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A gorgeous solid 9kt gold ring of good quality manufacture, size 7. The highlight of the ring of course is the exceptionally beautiful, apple green prehnite gemstone. This hand cut and hand faceted gemstone originated in Scotland, and was handcrafted by a Russian artisan in Yekaterinburg (Siberia). The gemstone is clean to the eye and is as transparent as prehnite gets (it has an opalescent sheen, a "shiller" which precludes absolute transparency). The color is gorgeous, and the luster quite pleasing. The gemstone measures about 8mm in length by 6 millimeters in width and weighs 2.12 carats. It is an exquisite gemstone, and it is accented with siz wound Siberian white topaz rounds, likewise hand cut and hand faceted. In graduated sizes, there are two 1 1/4mm round white topaz; two 1 1/2mm round white topaz, and two 1 3/4mm round white topaz. All seven gemstones are mounted onto a very nice quality ring constructed of solid 9kt gold. Not gold-plated or gold-filled with chi-chi but merely glass "crystals" or "laboratory grown" (synthetic) gemstones. Why would you spend just as much or more to buy costume jewelry at the mall when you can have the real thing here? A genuine solid gold ring with genuine semi-precious gemstones!

The minerals that form prehnite were deposited in pockets in hydrothermal veins that formed within an enclosing mass of basalt (lava) as it cooled 210+ million years ago. The gemstone was first "discovered" in South Africa by Colonel Hendrik Von Prehn, an early Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope colony. Prehnite was the first mineral to be named after a person. However prehnite originating in the Murmansk Region (near Finland and Sweden) was cut into gemstones in Russia as early as the 16th century, and prehnite imported from Scotland was very popular in 18th and 19th century Victorian Russia. There was also a major source in Bohemia (Germany). Early traders nicknamed the gemstone Cape Emerald in hopes of exploiting its green color.

Prehnite is best known in shades of green that vary from pale to very dark. However, it also occurs in various shades of yellow, gray, blue, and pink and is commonly white. The specimens we possess though handcrafted in one of Russia's great gemstone cutting centers in Yekaterinburg, Russia, originated in Renfrewshire and Dumbartonshire, Scotland. With its bright, almost luminescent green coloring prehnite is an attractive mineral that can have a very good luster. In Victorian Europe Russia it was believed that prehnite could enhance one's protective field, dreaming and remembrance; bring peace and calm; and help build the immune system. It was used for treating anemia, blood disorders, and hypertension. Its color and unusual touch was believed to generate serenity and tranquility, ideal for stress release. Prehnite was much in demand amongst Shaman's and Bohemian Gypsy's who knew it as the Prediction Stone.

The name "topaz" was derived from the Greek word "topazios", "to guess". Topazion was the name given by the Greeks to a small island in the Red Sea. The source of topaz for the ancient world, the island was often obscured by fog, making it difficult for early navigators to find, hence the name. In the ancient world, topaz was thought to protect against evil and was used to treat many different ailments including asthma. To the ancient Egyptians the glow of yellow topaz symbolized "Ra", their sun god. Greeks called on the Topaz to give them strength, and wore topaz as an amulet to ward off enchantment, dispel sadness and strengthen intellect. In Medieval Europe, topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders, and to prevent death. When worn as an amulet, topaz drove away sadness, added intelligence, gave courage, and could dispel enchantments. Topaz powdered and drunk in wine, it was believed, cured asthma, insomnia, burns and hemorrhages. Today topaz is regarded as a stone of true love and capable of attracting success in all endeavors. It is believed to promote creativity and individuality, and regarded as capable of replacing negativity with love and joy.

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world's history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar's led to further education and conacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings - the gold reused - the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state - most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees - fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or "lab produced") gemstones which dominate the market today.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

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