Emerald - May's Birthstone

Emeralds are quite the unique gem. The green gem's name derived from the Old French: Esmeraude which originated in Greek: σμάραγδος (smaragdos) which translates to 'green gem'.


Emerald's green colour is caused by small amounts of chromium and iron but unlike other gemstones with the same components, emeralds almost always are included and flawed. These flaws are not looked at negatively as in the emerald they are considered to be a part of their character. Diamonds and most gemstones are usually inspected under a loupe (hand-held magnifier under a power of ten) however, emeralds are inspected by the naked eye. The ability to see inclusions can assure the owner of the purchase of a natural stone. Emeralds score a 7.5 out of 10 on the Moh's Hardness Scale and are not considered to be a strong gem due to it's high inclusions.


There are many myths associated with the emerald. It was once believed to prevent epilepsy, stop bleeding, cure fever and ease anxiety. The Ancient Romans dedicated emeralds to the goddess Venus because the gem was said to symbolize the reproductive forces of nature. 

Beautiful 1950's cluster style diamond ring with  a unique single row of emeralds. Gorgeous.

     

It was believed that emeralds had the ability to foretell the future...

Talent Should Be Seen!

Kyle Wild was contacted by CTV to do an interview involving the new label Adan Ballou that is only carried at Mokada. Earlier that morning he was with the other designers (including my very favourite Lennard Taylor) at Opera Ultra Lounge promoting the Virulent Solstice event being held there on Sunday evening. When we received the call we immediately got excited and started preparing the studio for Kyle's and CTV's arrival. Within the hour they were here and even if it wasn't about us, we were beaming with anticipation for Mokada's first television debut! We were blown away at how cool and collected Kyle spoke about the Winnipeg's growing fashion industry and the unique Adan Ballou leather and brass line. We knew how professional, relaxed and knowledgeable he was but after watching him with the media it really showed us why the social media guru/graphic designer/promoter/fashion enthusiast quit his 9-5 to do what he does best. Their team after all get an Adan Ballou custom hand bag into the hands of Lady Gaga. Enough Said.

Thanks Kyle Wild and CTV! Come down anytime, really.

Diamond - April's Birthstone

The name diamond comes from the ancient Greek αδάμας (adámas), "proper", "unalterable", "unbreakable", "untamed", from ἀ- (a-), "un-" + δαμάω (damáō), "I overpower", "I tame". The ultra unique stone was first recognized in India for at least 3,000 years but it is lead to believe that the stone dates back to 6,000 years.


There's no denying that diamonds are a traditional symbol of romance and love. Historically, the stone had originated with deep religious roots and was commonly first used as a tool for engraving. Diamonds have a rate of 10 on the Moh's hardness scale, making not only it's beauty an obvious choice for "forever" jewelry but it will also stand the test of time. 


Diamonds are mostly clear and transparent resulting in a colourless light reflecting stone. Slight defects and impurities can make colour changes to the gem. It is rare but diamonds can be naturally coloured blue, pink, yellow, brown, orange and red. 


The jungle is dark but full of diamonds
A diamond is rough and hard to the touch
It's dark there, but full of diamonds

Arthur Miller

Push Presents - Practically Necessary

'Push Presents' are an increasingly hot trend for moms-to-be.


According to Linda Murray, the executive editor of babycenter.com, "It’s more and more an expectation of moms these days that they deserve something for bearing the burden for nine months, getting sick, ruining their body. The guilt really gets piled on." Now, not that many women think of child bearing as "bearing the burden" and "ruining their body" and often women will say that the gift of their child is a present enough. But wouldn't it be nice to receive a gift as a kind gesture and small token of thanks from your partner? When studied, 38% of women received a push present, 55% of women wanted one and 40% of women think it's materialistic only when demanded. In a recent article regarding the subject Jenny Atkinson says, "I certainly don’t “expect” a gift, but I think it would be a wonderful gesture for a husband to do to show a woman how much they appreciate what they’re putting their bodies through to help build their family."


In recent pop culture news it is rumoured that Jessica Simpson's former NFL'er dad-to-be, Eric Johnson has purchased a push present of $30,000 worth of jewels from a store in Italy, where they first fell in love. This by no means sets the bar for your partner to break the bank. Go for a gift that is personalized and stamped with meaning. A small family ring to look down and recall your thoughtfulness when she's away from you and the little one; or a pendant with your new baby's fingerprint for her to remember just how small that finger once was.

                                                       Photo credits by Elle Magazine.

Aquamarine - March's Birthstone

Designers call it their favourite gemstone. It can be found Brazil, Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s a common birthstone to the Pisces.

Since early times, aquamarine has been believed to endow the wearer with foresight, courage, and happiness. It is said to increase intelligence and make one youthful. As a healing stone, it is said to be effective as a treatment for anxiety and in the Middle Ages it was thought that aquamarine would reduce the effect of poisons.

A legend says that sailors wore aquamarine gemstones to keep them safe and prevent seasickness.

Aquamarine has good hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a wonderful shine. That hardness makes it very tough and protects it to a large extent from scratches. The lucid gem colour makes it easy to see inclusions making quality an important consideration. Iron is the substance which gives aquamarine its colour, a colour which ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. The more intense the colour of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it.

Aquamarine is not only used for jewelry but has been also used in the art world. The “Dom Pedro” is shown below and was cut by Bernd Munsteiner to create the 10,363 carat sculpture named, Waves of the Sea. 

Amethyst-February's Birthstone

The february born shall find

Sincerity and peace of mind,

Freedom from passion and from care,

If they, the amethyst will wear.

February's Amethyst Birthstone is said to protect its wearer against intoxication and seduction. The violet hues in this stone come from a purple quartz variety and can vary from light pink to deep purple. For many thousands of years, the most striking representative of the quartz family has been a jewel coveted by princes both ecclesiastical and secular. Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews, and the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urls to look for it. The greeks believed that amethyst protected the wearer against drunkenness and was often used in the carving of wine goblets. The name for the purple quartz originated from the Greek word 'amethystos' meaning 'not intoxicated'.

Amethysts are know to have properties of stability, peace, balance, courage and inner strength. The wearers of this birthstone are known to have traits of sincerity and a calm disposition.

Amethyst rates a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale

The healing properties of the birthstone are reputed to be effective for the following related health problems:

-Withdrawal symptoms of any sort of addiction.

-headaches

-insomnia

-Arthritis,

-Pain relief

-Blood circulation issues

Garnet - January's Birthstone

Famous for their ability to change colour in front of fire, garnet is a group of minerals that are used as gemstones and abrasives that have been used since the Bronze Age. Garnets jewelry is extremely popular especially for those nearest and dearest. The tradition of giving gifts of jewelry containing these stones dates back thousands of years. The gemstone, or birthstone Garnet is available in all different shapes and types of jewelry. The Capricorn’s birthstone is known to be the symbol of purity, faithfulness and friendship. Awareness, commitment, regeneration, insight, removing negativity and healing properties are common traits of this unique stone. Most of the times, Garnets can be mistaken as Rubies but the gemstones are quite different in charm and properties. Garnets are available in many different hues ranging from purple, deep red, amber and even green hues.

Garnet ranks 6.5-7.5 on the Moh’s scale with Demantoid Garnet being the strongest therefore most appropriate for an engagement ring.

Fun Facts:

Noah used a garnet lantern to navigate the Ark at night.

The healing properties of the Capricorn birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to Blood, heart, lungs and infection.

Garnet has features that enhance sensuality and sexuality.

The name “Garnet” comes from the 14^th century middle English word meaning “dark red".

By her who is this month was born

No gem save garnets shall be worn

They will ensure her constancy

True friendship and fidelity