Looking for jewelry that will help you "cool off" during those hot, hazy days of summer? There are lots of gemstones that work well with warm weather wardrobes. And while these baubles may not actually bring your temperature down, they'll sure make you look more calm, collected and comfortable than the rest of us during the next heat wave.
If you're looking for summer cool, blue is the answer. Blue is trendy right now; it's one of the "red hot" colors this season. It also goes well with the outdoor, beach going atmosphere of summer, since it represents both the sky and the ocean.
Blue gems come in a variety of shades, from light pastels to deep hues -- and even mixed with green. The king of all blues is sapphire, a regal stone highly prized for its beauty, versatility, durability and mystique. The finest sapphires have an incomparable vivid, velvety blue shade and can easily surpass diamonds in price.
For a more subtle, subdued look, try aquamarine. Available in shades from pale blue to greenish-blue to deep blue, this gem is most abundant in seawater hues. It is commonly heat-treated to permanently remove green overtones and deepen its blue tint.
Blue topaz is hot right now. The stone's hallmark vibrant blue color, however, is man-made; it comes from heat treatment and irradiation. One of the big advantages of blue topaz is that it's more affordable than either sapphire or aquamarine.
For something a bit more exotic, tanzanite might be the way to go. This rare gem is currently mined only out of Tanzania in East Africa. "Discovered" by the Western World in the 1960s, tanzanite has quickly become one of the most popular colored stones.
Of course, "cool" summer stones aren't limited to blues. Green gems also reflect the great outdoors and are a good choice for summer jewelry. Emerald, one of the "big four" precious stones (with diamond, ruby and sapphire) is also the most popular. It comes in a variety of light
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