Do you know your month's birthstone?

A traditional month birth stone can prove to be the perfect celebratory gift. Ever since the First Century people have given particular gemstones for each of the 12 months of the Gregorian calendar. Birthstones are both an historic and a personal way of giving good luck.

As gemstones have particular properties associated with them, they make an extra special gift.

 Many people select jewellery such as rings, pendants etc to house their birthstone. Others buy for themselves, or others.

The birthstone itself seems to originate from Biblical times. Wikipedia mentions a reference to The Breastplate of Aaron Exodus 39:10-14 referred to in Exodus 39:10-14:

10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a beryl.
11 In the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald.
12 In the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst.
13 In the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and jasper and jasper. They were mounted in gold filigree settings.
14 There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

The precise list of birthstones however can be found in Revelation 21:19-20 where the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem are listed, in the order of the Roman calendar:

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, emerald.
20 The fifth, sardonyyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

There have been many different sets of birthstones used throughout history and in different cultures. The most commonly accepted standardized version was adopted in 1912 by the American national association of jewelers. As in other traditional charts, some modern alternatives are accepted as a less expensive substitute for a cut stone.

This is the known birthstone of the month chart:

Garnet - January
February - Amethyst
March  - Aquamarine
April - Diamond
May - Emerald
June - Pearl, Moonstone
July -  Ruby
August -  Peridot
September - Sapphire
October - Opal, Tourmaline
November  - Citrine, Yellow Topaz
December - Turquoise Blue Topaz, Tanzanite

Traditional birthstones can prove to be memorable and lasting gifts offering precious qualities, along with birthday greetings.

birth stone by month month birth stone
Written by Geraldine Jozefiak
Craft Expert and Demonstrator

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