Articles / Shades of Red For Valentine's Day

Diamond earrings and diamond right-hand rings are always popular forValentine's Day. Fizzy pink diamonds make these perfect Valentine's Daygifts all the more perfect.

Garnet is said to have been so named because of its resemblance to pomegranate seeds. This deep crimson gem is a less expensive choice than ruby, pink diamond or pink sapphire, and works well when a large number of gems are called for in a piece of jewelry, as in a strand necklace or multi-stone chandelier earrings. This season, when colored gemstones are so very fashionable, garnet jewelry can be the perfect accompaniment to a red or burgundy evening dress, or serve as a dramatically contrasting complement to a white one.

Tourmaline is a gem that comes in a wide variety of colors. Indeed its name comes from the Sinhalese term for "more colors." Its pink and red varieties - often heated or irradiated in the cutting process to improve their hue - are called rubellites and are especially lovely. One of the most interesting varieties of tourmaline is termed "bi-color" or more descriptively, "watermelon" tourmaline; in this variation, vibrant shades of pink and green are combined in a single distinctive gem.

David WeissDavid Weiss

Graduate Gemologist, GIA
Certified Appraiser