Faceted Rondelle Gemstone Earrings

Many natural topaz gems are actually colorless, but for centuries, humans have used the name to describe almost any yellow or brown gemstone - likely originating from the island of Topazos (now Zabargad) in the Red Sea. The particular gemstone we recognize as "topaz" today did not come from that island, though other gems from there were mistakenly assigned its name. According to legend, the breastplate of the Hebrew high priest was set with topaz, and the Ancient Greeks believed it could give them strength. During the Middle Ages, people thought it could break magical enchantments, and it remains a symbolic birthstone for December. Labradorite was named for its discovery in the Canadian province of Labrador on the Isle of Paul. Inuits referred to it as a "fire stone" and would use powder forms to treat illnesses. Legend has it that a warrior saw the Northern Lights trapped in the rocks and freed some of the lights with a spear. European markets were introduced to the stone by the Moravian missionaries of the late 1700s. Labradorite can be found in other places including Mexico, Russia, and Finland. Because of its beauty, it's been desired in jewelry making, as well as glass production, road construction, and ceramic manufacturing. The name chrysocolla dates back to 315 B.C., when it was first used by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and botanist. The word is derived from two Greek words - chrysos, meaning gold, and kola, meaning glue. Used as solder for joining gold pieces, this gem has been a source of inspiration for many artists, from ancient goldsmiths to Renaissance painters and modern jewelry designers.