Precious stones
Diamond is a transparent volcanic mineral composed of pure carbon crystals. It is the hardest and most brilliant of all gemstones. Formed more than 150 km below the earth's surface, some diamonds date back nearly 3 billion years. Diamonds are mined mainly on the African continent, in South Africa and Botswana, but also in Canada and Russia. The word diamond comes etymologically from the ancient Greek "adamas" meaning invincible, indomitable. The first diamonds were discovered in India, where they were called "fruits of the stars" due to their geographical origins and their connotations as sacred stones.
Sapphire is a mineral gemstone belonging to the corundum family, crystals composed of aluminum and oxygen. Sapphires come in a variety of colors and shades, from blue, green, pink, violet and yellow to orange-pink like Padparadscha sapphire. Deep blue sapphire, however, remains the most emblematic. There are several criteria for evaluating sapphire: hue, which refers to the gem's main and secondary colors; saturation, which refers to the stone's purity; and tone, which refers to the depth of color. Sapphire is a pleochroic stone, meaning it will change color depending on the angle at which it is viewed.
Like sapphire, ruby is a member of the corundum family. Its bright red color comes from traces of chromium and iron. It also has orange, pinkish, purplish and brownish undertones. By nature, rubies have inclusions that are often visible to the naked eye. As a result, pure red rubies are extremely rare and among the most difficult gemstones to obtain. Intensity and color are the primary criteria for evaluating rubies. As with diamonds, rubies are expressed in carat units of weight.
Emerald is a mineral gemstone belonging to the beryl family. It is characterized by its vivid, shimmering green color, achieved through the presence of traces of chromium, vanadium and iron. Depending on the concentration of these elements, different emerald shades are possible, ranging from a pale, pastel green with slight bluish or yellowish reflections to an intense green. Emerald is a fragile stone, which lasts over time but tends to have difficulty withstanding temperature differences and shocks. It has a lower hardness than other gemstones. Emerald has inclusions that are often visible to the naked eye, but these do not affect the quality of the stone and attest to its intrinsic properties.