Birthstone

A birthstone is a gemstone that is associated with one of the twelve months of the year. Each month has one or more birthstones that people use to signify the month of their birth. For example, the emerald is the birthstone for the month of May. Many individuals like to wear jewelry featuring their birthstone or a loved one’s birthstone.

The idea of using gemstones to represent the month of one’s birth is similar to folklore, and some cultures and groups recognize slightly different birthstones for some months. However, organizations such as the American Gem Society keep a list of the birthstones for each month. People have worn gemstones for thousands of years, in part because they believe gemstones have mystical powers. Even in contemporary times, some people still believe gemstones, including birthstones, retain a spiritual significance. This is part of the reason birthstones remain popular. In fact, birthstones have increased in popularity with Millennial and Gen Z generations, who began a trend of working them into engagement and wedding rings. Birthstones were increasingly incorporated into contemporary jewelry styles as well.

Background

Birthstones are gemstones that are associated with particular months of the year. Gemstones are unique and prized for their appearance. Many are brightly colored. Some gemstones, such as diamonds, can be cut into shapes to make them look especially bright and shiny. Gemstones form under the ground. Some form from magma that cools and hardens. Others form from heat and pressure that change rocks into different stones.

Overview

The origins of birthstones go back into ancient history. In the Bible, a warrior named Aaron has a breastplate adorned with twelve different gemstones. The stones on the breastplate most likely represented twelve tribes mentioned in the Bible. Nevertheless, the first-century historian Josephus made a connection between the twelve stones and the signs of the zodiac. Because of Josephus’s assumption, people began wearing the stones at different times of the year. They believed a particular gem gained mystical powers at a certain time during the year. The idea of wearing a gem during a particular month eventually evolved into the gem representing that month.

Most lists of birthstones are similar, but some differ slightly. This list includes the most common birthstones:

• Garnet is often listed as January’s birthstone. Garnet is a deep red stone. The word garnet comes from the Latin garanatus, which means “seedlike” because garnet looks similar to pomegranate seeds. According to lore, garnet is supposed to keep the blood and heart healthy.
• Amethyst is the birthstone for February. Amethyst is purple quartz that is found in many parts of the world. Lore says that this gem promotes peace and inner strength.
• Aquamarine is one of March’s birthstones. Aquamarine gets its name for its light blue-green color, which is similar to ocean water.
• Bloodstone is a second March birthstone. This gem is green, and some types have red streaks or dots in them. The red is formed by iron oxide. Bloodstone can be transparent or opaque. Bloodstone is believed to be good for people’s health.
• Diamond, one of the best-known gemstones, is April’s birthstone. Although the most popular color of diamond is white, which is clear, yellow, blue, and pink diamonds exist. Diamond’s structure makes it one of the strongest materials in the world.
• Emerald is May’s birthstone. Emerald is known for its bright green color. It is a type of beryl stone, which is the same type of stone as aquamarine. Emeralds are found in many parts of the world and range in color from light green to deep blue-green.
• Pearl is one of June’s birthstones. Pearls are unique because they are the only type of gem that is made by living organisms, as they grow inside mollusks. Natural-growing pearls are very rare today, and many pearls are farmed.
• Alexandrite is a more modern choice for June’s birthstone. People first discovered this gemstone in the 1800s in Russia, and the gem gets its name from Czar Alexander II. This gem has the unique ability to seemingly change colors. Under certain lights, the gem appears green.
• Moonstone is another gem used as June’s birthstone. It gets its name because a Roman historian said that the stone’s appearance changes with the phases of the moon. Moonstone has a number of colors, including yellow, gray, green, and blue.
• Ruby is July’s birthstone. It is a red stone that people have been wearing for thousands of years. Rubies and sapphires are both corundum stones.
• Peridot is one of August’s birthstones. It is known for its bright green color. Peridot is found in a number of places around the world. This stone has even been found in some meteorites. Peridot is thought to have healing powers and protect against evil and nightmares.
• Sardonyx is another of August’s birthstones. The color of the stone ranges from yellow-red to red-brown. People used to wear the stone because they thought it would help them communicate clearly.
• Spinel is another of the August birthstones. Spinel exists in many colors and is known for its bright hues. Scientists have found that a number of stones that were thought to be rubies or sapphires were actually spinel.
• Sapphire is September’s birthstone. Sapphire is popularly thought of as blue, but the stone can be found in other colors, including green, purple, and pink. According to lore, sapphires can protect from evil.
• Tourmaline is one of October’s birthstones. Tourmaline forms in a number of colors, and some tourmaline is even multicolored. Tourmaline can be found in many places on Earth, but it is difficult to locate brightly colored, gem-quality tourmaline.
• Opal is the traditional October birthstone. Opal is shiny and multicolored. Opal is thought of as having protective powers. People also used to think it helped sharpen eyesight.
• Citrine is a yellow stone that serves as one of November’s birthstones. Some citrine starts as purple amethyst but changes to yellow because of heat under the Earth’s surface.
• Topaz is another November birthstone. People used to think that topaz was all yellow, but now they realize it has many colors, including blue and pink. Topaz is thought to protect hearing and help promote clarity of thought.
• Turquoise is a blue-green gemstone that serves as December’s birthstone. Turquoise is one of the most valuable opaque gemstones. The stone forms in various colors, but bright blue-green is the most valuable. Turquoise has held an important role in many cultures, including the Aztec civilization. Blue zircon and tanzanite have also been indicated as December birthstones.

Bibliography

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