Welcome to Lauren B Color, where the most vibrant gemstones meet
fine craftsmanship. Our carefully curated gemstone inventory
features every color of the rainbow, and all of those in between. We
offer you access to viewing a selection of gemstones personalized to
your interests, across a wide range of types, shapes, sizes and of
course colors. Any ring or jewelry design from Lauren B can be
custom made to suit the center stone of your choice, so it's time to
start designing the beautiful and unique gemstone piece of your
dreams! Our gemstone program is available both in store and to
remote clients worldwide. Come explore Lauren B Color with us today!
Comes in every hue, tone, and saturation possible! Purity and
intensity of the color is what drives cost and can either occur
naturally or from various treatments.
HARDNESS
9 Makes a great, durable stone for any type of
jewelry, especially a ring, and is great for daily wear and passing
down for generations.
CUT
Any shape or type of cut. Faceted stones often mixed cut and is
optimized to show the best color. Can often be a deeper cut stone to
highlight or deepen color. Cabochons, slices, and more unique cuts are
readily available and used for jewelry pieces.
TREATMENT
Most often heat treated. More invasive treatments such as lattice
diffusion (use of heat and chemicals to diffuse colors within the
stone) can affect price.
PRICING
For heated and/or treated stones, cost can start at a few hundred per
carat and range to tens of thousands for rare, naturally occurring
colors. Certified, high quality stones will fetch a premium.
FUN FACTS
Corundum is pleochroic, meaning it can show different colors or tones
in different light and from different angles. Sapphires can also
commonly be bi-color, showing two colors, or a mixture of color.
VARIATIONS
Ruby: only applies to corundum that is a pure red color.
All other colors are called “sapphire.
Many colors, most notably green, blue, and pinkish for emerald,
aquamarine, and morganite.May also be multi-colored. Uncommon colors
are red and yellow.
HARDNESS
7.5 to 8 Though harder than most gemstones, more
susceptible points in the crystal structure can mean that beryl must
be worn carefully, especially emerald.
CUT
Comes in most shapes and cuts and varies by color or variety. Step cut
stones are common due to the elongated shape and structure of beryl
crystals.
TREATMENT
Wide variety of treatments based on the variety and color of the
stone. Emeralds are almost always clarity enhanced using various
methods, particularly fracture filling to enhance clarity.
PRICING
Moderately priced to very expensive; particularly in fine emeralds.
VARIATIONS
Emerald: The pure green to yellowish or bluish green
beryl. Very expensive precious gem Morganite: Orangey-pink to purplish color, often high
clarity and moderately priced. Aquamarine: Blue to greenish-blue and moderately priced.
Every color of the visible spectrum, even multiple colors in one gem
HARDNESS
7 to 7.5 Durable stone that is good for everyday wear
and requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Any cut or shape, even rough or sliced. Crystal structure is very
long, so is often found in step cuts, or more elongated shapes.
TREATMENT
Many stones not treated, but some colors can be attained or enhanced
from heat treat- ment. Some types can also be clarity enhanced.
PRICING
From poor commercial quality costing a few dollars, to one of the most
expensive gems on the market.
FUN FACTS
Comes from many locations around the world, but the most famous is
Minas Gerias state in Brazil, which produces the most various types of
gems than anywhere in the world.
VARIATIONS
Paraiba: Copper bearing, blue, greenish-blue, or green.
Extremely rare and expensive.Very bright even when saturated with
color.
Blue-green: Similar color to Paraiba but less saturated
and slightly less expensive
Rubellite: Red stone with color saturation almost as pure
as ruby. Expensive stone
7 Durable stone that is good for everyday wear and
requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Comes in any type of cut and shape
TREATMENT
Varies greatly based on the variety, but some varieties exposed to
normal heat treatment.
PRICING
Generally inexpensive.
FUN FACTS
Pure quartz is silicon and oxygen, making quartz one of the most
abundant substances on Earth, and making Earth a silica based planet.
VARIETIES
Amethyst: Purple to reddish-purple Topaz: Commonly blue. Imperial/precious topaz is pinkish
to orange Citrine: Color from heat is yellow to orange. Less valuable
than topaz. Prasiolite: Light, minty green quartz. Others: Chalcedony, jasper, agate, rose quartz, smoky
quartz, onyx, aventurine, carnelian, tiger’s eye, opal,
moonstone, and many more.
Light to dark green, or yellowish green. Most desired color is vivid,
grass green.
HARDNESS
6.5 to 7.5 Suitable for everyday wear but should be
set in a more protective style setting like a halo or bezel and
requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Any shape or type of cut. Brilliant faceted stones are often very
bright and high luster.
TREATMENT
Often, but not always heat treated. Non-heated can increase pricing.
PRICING
One of the more expensive garnets. Much larger stones can reach
sapphire price per carat ranges. Color and quality is driving cost
factor
FUN FACTS
Called Tsavorite after the Tsavo National park in Kenya, though it was
discovered nearby in Tanzania. Often occurs with Tanzanite.
VARIATIONS
Merelani Mint Garnet: A lighter tone and saturation,
giving this stone a cool, mint green color. Looks amazing with
rose gold!
Numerous colors, but most famously blue to violet. Pure blue is the
most desired, but some people actually prefer a more violet-blue tone.
HARDNESS
6.5 Must be worn with care. If worn in a ring, a more
protective setting such as a halo or bezel is encouraged.
CUT
Various cuts and shapes. Often found in unusual, custom cuts.
TREATMENT
Heat treatment is common and expected yet does not influence price
because it is expected. The level of color vibrancy, whether heated or
not, determines cost.
PRICING
Untreated tanzanite is very rare and expensive, but typically an
expensive gem despite treatment, comparable to fine sapphire. Good
alternative to sapphire, but not quite as durable.
FUN FACTS
Untreated tanzanite is trichroic, meaning it can show 3 different
colors. After heating, it becomes dichroic, showing different blue to
violet shades. Mined exclusively in Tanzania.
Comes in a huge variety. Red, pink, blue, lavender/violet, dark green,
brown, black, and colorless.
HARDNESS
8 Very durable stone that is great for everyday wear
and offers longevity.
CUT
Any shape or type of cut. Faceted stones come in mixed cuts and are
optimized to show the best color.
TREATMENT
Top quality stones are unheated, but heat treatment and more advanced
treatments can be used. Synthetic spinel has been around for quite
some time and has use in jewelry as well as commercial and industrial
applications. A gemologist can differentiate natural versus synthetic.
PRICING
Huge range of price based on color, quality, and treatment. The best
alternative to sapphire.
FUN FACTS
Before modern gemology, red spinel was categorized as
“ruby”. Many famous “rubies” in royal
collections are spinel. This also goes for blue spinel, which is often
confused for sapphire.
VARIATIONS
Mahenge Spinel: A region in Tanzania most famous for pure
red and vivid pink spinel. Burmese Spinel: Some Burmese stones have the purest
colors seen.
Yellowish-green to green to greenish-yellow. The purest is green with
no trace of yellow or brown, typically seen in larger stones.
HARDNESS
6.5 to 7 Fairly durable but must be worn with care.
Does well in a halo or setting with the stone more protected. Prone to
abrasion.
CUT
Standard faceted cuts and shapes along with cabochon. Faceted peridot
shows strong doubling and high luster, which adds up to a very nice
brilliance.
TREATMENT
Not commonly treated.
PRICING
Less expensive to moderate, depending on color, origin, and quality.
FUN FACTS
Olivine peridot is often found in meteorites, as well as on the moon
and mars! Fine peridot often comes from from Pakistan, as well as
Myanmar (Burma). Can be over 4 billion years old, forming at the very
birth of our solar system. Popular in ancient Egypt where it was also
mined to non-existence by the Pharaohs.
Body color: Color of the actual stone itself, which comes in many
colors. Black body color is the rarest and most valuable. Common white
opal is the most popular.
Play of color: Flashes of iridescence, or fire, comes in every color.
Price can be determined by amount of different colors, as well as
desired colors like red, orange, and purple.
HARDNESS
5.5 to 6 Opal is best suited for necklaces and
earrings as opposed to rings or bracelets because it is a soft stone
that cannot take heavy wear and tear.
CUT
Cabochon. Rarely faceted except for Fire Opal. Fine rough stones
sometimes free-form, which is cut to maximize color with no specific
shape in mind
TREATMENT
Not often heated, but lower grade opals can be smoke treated or made
into doublets or triplets. Doublets and triplets are fine opal slices,
mounted on or in between different materials, which can make it more
durable.
PRICING
From inexpensive to one of the most expensive stones possible. White
opal is generally inexpensive to moderate, whereas black opal can be
thousands per carat.
FUN FACTS
The world’s finest black opal comes from numerous locations in
the Australian outback. This stone makes a great Google image subject
because they are each so different.
Rose-pink to red to reddish-purple. Color can vary, and rare colors
are purple-violet to orange
HARDNESS
7 to 7.5 Durable stone that is good for everyday wear
and requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Comes in most traditional shapes and cuts, often mixed cut. When well
cut, it is a very bright stone that shows very vivid color.
TREATMENT
Most often untreated, but heat treatment to enhance color is possible.
Garnets can be a mixture of different species, creating greatly varied
color, so the color is often natural.
PRICING
Lower to moderately priced gem.
FUN FACTS
Comes from many deposits around the world, but one notable one is
Western North Carolina. Fine specimens can look similar to ruby or red
spinel. Malaya or Malaia Garnet is a variety that is more
pinkish-orange to reddish-orange, often a nice “sunset”
color.
SPESSARTITE GARNET
SPESSARTINE
COLOR
Always has orange component ranging from yellowish-orange to
red-orange. Very vibrant color.
HARDNESS
7 Durable stone that is good for everyday wear and
requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Comes in most shapes and cuts, often mixed cuts which combine
brilliant and step cut facetingt
TREATMENT
Almost always natural, untreated color. Garnet species are often mixed
and are the cause of naturally occurring color.
PRICING
Mid-priced gemstone. Affordable and very bright, attractive color, and
size for the cost.
FUN FACTS
The name comes from the Bavarian word “Spessart,” meaning
forest, a mountain range in the region where it was discovered in
1880. Vivid color stones often found in East African gem-producing
countries.
VARIATIONS
Madarin Garnet: Pure orange color Malaya Garnet: A beautiful red-orange
“sunset” color. A hybrid between garnet species Pyrope and
Spessartite
ZIRCON
COLOR
Comes in many colors. Most popular are blue and orange.
HARDNESS
7.5 Durable stone that is good for everyday wear and
requires proper care for longevity.
CUT
Comes in most cuts and shapes; almost always faceted. Stones come in
mixed cuts and are optimized to show the best color.
TREATMENT
Heat treatment common. Almost all blue and colorless zircon are
heated, with most other colors occurring naturally.
PRICING
Somewhat less expensive to moderately priced. Great stone for
brighter, more durable alternative to aquamarine or topaz.
FUN FACTS
Zircon shows doubling, which occurs in doubly refractive stones and
appears as a mirror image inside the stone. This enhances the fire and
brilliance of the stone. This is NOT to be confused with Cubic
Zirconia, which is a low grade, synthetic gem, completely different
from natural zircon.
CHRYSOBERYL
ALEXANDRITE or CAT’S EYE CHRYSOBERYL
COLOR
Yellow to green. Alexandrite varies and color changes from reddish to
greenish. Super fine colors are much more Vivid colors are more costly
and have a stronger color change.
HARDNESS
8.5 Third hardest gem. Extremely great stone for ring
use and every-day wear and longevity.
CUT
Faceted or cabochon in any shape. Often round, oval, or cushion.
TREATMENT
Not commonly treated. Color change and Cat’s eye are naturally
occurring phenomenal characteristics which cannot really be altered by
treatment.
PRICING
Moderate to extremely expensive. Less expensive alexandrite will be a
dull color and have a weaker color change, while very expensive
alexandrite will be vivid red to green with strong color change.
VARIETIES
Alexandrite: This is a color change gem which completely
changes color in different light wavelengths. The most valuable
changes from purplish-red to greenish-blue or green. Alex- andrite can
be both Cat’s eye and color change in a cabochon cut. Cat’s Eye: Displays chatoyancy, or a phenomenal
effect that looks like a line of light, much like a cat’s eye.
This can vary from simple, solid color with a Cat’s eye to
muliple colors called “milk and honey”
