Jade has always been my favorite gemstone – its natural color, smooth texture, and timeless character – it keeps drawing me back to it. I especially enjoy making my own bracelets using jade/ jadeite because I get to choose the stones, colors, and combinations that match my personal style.
Aside from jade, two other gemstones that I equally love are citrine and rutilated quartz. Citrine’s warm golden color gives it such a cheerful and vibrant look, while rutilated quartz fascinates me because of the beautiful golden threads naturally formed inside the crystal. Every piece looks slightly different, which makes collecting and designing with them even more interesting.
One of the places I enjoy visiting when I’m around Villalobos Street is Jeanette’s Stone, a gemstone store owned by a Filipino-Chinese gemstone merchant. It’s one of those places where you can spend quite a bit of time browsing through different stones, checking their colors and patterns, and imagining what you can create with them.
What I appreciate most about buying gemstones from a store like this is being able to see the stones personally.You can examine the texture, clarity, color, and natural inclusions before deciding what to take home, and feel it’s authenticity.
For someone who enjoys gemstones, Villalobos is definitely an interesting place to explore. There are plenty of unique finds, and discovering a beautiful stone among countless others is always satisfying.
Jade, citrine, and rutilated quartz will always have a special place in my collection—and I’m sure there will be many more gemstones to discover along the way. ✨
