Our Gemstones

Have you ever thought about a gemstone’s journey from the earth to your jewellery box? Whichever gorgeous gemstone you choose, and wherever you purchase it from, the journey will always involve considerable effort. Mountains of earth and many hours of labour are needed to bring a gem from the gemstone mine to the jewellery market, but when that gemstone is set in 925 sterling silver and transformed into an exquisite necklace, statement earrings, a delicate bracelet or a unique ring then all that effort is completely worth it. Quality gemstone and sterling silver jewellery will bring you years of pleasure and delight.

A gemstone is the name given to a piece of mineral or rock that has been cut and polished then carefully crafted into jewellery or another accessory. The gemstones we use in our gemstone and sterling silver jewellery come from all over the world, from Madagascar to Sri Lanka, Turkey to Brazil, the Dominican Republic to Canada. Wherever the gemstones originate, we pride ourselves on working with only Fairtrade sellers whose family businesses are involved in the cutting and polishing of natural high-quality gemstones. So, in buying our gemstone and sterling silver jewellery you are supporting not only our small jewellery business but also many small family gemstone businesses across the globe. 

Just like amber, gemstones are natural creations from beneath the earth’s surface and they can be created in several different ways. For example, many of these precious stones are created when minerals dissolve in water then reform as gems when that water cools or evaporates. Alternatively, gems such as turquoise or malachite form when water and copper-rich rocks blend together. These gemstone formation processes can take place over long periods of time and many gemstones have been around for thousands of years; if you look to the Ancient Egyptians’ love of turquoise then you will realise that gemstone has been prized and used in jewellery making for over 5000 years. 

However they have been created, we choose gemstones for their beauty, and take care and delight in turning them into the most exquisite necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings for your jewellery-wearing pleasure. Unlike with diamonds there is no set measure of a gemstone’s value but traditionally gemstones have been examined and evaluated by eye. When examining a gemstone, the four most important factors can be summed up in the four Cs: colour, clarity, cut and carat – we look for quality and beauty in each of these elements when choosing the gemstones for our sterling silver jewellery. Don’t be fooled into buying cheap imitations from other sellers – a genuine gemstone is a thing of beauty and commands a price in keeping with supply and demand.

So, what gemstones do we use in our gemstone and sterling silver jewellery here at Polyanna Designs? Well, the simple answer is many! You can choose from pale shimmering gemstones such as moonstone and opal, through to the deep delights of ruby and red garnet, or the unmistakably striking turquoise and aquamarine, each offered in a range of styles as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings.

You may already have a favourite gemstone and know exactly what you want but let us take you on a tour of just some of the fabulous gemstone and sterling silver jewellery that we have on offer and you may surprise yourself by being tempted to try something new! If not, then we know that you will also find the perfect piece of jewellery featuring your favourite gemstone amongst our collections.

Let’s get started by exploring one of the most individual and light-reflecting gemstones, opal. An opal gemstone is created by water filtering through rocks with the resulting gem creating a rainbow of colours that is truly unique to each gemstone. Our Opal Gemstone Dainty Minimalist Silver Bracelet perfectly illustrates the delicate charm and natural beauty of opal jewellery, making it the perfect choice for a classic, understated look. Opal is also the birthstone for October making it a perfect jewellery gift for that special October birthday, whether for a loved one or for yourself.

For a gemstone that is just as enticing as the opal try moonstone. Moonstone is one of the world’s most popular gems and it gives the appearance of a soft light glowing beneath its surface, a quality which is reflected in its name. Our moonstone gems come from Sri Lanka and you can see for yourself the beauty of this gemstone in our simple yet bold Teardrop Moonstone Crystal Simple Necklace or our vintage style Boho Moonstone Crystal Statement Ring. We have a range of moonstone jewellery to tempt you, from pendants and necklaces to earrings and rings, so you are sure to find the moonstone jewellery that is perfect for your taste and style.

If bright, intense colours in your gemstone jewellery are more your thing then you may choose the gemstones of ruby, red garnet, emerald or amethyst, each of which feature in our gemstone and sterling silver jewellery collections.

The rich red colour of a ruby gemstone is produced by the presence of chromium in the gemstone’s structure, the more chromium the deeper the colour. Rubies are an ever-popular gemstone due to their attractive colour and clarity; they reflect romance and passion making ruby gemstone jewellery the perfect gift for heartfelt declarations of love. In addition, the ruby gemstone is the birthstone for July so for that special occasion they are the stunning yet obvious choice.  A modern classic, our Simple Ruby Crystal Modern Ring is a beautiful, minimalist choice or perhaps a ruby and sterling silver statement earring is more your style, in which case you should consider the Natural Ruby Crystal Silver Dangle Earrings featuring a deer red natural ruby crystal, enclosed in a gorgeous modern, sleek sterling silver setting. Please note that these handmade sterling silver earrings, like many in our collections, can be customised to your desired fitting of fishhook, leverback or clip-on. You choose your favourite fitting, and we'll take care of the rest!

Garnet is best known as a red gemstone; however, it can actually be found in a range of colours. We use red garnet sourced from Ontario, Canada in two earring styles. The sterling silver filigree setting of our simple style Statement Garnet Dangle Earrings sets off the deep red garnet gemstone perfectly, whilst our elegant Dainty Garnet Gemstone Stud Earrings use a vintage, bohemian style sterling silver setting that is simple yet striking and will certainly attract compliments all day (and night).

A wonderful example of the highly sought after emerald gemstone in our jewellery is our Zambian Emerald Silver Beaded Dainty Bracelet.  This handmade sterling silver bracelet features several stunning emerald gemstone beads complimented by sterling silver beads and can be worn alone or with other gemstone bracelets for maximum impact. If your birthday falls in May then this is the bracelet for you as emerald is your birthstone. 

Amethyst is the most popular purple gem and like many other gemstones it has a long history. Its colour can vary from lavender pinks to deep dark purples and the colour comes from iron impurities within the stone, without which it would simply be colourless. The amount of iron within each stone determines how deep the colour is and you can see the true beauty of amethyst gemstones in our Dainty Amethyst Gold Promise Ring. This gemstone, sterling silver and gold-plated ring has a sterling silver setting with gold-plated detail that really does make the amazing amethyst gemstone stand out.

And what if you simply cannot choose between these beautifully colourful gemstones?  Well, you don’t have to, because we can offer you a combination of three gemstones in one jewellery piece: our spectacular Ruby Sapphire Emerald Beaded Dainty Gemstone Bracelet. Or why not choose our stunning, one-of-a-kind Unique Cluster Crystals Gold Large Stud Earrings which feature rich purple amethyst and garnet, subtle peridot, citrine and icy blue topaz crystals. Perfect as a gift or why not just treat yourself!?

If your preference is for a blue-toned gemstone then you should explore our exquisite iridescent labradorite and beautiful larimar pendant necklaces. Named after seawater, the ever-popular labradorite blue flash gemstone’s deep watery tones remind us of the lakes and seas (or sky in thunder and lightning weather), as you can see in our Stunning Statement Labradorite Pendant Necklace, whilst the light-blue larimar gemstone in this Large Simple Blue Teardrop Larimar Crystal Necklace has a soft and gentle beauty. In both these gemstone and sterling silver necklaces the blue-toned gemstone is shown off to perfection by the sterling silver settings and detail. In addition, if someone in your life has a March birthday then labradorite is the birthstone for this month so why not treat them?

All gemstone jewellery lovers will be familiar with the unmistakable qualities of turquoise – the blue to blue-green opaque gemstone with a long and rich history. Here at Polyanna Designs we offer a whole range of turquoise earrings and rings, bracelets and necklaces, each set in 925 sterling silver and featuring carefully chosen turquoise blue gemstones. Our handmade Dainty Boho Turquoise Dangle Earrings are set in bohemian-style sterling silver and their fitting can be customised to your preferred style. 

Another beautifully blue gemstone complimenting our turquoise earrings and coming all way from Arizona. It is known for its worldly recognised blue colour  and we can offer the most intricate Boho style stunning turquoise gemstone ring in our Gift for Her collection: Vintage Turquoise Gemstone Silver Ring Size 9 R

Finally, if you are looking for something completely different then why not try topaz. Our artisan Rainbow Mystic Topaz Dangle Earrings show a shimmering rainbow of colours from the round topaz gemstone drops set in sterling silver fittings. These earrings are crafted in a light and comfortable style that is perfect for wearing each day yet, as you can see, these wonderful topaz gemstone earrings will definitely give you that feeling of wearing jewellery that is really special.

I hope you have enjoyed our gemstone tour and that you have delighted in our gemstone and sterling silver jewellery collections as much as I have in creating them for you.