From the same family as Rubies, Sapphires can actually present in a variety of colors, most notably the vibrant blue they are famous for. Rare richly hued Sapphires from Kashmir set the standard for color desire, however the most famous Sapphire is the Royal Blue from Kate Middleton and Princess Diana's engagement ring.

For years, Sapphires have symbolized truth, nobility, sincerity, and faithfulness, adorning the robes of clergy and nobles alike for centuries, and was said to protect their owners from envy and harm. Its name comes from the Greek sappheiros, which probably at that time referred to Lapis Lazuli. 

Presenting in a variety of colors, Sapphires are the perfect stone for many occasions. Sapphires are rated as a 9 on the Mohs scale, making them perfect for every day wear. Although they are not indestructible, they are durable and can stand the test of time with proper care. 

Presenting in rich green hues, Peridot is the perfect stone to represent the splendor of August. The Egyptian's called Peridot "the gem of the sun," and mined it on Zabargad, an Island in the Red Sea. Some Peridot, however, is even older than the Egyptians; it has been found in pallasite meteorites, leftovers from the birth of our solar system.

Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral olivine, and is found in peridotite rock in the Earth's upper mantle most regularly in volcanic rock. Magnesium and Iron are part of Peridot's chemical composition, but it is the Iron that gives Peridot it's attractive hue. At a 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, Peridot is reliable for everyday wear. It can fracture and chip over time without proper care. 

 The word "Peridot" comes from the Arabic "faridat," meaning "gem." When the Egyptians were mining Peridot on Zabargad, legend tells that the Island was infested with snakes, making mining difficult, until a pharoah drove them into the sea. Until proper identification was possible, Peridot was often confused with other stones, most notably Topaz. 

Part of the "Precious Stone" family, Ruby is July's astounding birthstone. Renowned for its deep color, "Pigeon Blood" is the traditional term for the most sought-after color. In Sanskrit, Ruby is translated to ratnaraj, meaning the king of gems.

Associated with our most intense emotions, red commonly symbolizes love, anger, passion, power, and desire. Rubies were believed to hold the power of life because of its similarity to the color of blood. Ancient Hindus believed that if Rubies were offered to the god Krishna, they would be reborn as Emperors. 

 Ruby is the most valuable variety (commanding the highest price per carat) from the corundum family, which also includes Sapphire. Trace elements within corundum are what add hue to an otherwise colorless stone; the presence of chromium creates orangy red to a purplish red. 

While resting at a 9 on the Mohs Scale, Rubies are very durable, making them relatively ideal for every day wear, but without proper care, they are still subject to breakage. In 2012, a 6.02 carat Ruby Ring sold at auction for $551,000 per carat, setting a new record for the sale of colored stones.

Summer is here. There are so many fun things to do around the U.P. in the summer, but not all of them are jewelry friendly. You should consider taking your jewelry off while doing the following activities:

Chlorinated Pools

A dip in the pool is so refreshing on a hot day! But did you know that chlorine reacts with most metals and can cause corrosion a pitting? This can lead to chains breaking and prongs dissolving. It will also eat way any plating, including rhodium and lacquer, which will discolor your piece. Below is a ring we had to rebuild because it spent about 20 minutes in a hot tub.

Hiking, Camping, Rock Climbing, etc.

Although diamonds are extremely hard, they have a fracture point. If you are out in the woods and hit your ring against a rock at the correct angle, it could crack or possibly even shatter. You could also bend your prongs or scratch a softer stone. Although it’s tempting, when out in the woods, it’s best to not wear jewelry.

The Beach

Spending a warm day soaking up the sun on the shores of Lake Superior sounds like the perfect summer day. Although it’s tempting to accessorize your beach style, stay away from any jewelry with prongs, especially jewelry with pave set diamonds. Sand can wear away the prongs, leading to losing your stone. Pictured is a ring worn while building a sandcastle at the beach. There were 8 diamonds missing and the sapphire and larger diamond wiggled when touched (see the video here).

Fishing

I love fishing. Being out in the boat, surrounded by water, is one of my favorite places to be. The only bad thing is, if your watch happens to come unclasped, your ring slides off your finger or your earring back pops off, your jewelry is going down to the bottom of the river, lake or stream. Now, I’ve heard stories of handy fishermen using underwater cameras to find jewelry that fell in, but this defiantly isn’t the way you want to spend your fishing trip.

These are just a few scenarios where you should really consider taking off your jewelry. We love working on jewelry, but hate to see preventable injuries coming into the shop. For more information on getting your jewelry fixed, visit our Repair page. 

Chris Wattsson is the co-owner and bench jeweler at Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers. Jewelry shown are actual pieces that have been fixed by our jewelers. Photos are published with customers' permission.