The holidays are coming up fast, which means gifts will need to be purchased for your close friends and family. If you aren’t sure of what to get your loved one, but they have a December birthday, one of the best and easiest gifts is jewelry with their birthstone in it! Gemstones can easily be incorporated into jewelry to create a variety of pieces, including simple earrings, a unique necklace or even a wide selection of rings.

The month of December actually has multiple birthstones, each offering a vibrant and beautiful shade of blue. These blue tones echo the winter wonderland found outdoors in the Midwest, but are also very wearable year-round. If you’re interested in getting your loved one a piece of jewelry in Sterling Heights, MI using their birthstone, read on to learn more about each one and how they are unique.

Blue topaz

Topaz naturally occurs in a variety of colors, spanning icy blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink and purple, and also can occur colorless. Colorless topaz is often heat-treated to produce a blue color, which is popular among consumers.

Topaz is one of the hardest minerals available, with only a few other minerals landing higher on the Mohs hardness scale. Topaz crystals are often elongated, which results in the gemstones being cut in more oval, elongated shapes. Blue topaz makes an excellent addition to a pendant or uniquely shaped ring.

Blue zircon

Zircon is a gemstone that occurs naturally in a wide variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue and brown. It is often found in more earthy tones like red or brown, but can be heat treated to produce a bright blue color.

Zircon is actually one of the oldest minerals on Earth, dating back 4.4 million years. Blue zircon, especially, was very popular during the Victorian period among the elites. Rings are a popular way to wear blue zircon, and have been for decades.

Tanzanite

Tanzanite is one of many varieties of the mineral zoisite, which can only be found in Tanzania. This brilliantly blue mineral was discovered in 1967 and has since become extremely popular, particularly among jewelry manufacturers and collectors.

The mineral naturally has blue and violet hues, but can also hold some brown hues, so the mineral is often treated to minimize the brown colors. The mineral is often used as a substitute for sapphire because of its color.

Unfortunately, tanzanite is easily scratched, so it is best used in earrings or pendants, rather than rings, to minimize general wear and tear.

Browse our birthstone jewelry in Sterling Heights, MI

For an excellent selection of jewelry that incorporates gemstones for December birthdays, visit Howard’s Fine Jewelry. For almost 70 years, we’ve been a premium retailer of fine jewelry in Sterling Heights, MI. We specialize in silver and gold pieces and engagement jewelry, but also offer a large selection of diamonds, watches, engagement rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings for both men and women.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? We also do custom jewelry! And, if you need to refurbish some old pieces, we offer repair and cleaning services. Visit us today and see how our selection can serve you this holiday season!