You may, at some point in your life, given or been given a piece of jewelry that included your birthstone. Different cultures around the world have different birthstone lists. Some also argue that the proper way to assign a birthstone is according to astrological sign, not month of birth.
For your enjoyment, the current list of birthstones generally accepted in the United States today.
January: Garnets come in more than one color; however, the beautiful, deep-red garnet is the color we generally accept as the birthstone for January. Not only do garnets …

Many will say that colored gemstones are the Cinderella of the world of jewels. Diamonds get the most attention – but colored gemstones are fascinating and beautiful and some are even more rare than diamonds. Although we’ve come to think of white diamonds as “traditional” for engagement ring stones, many will remember that Princess Diana’s engagement ring was a very large oval blue sapphire, surrounded by smaller white diamonds. It was different and memorable.
When people talk about “jewel tones,” they referring to the panoply of colors found in precious and …