The Undeniable Beauty of Gemstones
By Caroline McManus
This article was inspired by Ohanga Creative Robyn H. Golden’s jewelry.
You can browse more of Golden’s designs in the Ohanga Market.
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Gemstones: whether they’re a deep emerald, a shiny ruby, or a glimmering sapphire, they never fail to be one of the most popular materials that artists choose to feature in their jewelry pieces.
These beautiful gemstones found in our favorite jewelry pieces are made by none other than mother nature. Some stones like diamonds are formed deep beneath the earth's surface and are brought to us by molten lava rock; many of these gems slowly crystallize over time due to contact with hot fluids and gases as they cool down. Others may form from liquid that falls into the cracks of rocks which, when heated, combines with the rock to form a new mineral such as jade or opal.
The Greeks were the very first to use gemstones in their jewelry, dating all the way back to 1600 BC. The ancient Greeks believed that gemstones contained the powers of the gods and goddesses; they even crushed hematite powder onto troops before battles because they believed it gave them strength. Gemstones appeared in many other cultures as well such as the Romans in 500 BC. They commonly used gemstones such as pearls, sapphires, and garnets because their culture believed that they possessed healing powers. Gemstones soon began to appear all over the world as word spread of their appearance in fine jewelry.
Fast forward to the 21st century—gemstones are still seen everywhere. These stones adorn celebrities on social media, feature in multi-million dollar campaign advertisements on television, and line the shelves of local department stores. Gemstones are even still used for their healing powers, especially after influencers on platforms like Tik-Tok began promoting gemstones’ uses to their followers.
Whether it’s due to their healing powers, history, or undeniable beauty, it’s clear that gemstones will continue to be showcased in pop culture and even our everyday lives. Take the time to admire every gemstone you come across—each and every one is unique in its own way.
Check out Ohanga’s fine jewelry artist Robyn H. Golden. She is the owner of R Golden Designs, where she creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. All of her jewelry contains special gemstones such as pearls, amethyst, onyx, lapis, and many more.
Works Cited
“Gemstones - Everything You Need to Know about the History of Gemstones.” Mineral Exchange, https://mineralexchange.com/pages/the-history-of-gemstones.
“Geological Origin of Gemstones.” The Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/minerals/gemstones/geological-origin-of-gemstones/#:~:text=Gemstones%20are%20a%20product%20of,the%20surface%20of%20the%20earth.
Images:
“Cardinal gems.png." Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 9 Mar 2022, 14:21 UTC. 14 Apr 2022, 03:53