Rubies, emeralds, sapphires and peridots. Kings, queens and pharaohs have favoured coloured gemstones for centuries, but what is it about the splashes of colour in the summer months that make them that little bit sweeter to wear in the sunshine?

Here’s a closer look at some of the more precious and popular coloured stones and how they’ve remained at the top of the jewel pops since Ancient Rome…

Rubies

It’s not hard to see why the ruby has continuously been seen gracing rings, bracelets and brooches, to name a few, since the Roman times. Hailed as “The king of precious stones,” the ruby is one of the most historically significant coloured stones. Tracing back the ruby’s history isn’t hard as they are mentioned in the bible at least four times under their Sanskrit name of origin, ratnaraj.

In the 1^st Century AD, Ancient Hindus believed that the giving of rubies to the gods would have them reborn as great emperors, and that wasn’t the only rumour that kept their ever-growing popularity afloat.

Rubies are significantly associated with love and passion due to the depth of their colour, and what’s not to love when you’ve got rubies?

See our rich range of rubies.

Emeralds

Emeralds, as well as rubies, have been one of the stones at the forefront of the history books since the beginning of time. In the 1^st Century AD, Rome’s Pliny the Elder described emeralds as “…nothing greens greener” and well, he’s not wrong.  

The first known emerald mines were believed to date back to 330 BC in Ancient Egypt and continued their reign into the 1700s. One of the world’s most famous monarchs, Cleopatra, was known to have an affection for emeralds, and wore them often in her royal adornments.

Feeling particularly stressed? Staring into the green hue of an emerald is known to relieve stress due to its soft green comforting colour. What better excuse is there to ditch the stress ball?

See our exquisite range of emeralds.

Sapphires

There are many connotations held amongst sapphires, but the most notable are the association they hold with nobility, truth, sincerity and faithfulness.

Back in Ancient Greece and Rome, royalty were convinced that blue sapphires protected their owners from harm and envy. Nowadays you’re guaranteed to have more envy directed at you with a sapphire on your finger than to protect you from it.

The blue of a sapphire is the colour all blue gemstones are measured against, from tanzanite to topaz. The colour is mostly associated with a royal blue, which is one of the reasons Prince Charles presented a sapphire engagement ring to the then Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 causing a rise in demand for sapphires in jewellery stores worldwide, that is still felt today.

See our spectacular range of sapphires.

Peridot

Otherwise known as “the gem of the sun,” peridot has always been associated with light and was used by owners to protect them from the terrors of the night (and was especially effective when set in gold, apparently!)

You can thank Mother Nature for bringing the peridot gem to the world’s attention as they were delivered to Earth’s surface from the depth of erupted volcanoes. If the historical records are believed to be correct, Ancient Egyptians mined the gorgeously green gem on an island in the Red Sea called Topazios, known today as Zabargad.

Today the peridot colour is quite a distinctive one; although back in Ancient Rome and Greece it’s believed that peridots were mistaken for emeralds. Even Cleopatra herself was duped and believed some of her peridot pieces to be of a deeper origin. However, she wasn’t the only one; the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral was believed to adorn 200 ct emerald gems for centuries, until they discovered they were actually beautifully formed peridot stones.

See our collection of perfect peridots.