With Christmas almost upon us, many people will be busy seeking out some beautiful Christmas gifts, although the wisest move will be to have already done so in order to ensure the items desired will have been found before everything sells out.
That same principle may be applied to another great occasion for buying necklaces, earrings and especially rings - Valentine’s Day.
Of course, a ring on that date generally means something of exceptional significance, but there are many other times some love can be shown in a big way, not least with love heart jewellery.
The beautiful red gems included in such jewellery can come in many forms. The most obvious and one of the most precious red stones is a ruby, but it is one of 23 possibilities. Indeed, a red diamond is even rarer and thus very expensive.
Alternatives include many red gems many folk will have heard of, such as Garnet (which resembles a ruby), red Jasper (which is opaque) or red beryl. Less familiar kinds include Spinel, Carnelian, Rhodochrosite and Rubellite, the latter being the red version of Tourmalin coloured by Manganese.
All of these offer a genuinely red colour, but if you are more interested in pink or purple, there are many alternatives. Amethyst is the obvious purple choice, but pink options include Rose Quartz, Pink Sapphire, a pink Tourmaline, pink Rhodochrosite or pink Spinel.
As can be seen from this list, many are in the red category too, which is down to the levels of mineral colourisation being greater in the red stones.
Of course, you could go for heart gemstones in different colours, especially if you are picking her favourite hue. Just remember that when choosing a colour, you may have many more options for the actual gem itself than the most costly and familiar types around.