamarine” is derived from the Latin word for seawater. In 1910, the largest ever aquamarine was found in Brazil, weighing 243 pounds. It was then cut into smaller stones, yielding over 200,000 carats.
Aquamarine was considered the most appropriate morning gift to give to a bride by her groom following the consummation of their marriage. The Greeks and the Romans knew the aquamarine as the sailor’s gem, ensuring the safe and prosperous passage across stormy seas.
The ancient philosopher Pliny paid tribute to this gem of vitality, stating, “The lovely aquamarine, which seems to have come from some mermaid’s treasure house, in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied.”
Come by the shop & see these stones & crystals in person.

02/01/2016

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- ("not") and μέθυστος méthystos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz. Amethyst is a semiprecious stone and is the traditional birthstone for February. Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue.
February is also the month of Love. Valentine’s Day is the 14th. Come in and see the assortment of jewelry set with beautiful colored stones, including Amethyst.

Hodgkins Jewelry & Repair

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