Wow, we've made it to July already! Summer is officially here and the 'holidays' are just around the corner.
It's been an interesting few weeks here in Scarborough, usually full of holiday makers arriving by the bus load. Instead the locals are making the most of the beach and sharing with the weekend day trippers. Maybe as lockdown continues to relax the tourist industry here might have a chance at getting back on its feet.
Summer for us includes lots of family birthdays, mine included! I'm hoping our favourite Harbour Bar will be back open in time for ice cream and waffles birthday breakfast!
Having a birthday in July means I am one of the lucky ones to have Ruby as my birthstone. Ruby is derived from the Latin word ruber, meaning “red” – the color of love and passion. In ancient times ruby was called the “king of precious stones” for its rarity, hardness (second only to diamond), beauty and seemingly mystical powers. It can be found in Myanmar, Vietnam and more recently Mozabique. In addition to being the July birthstone, ruby is traditionally given for the 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries.
There is a nifty little gadget called a dichroscope which can help identify a real ruby. Due to its composition, a ruby can appear two different colours under polarised light. Here are some images I have taken through the scope showing two distinct halves.
Summer birthdays in June enjoy the shimmery lustrous Pearl as their gemstone, August has Peridot and taking us into Autumn, September is Sapphire.
There have been changes over the years and some guides will give you both a modern and historical birthstone, so if you're lucky to have more than one then why not make the most of it! Here is a list of birthstones by month with both variations included:
So if you fancy a special piece making to mark a birthday or anniversary, please get in touch and we'll make some magic!