The colour red is typically associated with the most intense of emotions, such as love and passion, so it comes as no surprise that the precious gemstone Ruby has been one of the most historically significant gemstones throughout the ages. Rubies are mentioned as early as in the Bible, in association with attributes such as... Continue Reading →

If you are looking for a gemstone that combines soft soothing pink shades and durability then Rose Quartz is the gem for you! With its delicate and tender soft pinks it comes as no surprise that Rose Quartz is the most desirable of the Quartz family. This feminine pink colour is caused by the presence... Continue Reading →

Centuries ago Greek rock climbers spotted large transparent crystals glimmering from the rock face and mistook them for being un-melted ice. They were in fact Rock Crystals. Rock Crystal is a clear transparent variety of Quartz. When Quartz takes on a body colour, such as Purple, it is then called Amethyst. Similarly if the Quartz... Continue Reading →

These stunning stones typically have no defining body colour. However, they do have delicate ethereal qualities with soft lunar pastels, similar to the moon. The Romans believed that Rainbow Moonstones were formed by drops falling from the moon and crystallising. Rene Lalique, like many artists in the Art Noveau period, favoured this stone, using it... Continue Reading →

Peridots popularity spans centuries. Its earliest known use was in the Egyptian times, 2000BC. Legend says that Peridot, along with pearls, were one of the favorite gemstones of Cleopatra, and that some of the “Emeralds” worn by her were actually Peridot! Peridot is one of the few gemstones to occur in a single colour, with... Continue Reading →

The first thing to note about opals is that they are all incredibly unique and individual. Most show flashes of colour called ‘play of colour’. However, if no flash is seen it is called ‘common opal’ and shows ‘opalescence’. There are so many varieties in opals depending on… Body colour i.e. black/white Flash colour and... Continue Reading →

Here at Coleman Douglas Pearls we would like to Wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year! We open again on the 5th January. See you soon!

Labradorite was first found in 1770 on the Labrador Peninsula in Canada, an area from which it received its name. However, it is also found in Finland, Madagascar, Australia, Mexico, Norway, Russia and the USA. Once discovered, it was taken back to Europe, where it was valued for its beauty. This stone shows a stunning... Continue Reading →

This Tuesday, 13th December, one of the most impressive jewellery collections around will be going 'under the hammer' in America, and who you might be asking, owned this impressive collection? Why the gem connoisseur herself, Elizabeth Taylor. Over the past few weeks we have looked at some of the stones that will be featured at... Continue Reading →

Historically its use in jewellery can be dated back to Egyptian times, where apparently this stone was a favourite of Pharaohs and the famous Cleopatra. The most highly sought after shade of emerald is the strong saturated green with as few visible flaws as possible. However, these emeralds are very rare. Unlike most gemstones flaws... Continue Reading →