Garnet Isn't Just Red: 3 Incredible Garnet Colours for Fine Jewellery

Garnets are most commonly known as January’s deep red birthstone. However, Garnets aren’t only red. Naturally occurring gemstones in the Garnet group are found in a breath-taking array of colours. Here are 3 of my favourite Garnet colours to use in custom jewellery designs.

1. Deep Purple Garnets

Like a blip in the gemstone industry’s history, incredible deep purple garnets appeared on the jewellery scene in recent times, with buyers quickly snapping up the available supply. With a colour like this, it’s no surprise that they’re now incredibly rare to get hold of. Described as deep grape or aubergine in colour, their captivating purple colour has an intensity like no other purple gemstone around. Given their rarity, you won’t find these deep purple Garnets in a mass produced retail setting. Instead, these beautiful gems only appear in specialised custom made jewellery pieces.

2. Green Tsavorite Garnets

While Emeralds have long held the top place as the most coveted green gemstone, other green gemstone varieties like the Tsavorite Garnet are gaining popularity as a practical choice for jewellery. Tsavorite Garnets are a bright, fresh, clear green, which make for magnificent statement pieces with larger sized gemstones. Their colour also holds well in small sizes, making tiny bright green Tsavorites a beautiful addition alongside diamonds in jewellery as an accent gem.

3. Peach Mahenge Garnet

For jewellery wearers that adore Padparadscha Sapphires, I have great news for you: the Garnet gemstone family offers you another alternative in a similar colour shade. Mahenge Garnets can be found in a stunning peachy pink colour similar to the highly coveted sapphire variety, as well as darker more reddish gems. These lesser known gemstones are a beautiful choice for a unique custom jewellery piece.

Mahenge Garnets are found in beautiful peachy pink colours.

Custom jewellery studios are a wonderful place to explore rare coloured gemstones you’d never find in a retail setting. While Garnet is most commonly thought of as red, these three beautiful colours of Garnet are lesser known gemstones that make for beautifully unique jewellery pieces. To explore a unique gemstone for a custom piece of jewellery, book an appointment with our jewellery maker for our Canberra studio or online.

4 Green Gemstone Varieties

An intriguing colour for a unique piece of jewellery, green gemstones have been used in jewellery for centuries. If you love the colour green, you’ll undoubtedly have a type of green you love most. From deep forest greens, to bluish green tones, to bright sunny greens, the world of gemstones has them all. Here are my 4 favourite green gemstones to use in custom made jewellery.

1. Green Sapphire

While best known for their blue colour variants, Sapphires offer an incredible variety of green hues that make for wonderfully unique jewellery. From deep rich greens, to pastel bluish green ocean tones, to parti colour gems (which feature green alongside one or more other colours within the same gem), there are so many Green Sapphire variations to explore.

Sapphire is also one of strongest green gemstone varieties, making it an excellent option for a green engagement ring. Australia is home to beautiful Green Sapphires, so it’s possible to find a locally sourced gemstone for your custom ring design.

2. Emerald

By far the most famous green gemstone variety, Emerald have been loved in jewellery for centuries. From bright green colours, to bluish green hues, and ‘jardin’ stones with dreamy garden-like scenes with the gem, Emeralds are timelessly elegant.

Best suited for pendants, earrings, and well protected designs in rings, they’re a statement green gemstone that creates beautiful custom jewellery designs.

3. Green Tourmaline

A stunning gemstone variety in many colour shades, Tourmalines offer a wonderful variety of greens. They’re more commonly found in longer rectangular shapes due to the way this gemstone naturally forms, though can also be found in a wide variety of shapes. A particular favourite at the Harlequin studio are vibrant bluish-green hues, that create pieces with a wonderful story.

4. Green Garnet

More commonly associated with the colour red, Garnet actually offers one of the most diverse range of colours in its gemstone family. Due to the way the garnet species forms at a structural level, nuances in Garnet formation leads to a huge range of variations in colour, tone, and characteristics.

Of the greens, two garnet types are the most sought after. Tsavorites are often a bright fresh green, and vibrant in colour even in small sizes, making them perfect as either feature gems or accents in a piece. Demantoid garnets are often a more subdued yellowish green colour, and can feature beautiful “horsetail” inclusions within the gemstone.

Looking to design a piece of jewellery with your very own green gemstone? Book an appointment to explore these beautiful green gemstone varieties.

Where are our Blue Sapphires found?

The king of blue coloured gems, the Blue Sapphire, is a well loved and highly sought after gemstone. They’re found in many places across the world, with each revealing Sapphires with beautiful characteristics in their own ways. Here are 4 of my favourite places to source Sapphires from.

1. Australian Blue Sapphires

Australian Sapphires are somewhat disparaged on the worldwide jewellery scene, on the assumption that it is a source of unworkably dark gemstone material. These inky, navy tones also make for beautiful jewellery, though Australian Sapphires with magnificent vibrant blue hues do also exist - if you know where to look. With the right material, skilled faceters create exceptional gems with vibrant blue flashes of colour. These are an excellent choice for Australians looking for a locally sourced gemstone for their engagement ring or a dress piece.

Sapphire and Diamond earrings, made with Australian Blue Sapphires faceted to display vibrant blue colour flashes.

2. Montana Blue Sapphires

Turning our attention to the other side of the world, the USA produces gem-quality sapphires in only one location - the state of Montana. Blue Sapphires found here are often in beautiful light blue shades, including stunning ocean-like greenish blue gems. While many Sapphires are heat treated to enrich their naturally beautiful colours, unheated gems from Montana can also be found in beautiful colours. Sapphires found in Montana are often smaller than in other Sapphire deposits around the world, though their beautiful colour range is a favourite for those who love lighter colours for their gemstones.

A wedding ring with a Blue Sapphire sourced from Montana, USA, in a light shade this area is best known for.

3. Sri Lankan Blue Sapphires

Home of the most historically significant Ceylon Blue Sapphires, Sri Lanka is the place that made Blue Sapphires famous. Gems found here are renowned for setting the standard for what makes a Sapphire beautiful. Rich, velvety, cornflower blue Sapphires have been found in Sri Lanka for thousands of years, and are traditionally the most highly sought after shade of Sapphire. It’s this reason that Ceylon Sapphires make stunning engagement rings and statement dress piece are timelessly sophisticated.

A classic Blue Sapphire and Diamond halo ring, with the centre Sapphire sourced from the infamous Sri Lanka.

4. Madagascan Blue Sapphires

Relatively new to the gemstone scene, as a source that has only appeared on the jewellery scene this century, Madagascar now produces an incredible range of gemstones in a stunning array of colours. Blue Sapphires are their most famous, with beautiful finds that make for magnificent engagement rings and dress pieces. The remarkable variety in Sapphire characteristics from light right through to vivid shades makes

A Diamond and Sapphire trilogy ring, with vivid Blue Sapphires sourced from Madagascar.

Looking for the perfect Blue Sapphire for your next jewellery piece? Book an appointment to explore Sapphire options for your unique piece, directly with our jewellery designer and maker.

How to Incorporate Colour in Your Engagement Ring Design

Coloured gemstones are a beautiful way to make your engagement ring entirely unique. While you might be sure that you want some colour in your engagement ring, it can be trickier to decide exactly how you want to incorporate coloured gems into your design.

We’ve got you covered.

From colourful statements, to subtle accents of colour, here are 5 ideas for how to include colour in your engagement ring design.

1. Solitaire coloured gemstone engagement rings

Coloured gemstones are a beautiful statement all on their own, in a ‘solitaire’ engagement ring design. Whatever its size, a single coloured gemstone makes for a personal, unique, and practical engagement ring. Solitaire engagement rings can feature coloured gemstones in claw settings, bezel settings, wraparound designs, or inset into a band.

2. Coloured gemstone engagement rings with diamond accents

Coloured gemstones pair beautifully with diamonds of all shapes, sizes and styles. Surround a centre coloured gemstone with a halo, include diamonds in the band, or choose matching side stones for a modern trilogy engagement ring design. All these options work beautifully alongside a personal coloured gemstone, keeping the colour the focus of the design.

3. Engagement rings with coloured gemstone accents

If you love the idea of colour, but want a white diamond as the main feature of your engagement ring, coloured gemstones can be incorporated as a secondary feature of the design. Use them as accent stones in your band, halo, or side stones for a diamond engagement ring that’s uniquely yours. 

4. Engagement rings with multiple coloured gemstones

You can steer away from white diamonds entirely, and incorporate multiple different coloured gemstones into an engagement ring design. Whether you’re looking to represent multiple meanings, or have multiple favourite colours to include, you can create a ring that uses multiple colours in a way that’s both beautiful and unique.

5. Engagement rings with hidden coloured gemstones

For a more subtle way of incorporating colour into an engagement ring, you can consider setting a hidden coloured gemstone into your engagement ring design. Whether embedded inside a band, or below a setting, it’s a beautiful way to incorporate a sentimental meaning that only you and your partner know about.

These 5 ideas are just the beginning of what you can design for your unique coloured gemstone engagement ring. Book a time to meet with me, to begin designing your very own design with colour.

6 Colours of the Spinel Gemstone

The gemstone Spinel has been use in jewellery for centuries - including in many famous pieces - yet has remained under the radar of fame. Red Spinels in particular were once used interchangeably with Ruby, and appear in many famous historical jewels. With growing knowledge of gemstones and gemmology, more is now known about this incredible gemstones and its characteristics.

Found naturally in almost any colour you can dream up, and strong and durable in composition, Spinels are a beautiful choice for a custom jewellery design. Here are 6 of many beautiful colours in this gemstone family.

1. Red Spinel

Just like the historically world famous Ruby, a fine quality Red Spinel is beautifully captivating. Found in all sorts of tones from sparkly bright reds, through to deep rich earthy reds, if red is your colour, you're bound to find a shade you love in this gem variety.

Beautiful Red Spinels have historically been mistaken as Rubies.

2. Blue Spinel

Although Blue Sapphire is the long standing famous blue coloured gem, Blue Spinel is a stunning blue variety for a unique custom jewellery piece. Colours can be found in rich blue shades normally associated with Sapphire, paler blues, greyish sleepy tones, and unique vibrant blue tones coloured by the element Cobalt. Their colours are also typically entirely natural, unlike other blue gemstones that often undergo heat treatment to achieve a beautiful hue.

Blue Spinel is a beautiful alternative to the more commonly known Blue Sapphire.

3. Pink Spinel

With colours that rival the ever popular Pink Sapphire, Pink Spinel is a gemstone that offers a unique option for those who love the colour pink in jewellery. Vibrant pink tones in particular are a specialty within this gemstone, with colours so captivating they glow - quite literally, in the case of ‘Neon Spinels’ or ‘Jedi Spinels’, which exhibit fluorescence in UV light. The unique optical properties of this gemstone make for a beautiful statement piece of jewellery.

Pink Spinels are beautiful for statement jewellery pieces.

4. Grey Spinel

If you're looking for a gemstone that isn't a diamond, but also want a neutral colour that will match everything you wear, Grey Spinel is a wonderful option - and one of few coloured gemstone varieties where Grey can be found. Grey Spinels are strong enough to be designed into an engagement ring for an alternative to a traditional diamond ring, and are beautiful worked into other jewellery designs like earrings and pendants.

Grey Spinel makes for a beautiful neutral coloured gemstone piece.

5. Orange Spinel

The colour orange is rarely seen in a retail jewellery display case, making it an excellent choice for jewellery wearers wanting something out of the ordinary. Orange Spinel, particularly in a vibrant hot orange, is a beautiful option to make a unique design a reality.

Orange gemstones, like this Hot Orange Spinel, are a unique choice for bespoke jewellery.

6. Purple Spinel

Spinels are found in purple shades from deep violet right through to pastel lavender finds. It’s one of the few gemstone varieties that offer purple as a colour choice strong enough for an every day piece of jewellery.

Purple Spinels are one of few purple gemstone varieties that are strong enough for engagement rings.

With its huge array of colours, and excellent strength, Spinel is an incredible gemstone variety for coloured gemstone jewellery. From deep, rich shades, to pastel colours, there is a huge variety of colours to be explored and enjoyed.

To explore this unique family of gemstones, book an appointment directly with our jeweller.

5 Blue Gemstone Varieties

An ever popular and versatile colour, blue gemstones are the most desired colour of gem for heirloom fine jewellery. Gemstones can be found in any blue shade you can dream into existence, from dreamy pastels, to vivid deep blues. Here are 5 of my favourite blue gemstone varieties to work with.

1. Sapphire

An excellent choice for engagement rings, and frequently worn in dress pieces, Sapphires have been loved in jewellery for centuries. It’s no surprise that Blue Sapphire holds a solid place in the ‘big 3’ most popular coloured gemstone varieties of all time. Blue Sapphires are found worldwide, including right here in Australia, which is home to some exceptional Blue Sapphire discoveries.

2. Aquamarine

A beautiful pastel variety, the Aquamarine is a familiar variety on the gemstone scene. Aquamarine occurs naturally in very large sizes, making them a popular choice for big statement pieces - plus, for this particular gem, a bigger size means a richer colour, making larger stones that much more appealing.

3. Spinel

A lesser known gemstone variety, the Spinel (spi-NEL if you’re wondering how to pronounce it) is one of the jewellery industry’s best kept secrets. Strong and durable, Spinels are perfect for a wide range of jewellery pieces, including engagement rings which call for hard wearing gems. Blue Spinels can be found in rich deep blue colours through to vibrant blue shades thanks to the element Cobalt that colours some of these gems.

4. Tourmaline

While better known for its green and pink varieties, Tourmaline is also found in magnificent blues. With rich blue colours, and vibrant flashes as they catch the light, Blue Tourmaline is a lesser known yet beautiful choice for a blue gemstone piece.

A special type of Tourmaline, ‘Paraiba Tourmaline’ is a candidate for the most refined of gem connoisseurs. Their colour is other worldly, reminiscent of vibrant azure waters, with an almost neon blue glow that draws you right in. Best suited for pendants and earrings, a Paraiba Tourmaline is sure to become a conversation starter for any wearer.

5. Tanzanite

Found in only one location in the world, Tanzanite is a relatively recent gem to appear in jewellery history. Tanzanites are found in vivid blue shades, and beautiful violetish blue shades, with personality unlike any other gemstone around. Best suited to pendants and earrings, Tanzanites are stunning both on their own and paired with diamonds.

Looking to bring a blue gemstone into your very own fine jewellery collection? Book an appointment to explore these and many more beautiful gemstone varieties for your next piece.

4 Coloured Gemstones for Engagement Rings

While white diamonds have been the dominant choice of gemstones for engagement rings for many years, there are many more gemstone options out there if you’re looking for an engagement ring with colour.

Engagement rings are often a piece of jewellery that’s worn every day, so it makes sense to choose a gemstone variety that’s durable. Luckily, there are durable gemstone varieties that are found in a stunningly diverse range of colours. Here are my 4 go-to coloured gemstone varieties for including in an engagement ring design.

1. Coloured Diamond Engagement Rings

White diamonds are the most well known of all diamonds, but they aren’t the only colour that diamonds can be. Coloured diamonds are just as strong and durable as their white counterparts, so are an excellent choice for a coloured engagement ring.

The range of colours, and the subtle variations within them make each coloured diamond stunningly unique. We often reach for Pink Diamonds and Yellow Diamonds as both feature gemstones, or secondary accents in engagement ring designs. Blue diamonds make for beautiful icy blue additions, and there are even diamond colours so unique that they defy conversational colour descriptions.

Coloured Diamonds also allow a choice of local Australian mined gemstones, with Pink, Cognac, and Champagne diamonds found locally.

2. Sapphire Engagement Rings

One of the most famous blue coloured gemstones for very good reason, Sapphires make for beautiful features in engagement rings. They’re one of the strongest coloured gemstone varieties, making them a sensible and stunning choice for an engagement ring that will be worn every day.

Blue Sapphires are found all around the world, including Australia, Sri Lanka, Montana, and Madagascar. They’re found in shades from deep rich blues, right through to pastels, and are faceted into a wide variety of shapes, giving you endless options for a unique feature gemstone in your engagement ring. Small blue sapphires are also beautiful bright additions as accents to a diamond engagement ring.

3. Fancy Sapphire Engagement Rings

While Blue Sapphires are by far the most famous, ‘Fancy Sapphire’ is the term used to describe all other colours Sapphire can be found in - and that spectrum of colour is huge. From bright yellows, to deep greens, to rare peachy pink Padparadscha sapphires, and even Parti Sapphires that feature multiple colours in one gems, there’s a colour for every taste in this magnificent gemstone family.

If you’re looking for a statement gemstone in an engagement ring, in a very specific colour, or one so unique that no one else will have, Fancy Sapphire is an excellent rabbit hole to explore for your perfect coloured gemstone.

4. Spinel Engagement Rings

If you haven’t heard of Spinel (pronounced spi-NEL), get ready to be in awe. It’s a lesser known, yet exquisite gemstone that’s perfect for a unique engagement ring.

Spinels are especially beautiful in big bold colours that make an incredible statement in a coloured engagement ring. Our favourite spinel colours include neon pink, rich red, peachy tones, and bright cobalt blues, though they are also found in a huge range of other colours.

There’s something about the way Spinels play with colour and light that makes them intriguing from the second you see one in real life. Plus, their relative obscurity in common gemstone knowledge makes them an excellent conversation starter every day that engagement ring is on your finger.

Looking to bring to life your very own coloured gemstone engagement ring? Book your complimentary appointment to begin exploring your ideas and the wonderful world of gemstones with our colour-loving jeweller.

The 3 Biggest Engagement Ring Trends of 2021

As a custom engagement ring specialist, each year brings exciting new projects to bring to life in the Harlequin Jewellers workshop. The clients that walk through our doors bring sensational new ideas, and unique styles to keep my creative soul buzzing, and this year has been no exception. So, as we wrap up the final days of a memorable year, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on the year that was, and the engagement ring trends I’ve seen through my Canberra jewellery workshop.

1. Platinum engagement rings

One of the unexpected changes the last couple of years has brought about, is fluctuations in the price of precious metals, including gold and platinum. In my entire career as a jeweller (and for that matter, most of the last century or so) platinum has been far more expensive than gold. White gold has dominated as the metal of choice for white toned jewellery, as a more affordable yet durable alternative to platinum.

This year, however, took a turn. With soaring gold prices, and plummeting platinum prices, platinum jewellery has instead matched the price of white gold jewellery here at Harlequin Jewellers. As a result? It was ‘the’ year for a platinum engagement ring. Couples wanting a white engagement ring largely chose platinum over white gold. Handmaking jewellers across the board, myself included, very much enjoyed a year of fabricating rings in luscious platinum.

Platinum diamond engagement rings were highly sought after in 2021.

2. Bespoke coloured gemstone engagement rings

The last year has brought a ‘pause’ moment for many, and abundant idle time to consider what they really want in life. It seems that engagement rings have been part of his deep contemplation. Many couples have given much thought in 2021 to finding ways of bucking traditions and making their engagement ring uniquely and meaningfully their own.

By far, my favourite result of this deep thought on their engagement ring design has been the increasing desire for coloured gemstones. Many clients have come to me with hyper specific ideas on what they’d like in their engagement ring, be it a gem variety they had their eye on, a specific shade of a colour, or a truly personal meaning they hope to capture for their fiancé. And I can tell you, it makes this gem loving jeweller incredibly happy to find them the perfect gemstone.

Couples selected highly personal gemstones for their engagement rings in 2021, like this Aquamarine (first ring) and Australian Parti Sapphire (second ring).

3. Simple diamond engagement rings

In somewhat of a contrast to the second trend, the final trend I’ve seen in engagement rings has been a shift to simple, classic designs in diamond engagement rings.

In the past few years, clients seeking a diamond engagement ring have largely chosen designs with smaller diamond accents, such as sparkly diamond halos and diamond set bands. Throughout 2021, I’ve seen diamond engagement rings trending more toward traditional classic designs like trilogy rings and solitaire styles. These styles are true classics for good reason, and make for versatile, timeless, heirloom engagement rings.

Diamond engagement rings trended toward classic designs like trilogy rings (first ring) and solitaire rings (second ring).

All in all? The year 2021 brought many beautiful engagement ring designs through the Harlequin Jewellers workshop that were a privilege to create. Keep your eye out in January for my thoughts on what trends 2022 may bring.

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