Labradorite stones showcase a stunning play of colour, gleaming with red and yellow reflections, as well as the blue hues of traditional moonstones. Sometimes called ‘spectrolite’, the breadth of its body colour ranges from opaque, transparent to colourless brownish or grey material. These gemstones are notably found in Labrador, Canada as well as other localities like Australia, Finland, and the United States.

Malachite has a distinctive structure and green colour from the copper minerals within, typically comprising curved concentric banding that alternates between light and dark green shades. Often its fibrous structure is visible, with the long direction of fibres appearing perpendicular to the colour banding and giving the stone both a silky and dull lustre.

Drawing its colour from the element manganese, morganite is known for its subtle pink tones, ranging from peaches to pinks. Named after the American banker and gem collector, J.P Morgan, this stone can be found across the world in Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Pakistan, and the USA, with some crystal specimens from Brazil weighing over 10 kilograms. Morganite is a Beryl, from the same family as aquamarine and emerald.

Distinguished by its adventuresence, aventurine quartz contains inclusions displaying green mica crystals, creating a glittering green appearance. It is difficult to find fine quality aventurine and when it is cut as beads the wonderful green colour can be enjoyed as a necklace.

Rhodonite was discovered in the Ural mountains in 1790, colours range from pink to a rose red. The fine material can be facetted and is rare, found in Australia and Japan. Rhodonite is usually cut as cabochon gemstones or beads displaying the black dendritic veins, and can look similar to Rhodochrosite.

Rose Quartz holds a vitreous lustre with delicate tones of soft pink, it is often used to commemorate the fifth wedding anniversary, symbolising love and compassion. Rose Quartz can contain small inclusions, creating a beautiful ‘cats eye’, asterism effect on a cabochon carved gemstone.

Sapphire’s dazzling lustre ranges from deep velvet translucent depths to colourless transparency, in blue, pink, yellow, green, purple and colourless hues. Originating in Sri Lanka, Australia and Myanmar, Cassandra often finds unusual colours and cuts on her travels, enraptured by rarer green sapphires in particular: regarded as a healing corundum gemstone, with calming properties, it’s no wonder sapphires appear in such captivating and mystical hues. The birthstone for September; this protective gemstone is known to have create powers of serenity and purity, with each colour embodying its own unique sense of wisdom.

Observe the magnitude of a sphene gemstone, with its high dispersion and fire once facetted. The striking gem varies from transparent to translucent and is enriched with the most resplendent green colour. Sphene is rare and difficult to work with because of its delicate properties, it is one of Cassandra’s favourite gemstones.

Extraordinary pleochroism makes the infinite blues and violet shades of tanzanite so lustrous. Tanzanite is trichroic, displaying blue, purple, and yellow in varied directions of light whilst holding a rich blue body colour. The birthstone for December and a precious jewel for meditation, this gem is a reminder of wintery moonlit nights. But this intense colour, that Cassandra so loves to design with, comes at a price – the stones are fragile and should be worn with great care.

Topaz is an aluminium fluoro-hydroxyl-silicate that occurs in large crystals, mostly in Brazil. Glowing with the gift of healing, a blue topaz (the birthstone for November) is said to help your mind and body feel restored, a symbol of friendship, love, honesty, and fidelity. While a golden yellow topaz, permeated with healing warmth and life like the dazzling sun, will rejuvenate both your mind and body. Highly protective, the magic set within these stones is believed to make the wearer invisible to danger.

Discover the beauty of turquoise, in which vibrant Mediterranean blue shades meet rich greens, a result of copper and iron minerals. This gemstone often contains veins of dark brown matrix material, adding to the striking effect of the translucent, waxy lustre. With a long history from the earliest days of Ancient Egypt, and now one of December’s birthstones, it is said to bring good fortune and happiness.