December is for Tanzanite + Turquoise: 18 Color Stories

December birthstones include tanzanite, turquoise, and zircon — very much a blue-dominated gem selection! Tanzanite is an interesting gem as it noted for its deep, saturated blue to violet hues, which can come naturally or from heating a gem, and unheated tanzanite stones can run murky green-brown to warmer purple.

Mellan was a December baby (born on Christmas Eve, actually), and after he passed, I decided to incorporate his birthstone–tanzanite–into a pendant necklace I was already leaning towards making (using my previous engagement ring diamond). I wanted to have a crescent moon with a mix of sapphires offset and subtly connected to give the illusion of stars in the sky.

The featured image is of the finished piece, and the tanzanite stone is the largest, more oval-shaped gem that flashes blue-violet, which is illuminated by a band of diamonds (to represent Mellan now up in the stars). The other colored gemstones are all various shades of sapphire, which complement my updated wedding ring set (done in sapphire, which is my birthstone, and one of the first gifts hubby, then-boyfriend, gave me was a sapphire bracelet).

Both pieces were designed in collaboration with Lauryn Volovar at Earth’s Treasury, and both were excellent experiences (in case there’s confusion, this is not sponsored and both pieces of jewelry were paid for by me). I know when I last mentioned the pendant, a few readers asked for more information on it, so… here you go

About This Series

Each look idea is centered around a “quad” of four shades with the expectation that one might bring in the appropriate brow bone or additional transitional shade based on skin tone. Consider these ideas a jumping off point with four “core” colors that can inspire your next look. For reference, based on how I usually apply makeup, I would consider applying the shades in this order: inner lid, middle of lid, outer lid/crease, and crease/above crease or lid.