South Africa is famous for its diamonds.
In fact, some of the most famous diamonds in the world were mined in South Africa.
What’s even more incredible is that the world’s largest diamond ever found, which remains unchallenged up until today, The Cullinan Diamond, was unearthed here.
After the large diamond was cut into 105 diamonds, two of the larger parts – named the Great Star of Africa (Cullinan1) and the Lesser Star of Africa (Cullinan 2) – are now set into the British Royal Crown.
Another one of our spectacular diamonds, which has recently come into the spotlight as celebrities such as Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have had the honour of wearing it, is the Tiffany Yellow Diamond.
The 82-faceted cushion-shaped Tifanny, which was found in Kimberley, is one of the largest fancy yellow diamonds ever discovered.
While these two magnificent diamonds are probably the most recognisable and have even found themselves in many movie plots, they are by no means the only ones.
Famous diamonds aside, our country remains one of the top 10 diamond-producing countries in the world.
While no precious stone is as highly sought-after and desired as a flawless diamond, it’s not the only gem found in South Africa.
There are many other breathtaking jewels found here but they don’t get as much attention and are therefore rarely desired.
We asked jeweller Kristin Weixelbaumer, the owner of Black Betty Design, about these unsung stones.
“Southern Africa contains a wealth of diverse rocks and minerals. Other beautiful gemstones one can get are aquamarine, garnet, topaz, tourmaline, amethyst, rose quartz, quartz and agate, to name a few,” said Weixelbaumer.
Whether it’s blue hue is as clear as a sparkling pool of water or as vibrant as the sky on a sunny day, the colour of the aquamarine stone makes it unique among all the other precious stones.
The jewel, which is referred to as the birthstone for the month of March, acquired its name from its colour, which of course can be compared to the colour of the ocean.
This would explain why ancient Romans believed that it could protect sea travellers and why it has historically been used as a symbol for youth and happiness.
On her wedding day, we saw Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge, wearing the late Princess Diana’s aquamarine cocktail ring, one of the princess’s most memorable jewellery pieces.
Commonly found in the Northern Cape, tourmalines are fascinating stones because they appear in a wide variety of colours as well as bi or tri-colour combinations. The colours vary from black to bluish-black and deep brown to more vibrant colours such as blue, green, red, yellow and even pink.
The watermelon tourmaline, which is most desired in jewellery, is green at one end and pink at the other, or green on the outside and pink inside.
Even though it is best known for its intense red hues, the garnet stone remains an underrated gemstone.
Described as “pomegranate seeds” it’s a durable stone that is scratch-resistant and hard enough to be used on jewellery for daily use. They are traditionally known as the birthstone for those born in January and are given as a gift of love and in celebration of a second wedding anniversary. This gem is associated with life force, blood, heart and inner fire.
These stones have been around for over 5 000 years, and because of their red hue are often confused with rubies.
According to Prins & Prins jewellers, Tiger’s Eye is another stone most commonly found in Northern Cape Province.
When polished, the silky gem creates a beautiful chatoyant effect of moving layers of brown and yellow lines as you move the stone. When a yellow tiger’s eye is heated it turns red, known as Bulls Eye‚ and when blueish grey it is called Hawk’s Eye.
Traditionally the tiger’s eye gemstone was carried as a protective amulet against the forces of evil. It was said to ward off curses and to keep the wearer safe from ill-wishes.
So while our diamonds are most certainly the most precious of all stones, the above-mentioned gemstones are a mere handful of other stones found in South Africa. These are the stones that add colour to what can be a rather dull collection of jewellery. These are the stones so often used to adorn royals yet not as highly praised.