There are more than 3,000 minerals found on earth but only a fraction qualify as “gemstones”. From those primitive days when men coveted these beautiful stones as “amulets” to ward off evil; until men became more sophisticated, gemstones became the ultimate symbol of status to the rich and powerful.
Discover few of the most coveted gems throughout civilization as FROU FROU® unveils their mysterious origins and mythical fascination to humankind.
Ruby
Like a perfect red rose, the Ruby’s rich color speaks of Love and Passion.
Unfortunately, rare gems often face the inevitable consequence of unacceptable treatments such as glass filling and composite, therefore it is of utmost importance to be extra careful while purchasing Rubies.
Sapphire
Sapphire is highly sought after in the jewellery trade and is always highly priced.
Corundum as its species, this beautiful gemstone has color ranging from greenish blue to violetish blue but the most prized color is a medium dark blue. Sapphire is highly sought after in the jewellery trade and is always highly priced and often spotted on the Royal Crown Jewelries.
Emerald
Emerald, a medium to medium dark green stone that is highly sought after by connoisseurs and consumers alike.
Today, most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Zambia. The availability of high-quality emerald is limited; consequently, treatments to improve clarity are performed regularly.
Alexandrite
A variety of Chrysoberyl that can exhibit a unique phenomenal ‘Color Change’ due to the light source under which the stone is being observed. In daylight, it appears as a beautiful green, but under incandescent lighting, the stone turns reddish.
Chrysoberyl is already a rare gemstone found sparingly in a few locations around the world. When we consider that the percentage of chrysoberyl that actually shows a color-change is always very small regardless of the deposit, we begin to realize just how small the chance of finding alexandrite is at all. Alexandrite is extremely rare, and therefore very expensive, with synthetic counterpart that has also been created.
Alexandrite was first found in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Even in Russia, most of the alexandrite sold today are probably from other deposits in Brazil, Sri Lanka and India.
Jadeite
Jadeite is highly sought after by the chinese societies since time immemorial, and was sometimes worth even more than precious gems and jewels sold in auction houses in Hong Kong. Ornamental carvings were often made from Jade throughout history.
On a gemological standpoint, there are two forms of Jade, one being Jadeite and the latter, Nephrite. Both of them are almost identical, and may be difficult to distinguish the two.
The Emerald-green Jade, known as Imperial Jade, is the most valuable form of Jade and originates from Burma.
Pearl
Unlike most gemstones that are found within the Earth, pearls have an organic origin, meaning it is formed in a living matter. Pearls are created inside the shells of certain species of oysters depending on locality. Almost 99% of all Pearls in the market today are cultured by humans instead of being originally formed in oyster shells out in the sea. Despite of being cultured by humans, they are still considered as natural Pearls.
Cultured Pearls are divided into two broad categories: Saltwater Pearl/ Freshwater Pearls. White Pearl is perhaps the best-known and most common color but Pearls in delicate shades of black, cream, gray, yellow, lavender and green are also available in the market.
Opal
Opal is one of the many gemstones that shows phenomenal visuals – the “Play of Colors”— Imagine all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Opal shines and sparkles in constantly changing flashes of colours full of fantasy, and it never fails to capture one’s heart.
Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces the majority of the world’s supply in its dry and remote outback deserts. As the production of Opal in Australia is dwindling, Ethiopia slowly emerges itself as the next country which produces a considerable amount of Opals for international markets.
