Colored Gems, from the beginning of mankind, achieved an extensive use as talismans, amulets, future predictors, healing aids and important components to many religious practices worldwide.

Birthstones are gems associated with each month and are believed to bring luck to people born in that month. Some say birthstones originated from the 12-jeweled breastplate worn by Aaron, the brother of Moses. Birthstones have evolved over years and this is an outline of the modern birthstones that jewelers use.

January Birthstone: Garnet
The stone Garnet, so called by the ancient Greeks because my color reminded them of the pomegranate seed, comes in many different colors. Its roots as a gemstone trace back to the Nile Delta in 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisans would craft them into beads or inlay them into hand-wrought jewelry.

The versatile Garnet comes in virtually a rainbow of colors, from the deep red Bohemian Garnet to the vibrant greens of the Russian Demantoid and African Tsavorite. The oranges and browns come from Namibia and Sri Lanka.

Some believe that Noah hung a large garnet in the ark for light. It reportedly also gives its wearer guidance in the night, protection from nightmares, and according to the Egyptians, is an antidote for snakebites and food poisoning.

February Birthstone: Amethyst
Amethyst is a purple gemstone that color ranges from light to dark purple. It is the official birth stone for February. Its sister form, Citrine, is golden and derived from the French word for lemon; it is an alternate birth stone for November. It is a rare event, but sometimes Amethyst and Citrine are combined and form Ametrine.

The Greeks believed that it prevented intoxication when worn. Amethyst was said to have a sobering effect on the wearer when it comes to love’s passion as well. It has symbolized peace, protection and tranquility. Because royalty has always adored the color purple, amethysts are widely used in the ornaments of ancient Greeks and Egyptians, and in the British Crown Jewel.

Brazil is the primary source for these stones; however, they are also found in other places including Zambia, where the highest quality stones come from. Amethyst has been a popular stone throughout history with purple being a symbol for royalty.

March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Aquamarines are found in a range of blues including pale blue, blue-green, and deep dark blue. Aquamarine is the traditional birthstone for the month of March and its name is derived from the Latin word for “sea-water” because of the many different shades of blue they come in. Often, they are the symbols for youth, hope, health, and fidelity.

Aquamarines are found in many different countries around the world including: Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, and Pakistan. However; nowadays most of the gems come from mines in Brazil. All too often, Aquamarines are confused with Topaz which come in similar shapes and colors, but Aquamarines are much more scarce, making them much more valuable. Also, it has become common practice to treat these gems to make them more appealing. This treatment involves heating the stones to transform the green tint to a darker blue tint.

In ancient times, the stone was said to aid those at sea. Dreams about the gem signify the making of new friends and wearing aquamarine earrings brings love and affection. It also symbolizes youth, hope and health. Aquamarines are said to protect sailors while they are at sea. They were also worn to prevent seasickness and other types of stomach ailments.

April Birthstone: Diamond
The diamond has long been known for its beauty and strength, and has worked its way up the ranks in gemstones. Still to this day, diamonds are the most famous, popular, and the hardest of all the stones. Ancient Greeks believed that whoever wore this gem would be filled with joy, love, and purity. Ancient Romans thought that whoever wore a diamond on his/her left arm would become more brave and daring. Diamonds symbolize devotion and purity, and this may be why they are most popular pick for wedding bands. During the Middle Ages Queen Elizabeth I was encouraged to wear a diamond in order to fend off the Plague, unfortunately for her, this didn’t work.

The name “diamond” comes from the Greek word “adamas” meaning unconquerable-suggesting the eternity of love. Because of this diamonds are traditionally used in engagement rings. Diamonds were discovered more than 2,000 years ago in India. Most diamonds are colorless, but they can be found with a strong, bright color-green, red, pink, blue, canary yellow and amber. These “fancy” colored diamonds are very rare.

May Birthstone: Emerald
Emeralds have been considered a gem by many different civilizations dating back to nearly 4000 years ago. This green stone was popular among the Egyptians and it is said that Cleopatra fancied them enough to start her own personal collection. The name was derived from the Greek word smaragdos meaning “green stone.” Believed by the ancients to empower the wearer with insight into the future, the Emerald symbolizes youth, rebirth, and immortality. In astrology, Taurus gains loyalty and improves memory if in the presence of an emerald.

According to legend, wearing an emerald cured illnesses such as low I.Q., poor eyesight and infertility. It also enabled the wearer to predict the future.

June Birthstone: Pearls
Pearls were so cherished by man that as the sources of natural Pearls became exhausted, he learned to cultivate them by implanting an irritant into an oyster. Today, cultured Pearls are grown and harvested in many parts of the world including the fresh waters of the Tennessee River. The majority of cultured Pearls come from Japan, China and the South Pacific. Cultured Pearls come in many beautiful colors, from palest creme and white to rose, lilac, green, gold, gray, and the dramatic Tahitian black. Cultured Pearls come in many shapes and sizes, and can be acquired in both graduated and uniform strands. June birthdays and third and thirtieth anniversaries are celebrated with the gift of Pearls.

No one will ever know who were the earliest people to collect and wear pearls. However, since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection. It is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most valuable. A fragment of the oldest known pearl jewelry, found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC, is displayed in the Louvre in Paris. To the ancients, pearls were a symbol of the moon and had magical powers. In classical Rome, only persons above a certain rank were allowed to wear pearl jewelry. The Latin word for pearl literally means “unique”, attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical. Old Arabian legend says that I was formed when dewdrops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters.

July Birthstone: Ruby
Many people associate its brilliant crimson colors with passion and love, making Ruby an ideal choice for an engagement ring. Ruby is the red variety of the corundum mineral species, while all other colors of corundum are called Sapphire.

Ruby is mined throughout Southeast Asia. While Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) produce exquisite examples of this gemstone that the ancient Singhalese people called “Ratnaraj,” the King of Gems. This most sought after gemstone is available in a range of red hues, from purplish and bluish red to orangish red.

Rubies are believed to protect their owners. Some thought its protective powers were intensified when set in jewelry, and worn on the left side.

August Birthstone: Peridot
Peridot is always a popular gemstone and when it is bright, clean and well cut, it is especially brilliant. Peridot is being mined in Arizona, China, Burma, and Pakistan. Peridot is tough enough to be used for almost any kind of jewelry. It is also available in almost any size and shape. Peridot is a popular gift for sixteenth wedding anniversaries.

Peridot is a gem that has been connected to superstition throughout the ages. Associated with the sun, peridot is believed to have the power to break evil spells and dispel the mysteries of the dark. Some think that peridot wards off nightmares. During the Middle Ages, people wore peridot to gain foresight and divine inspiration. The Gem of the Sun was thought to dissolve enchantments. When pierced and worn around left arm, it drove away evil spirits. Peridot was held to cure liver disease and dropsy. And it relieved the wearer of envy. Peridot, held under the tongue, lessened thirst during fever.

September Birthstone: Sapphire
Sapphire, the celestial gemstone, has been treasured for thousands of years. The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. Sapphire is found in all the colors of the heavens: from midnight blue to the bright blue of noon sky in the Mediterranean, golden sunrise to fiery reddish-orange sunsets, and the delicate violet of twilight. The most famous and valuable sapphires are a rich intense blue, a truly royal hue.

Sapphire has long symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. Tradition holds that Moses was given the Ten Commandments on tablets of sapphire, making it the most sacred gemstone. Because sapphires represent divine favor, they were the gemstone of choice for kings and high priests. The British Crown Jewels are full of large blue sapphires, the symbol of pure and wise rulers.

Marriage partners put great faith in the stone believing that if its luster dimmed, a spouse had been unfaithful. Sapphire refused to shine when worn by the impure of heart. According to lore, ancient priests and sorcerers honored sapphire above all gems. The stone allowed them to tell the future.

October Birthstone: Opal
Opal is a non-crystalline form of the mineral silica which, despite its amorphous structure, displays an amazing degree of internal organization. Opal is related to its more commonly found but highly crystalline cousins quartz and agate, and is formed from amorphous “balls” or lumps” of silica rather that from ordered, naturally faceted crystals.

Most opal is more than 60 million years old and generally dates back to the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

It is found near the earth’s surface in areas where ancient geothermal hot springs once flowed. The minerals bubbled up from beneath the surface of the earth and slowly, over the centuries, lined the walls of cracks, vents and underground cavities in the bedrock. Most opal is found where geothermal hot springs dried up during seasonal periods of rainfall and extended dry periods.

The story of opal in Australia begins more than million years ago when the deserts of central Australia were a great inland sea, with silica-laden sediment deposited around its shoreline. After the sea receded and disappeared to become the great Artesian basin, weathering 30 million years ago released a lot of the silica into a solution, which filled, cracks in the rocks, layers in clay, and even some fossils. Some of the silica became precious opal. Opal is one of the few gemstones that is sedimentary in origin. The water in opal is a remnant of that ancient sea.

The most striking quality of opal is its ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light. In fact, the term “opalescence” was coined to describe this phenomenon. The size and spacing of the amorphous spheres of silica within the stone refracts specific wavelengths of light; each sphere refracting a single, pure spectral color much like the individual microscopic droplets of water in a rainbow. The interplay of these pure wavelengths of light gives opal its unique visual appeal, and makes it one of the most sought-after gemstones in the world.

It has been described as “made up of the glories of the most precious gems… the gentler fire of the ruby, the rich purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, glittering together...”. Some believe the opal represents hope, innocence and purity through the ages.

November Birthstone: Topaz
Topaz is found in Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Africa and China. It comes in an array of colors from red, orange, peach, pink, gold and yellow. The brilliant blue Topaz is a shade found rarely in Nature. However, when enhanced to this lovely blue color, it is in great demand due to its affordability and availability in a wide range of sizes and shapes.

The name “topaz” is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word tapas meaning fire. However, more likely, it probably derived its name from the Island of Topazos, in the Red Sea. In ancient times, a figure of a falcon was carved on a Topaz was thought to help acquire the goodwill of kings, princes and magnates. The Greeks felt Topaz gave them strength and relieved ailments, even death. Topaz, meaning fire, is said to make its wearer invisible in time of emergency. It proved the loyalty of associates by changing color in the presence of poison.

December Birthstone: Zircon
Zircon is known for its distinctive beauty in a wide variety of colors. Zircon is a relatively hard stone with a hardness of 7.5. Because it has such a high refractive index, zircon can be one of the most brilliant of all gemstones.

Zircon is mined in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia, Australia, Brazil, and France. The gemstone’s fire and brilliance can rival that of any gemstone, and its affordability, coupled with its vibrant colors of greens, blues and pleasing earth tones, contribute to its growing popularity today.

Zircon is a natural stone - not to be confused with Cubic Zirconia, which is manmade. It is known as a colorless stone used to imitate diamonds but also comes in: blue, yellow, orange, red, brown and green.

Tag: BirthStones