The colours and the origin of the gemstones names
Swarovski crystal beads and pendants come in many colours. Many of these colours originate from the gemstones they portray.
Listed here are a few facts about the colours of the beads used and where these colours originate.
Select one of the colours to jump to that section or just scroll down to view them all.
Amethyst - The birthstone of February and gemstone for the 6th anniversary of marriage. Amethyst is the purple form of Quartz.
As the gem of peace and tranquillity, amethyst is mesmerisingly beautiful. It is said to bring spirituality, tranquillity and peace to the wearer. This stone is also said to calm the mind, enhance meditation, relax the body, and enhance dream state.
Through the ages, powerful and rich monarchs have used Amethyst as a symbol of royalty. In Tibet, amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.
Aquamarine - A favourite of jewellery designers, aquamarine is the birthstone of March. It is also the gemstone to celebrate the 19th anniversary.
Wearing aquamarine is said to help couples smooth out their differences and reawaken their love for each other making aquamarine the perfect anniversary present. It is said to help one to experience love and mercy, and to ease grief and depression.
Crystal healers use Aquamarine to treat toothache, sore throat, sunburn, and fever.
"Aquamarine" is derived from the Latin word for seawater. In ancient times, it was believed to be a good seafaring stone; sailors would wear Aquamarine to protect them during voyages.
Dreaming of aquamarine suggests you will meet new friends.
Emerald - The birthstone of May and gemstone for the 20th and 35th anniversary of marriage. Emerald is one of the big four main gemstones.
Called the Stone of Successful Love, Emeralds are said to promote domestic bliss and to instil loyalty and sensitivity in couples. Thus, it makes a good gift for lovers. The ancient Egyptians called the Emerald the Stone of Spring because of its green colour. They associated it with rebirth, and used it as an aid in fertility and childbirth.
Crystal healers use Emerald to enhance memory and stimulate the use of mental capacity. It is said to be beneficial to the spine, lungs, heart, and the muscular system.
The velvety green colour of emerald is a perfect match for spring and summer fashion. Emeralds have been the favourites of kings and queens throughout the ages.
Fuchsia - is a flowering plant with many shades of pink to red flowers named after the German botanist Leonhard Fuchs (1501-1566).
The flowers are a decorative "eardrop" shape, and are a glorious sight throughout the summer and autumn, and even all year in the tropical species.
Most fuchsia jewellery tends to be either bright pink or red in colour.
Garnet - The birthstone of January and gemstone for the second anniversary of marriage it is one of the oldest gemstones in history
Known as a gift of love since the time of the ancient Greeks, it is said to promote balance and peace of mind. The rich burgundy red colour of garnet is an excellent match for earth tones and autumn hues.
Garnet has many healing properties; it is used for cleansing blood, healing the heart, spine, and lungs as well as curing fever. Long ago, people wore garnets as protection against insect bites, evil spirits, and the evil eye. Asiatic tribes once used garnets in place of bullets, believing their blood-red colour was more deadly than lead bullets.
The name "garnet" comes from the Latin word "Garanatus" meaning, "seed like" in reference to a pomegranate. The Greeks believed that Garnets represented pomegranates, and that a Garnet should be given to ensure one's lover would always return.
Jonquil - The Jonquil is another name for the Daffodil, however referring to these flowers as Jonquils is normally only done in North America. Technically speaking, the name Jonquil should only refer to the variation called Narcissus jonquilla and cultivars derived directly from that variation.
The Jonquil is used prominently for decorating during the Chinese New Year. The Daffodil, is the flower of Wales. St. David's Day is celebrated in Wales on March 1st and Daffodils are often worn for that holiday.
Jonquils are poisonous and can be harmful or deadly if eaten, unlike the Violet.
The Jonquil is March's Birth Flower.
Opal - ranges from clear through white, gray, red, yellow, green, shore, blue, magenta, brown, and black.
Of these hues, red and black are the most rare and dear, whereas white and green are the most common. Opals are also Australia's
national gemstone. This birthstone of October has a luminosity and glow that makes an opal the treasure that it really is.
Opal is a treasured gem all over the world. A symbol of hope, purity, and love. Opal is the birthstone for the month of October,
along with pink tourmaline. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 14th year of marriage.
Peridot - is the birthstone of August and is the gemstone to celebrate the 16th anniversary.
The Romans called peridot the “evening emerald” whose vibrant green colour remained visible by lamplight. The ancient Egyptians called Peridot the Gem of the Sun. It was a favourite gemstone of Cleopatra.
Crystal healers use Peridot as a good all-around producer of positive, warm and friendly energy and healing. It is said to heal bruised egos, by helping to lessen feelings of anger and jealousy, as well as sinus infections. It has also been used as protection from nightmares!
It is given as a symbol of fame, dignity, and protection. Legend has it that pirates favoured peridot to protect them against evil.
Purple Velvet - Purple velvet grass is a distinctive perennial grass that forms clumps in disturbed areas and, in particular, in moist or mild coastal areas. Dense, purple-tinged inflorescences, reaching up to 3 feet, bloom from May to August.
Quartz or Clear
The clear crystals are representative of Quartz.
Rainbow - A rainbow spans a continuous spectrum of colours. The most commonly cited and remembered sequence, in English, is Newton's sevenfold red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. "Roy G. Biv" and "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" are popular mnemonics.
Though rainbows are bow-shaped in most cases, there are also phenomena of rainbow-coloured strips in the sky: in the shape of stripes, circles, or even flames.
Rainbows can be observed whenever there are water drops in the air and sunlight shining from behind a person at a low altitude or angle (on the ground). The most spectacular rainbow displays happen when half of the sky is still dark with draining clouds and the observer is at a spot with clear sky in the direction of the Sun. The result is a luminous rainbow that contrasts with the darkened background.
Rose - The colour rose is of course the same as the name of the flower. The name originates from Latin rosa.
Pink Roses in general, symbolise grace, elegance and gentility, but they are often given as an expression of admiration. Pink roses also convey the message of happiness, appreciation, thankfulness, grace, gentle love and please believe me.
Deep pink says "thank you". Light pink conveys admiration and sympathy, grace, gladness, joy, sweetness.
The first recorded use of rose as a colour name in English was in 1382 .
Marrakesh, Morocco is sometimes called the Rose City because many of its buildings are coloured shades of rose or pink. The rose is the national flower of both England and the United States.
The Rose is June's Birth Flower.
Ruby - is the birthstone of July and is the gemstone to celebrate the 15th and 40th anniversaries. It is one of the big four gemstones.
The gem of hot summer nights and beautiful red sunsets, ruby signifies love and courage. Ruby is considered the Queen of all Gems.
The name ruby comes from the Latin word "ruber", meaning red. It is a favourite gem among those in power and those in love, inspiring more emotion than almost any other stone.
It is worn to ward off misfortune and ill health, and to promote longevity and stable finances. If worn on the left side of the body, Rubies were thought to give the ability to live in peace among enemies
Hindus consider Ruby a sacred stone, worthy of offering to their god Krishna. The Sanskrit word for Ruby is ratnaraj, which means "King of Gemstones."
Sapphire - is the birthstone of September and is the gemstone to celebrate the 45th and 65th anniversaries. It is one of the big four gemstones as well as being one of the most popular gemstones of today.
It is derived from the Latin word “saphirus” and the Greek word “sapheiros,” both meaning blue.
Crystals healers use Sapphire to treat colic, disorders of the blood and skin, depression, poor hearing, nosebleeds and eye problems. Sapphire is thought to promote generosity, good manners, wisdom, noble thoughts, peace between enemies, and protection against fraud and envy. It encourages truth, sincerity, and devotion, and therefore makes an ideal gift for an engagement.
Traditionally, Sapphires have been associated with royalty and Kings would wear them for protection.
Ancient Persians believed the earth rested on a Sapphire, and that its colour was reflected in the sky.
Siam - Rubies from Thailand, a classical supplier of Rubies, produces stones which are often dark red tending towards brown. This "Siam colour” - an elegantly modulated deep red - is considered almost as beautiful in Rubies as the Burma-colour.
Rubies of Vietnamese origin generally display a slightly purplish hue and Ceylon-Rubies, which are quite scarce nowadays, were mainly light red, like ripe raspberries.
Siam is also the name that Thailand was known as until 1939.
Tanzanite - is the modern birthstone of December and is the gemstone to celebrate the 24th anniversary.
It is unique in being extremely popular although only discovered in 1967. It is now the 5th most popular "precious stone" used in jewellery.
It was discovered in the Meralani Hills of northern Tanzania, near the city of Arusha. It is named after the country in which it was discovered and the only place in the world it is found, Tanzania.
Violet - The Violet, with the botanic name of Viola, is a flowering plant with heart shaped leaves that often has a purple colour to it. Violets are generally found and grown in the Northern Hemisphere of the world, but can also be found in Hawaii and the Andes.
Violets are used in many countries and cultures as decorations to go on plates with food. They are also used in stuffing's for poultry and fish. You can actually eat this flower either raw or cooked, and you will often find the flavour of a Violet in a soufflé or desert.
In France they still pour hot syrup on Violets and mix them up until the syrup dries and the sugar crystallizes over the Violet. These are used for decorating or as a special treat in an aromatic dessert.
The Violet is February's Birth Flower
Zircon - Zircon is a naturally occurring gemstone, and should not be confused with Cubic Zirconia. It is interesting because it occurs in many varying forms and is found in many parts of the world. Applying heat to Zircon can change it’s colour which is how Blue Zircon is created.
The name Zircon either derives from the Arabic word zarqun, meaning vermilion, or from the Persian zargun, meaning golden-coloured. These words are corrupted into "jargoon", a term applied to light-coloured zircons.
Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon.
Zircon has long played a supporting role to more well known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable.
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