Birthstones

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 have many colours; they also have many names: almandine, andradite, demantoid, grossularite, hessonite, pyrope, rhodolite, tsavorith, spessartine, and uvarovite, to name a few. Garnets in any color have a warm, sunbathed hue and deep rich color prized by jewelers. You can find many vintage and antique pieces of jewelry that include cascades of garnet, cut small and set close together to create a moving cascade of deep red hue. (I always wished my birthstone was garnet, rather than ruby!)

February: The birthstone for February is the amethyst. This beautiful, deep-purple gem is an extravagance in shades of violet. Historically, the amethyst is esteemed as the stone of friendship.

The color of amethysts can be affected by sunlight and therefore should not be worn for extended periods of time in the sun or around UV light sources (such as tanning beds).

March: Your birthstone is aquamarine, a stone with a color range from the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the ocean. The color ranges are predominantly light blue. It was considered special in ancient times because it was the color of the sky and the color of the ocean and therefore eternal. According to legend, it originates from the treasure chests of mermaids.

April: Diamonds are the gemstone for April. The word "diamond" is derived from the Greek word for "impossible to tame." If you're looking for something a little bit different for your gemstone, choose a colored diamond.

May: Color you green! Your gemstone is the emerald. Emeralds have been held in high esteem since ancient times. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. The oldest known finds of emerald were once made near the Red Sea, in Egypt.

June: Moonstone, or alexandrite, is for you. Moonstone gets its name from a mysterious shimmer that always looks different when the stone is moved and is known in the trade as 'adularescence' - felt to look like the moon in the night sky. It is said that wearing moonstone strengthens intuition and capacity to understand. The great French master goldsmith, Lalique, used a large number of moonstones in his creations.

Moonstones are not very hard (as measured on the Mohs scale) and therefore should be handled with care. However, minor flaws that occur with wearing over time can eliminated by having a jeweler repolish the stone to restore that mystical shimmer.

July: Love, vivacity, passion and power are represented in your gemstone, the ruby. In the world of gemstones, the ruby is the undisputed ruler. It is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities. Inclusions are accepted in rubies; in fact, they establish its authenticity (manufactured stones have no inclusions).

The red of ruby is warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this gemstone: fire and blood. Like no other gemstone, the ruby expresses powerful feelings.

August: What better gemstone to represent the height of summer at its fullest promise, on the brink of the harvest months, than the vivid green with a slight hint of gold that is peridot. The peridot is one of the few gemstones which come in one colour only.

This ancient gemstone can be found in jewelry dating as far back as the 2nd millennium B.C. Large, transparent stones of an intense colour are rare and correspondingly expensive.

September: The beautiful sapphire, with its many colors, is your birthstone. Blue is the main color of sapphires and the one we think of first. If you choose a birthstone, it will most likely be the deep blue of the evening sky. Sapphires are prized for their remarkable and clear colors. Constancy and durability are qualities associated with this gemstone.

October: The opal, or tourmaline, is your birthstone. All of nature's splendor seems to reside in these magnificent stones, making them an excellent representation for October. Almost 95% of all opals come from the dry and remote outback of Australia. These stones seem to light with fire or flash the colors of the peacock. They should be worn often: as opals contain water and may dry out, they require humidity from the air and the skin of the wearer.

November: Topaz, or citrine, marks your birth month. The topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. They come in beautiful, warm colors that include yellow, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, flax, brown, green, blue, light blue, red and pink; the most common color is yellow. In ancient times, it was believed to dispel anger and sadness, and to protect its wearer from poisons and sudden death.

December: What better way to end the calendar year than with turquoise, a beautiful gemstone that goes back to ancient times. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune or a talisman. Native Americans believed that this stone opened a direct connection between the sky and the sea. Also known as blue topaz or tanzanite, turquoise is a relatively soft gemstone and should be protected from cosmetics, heat and bright light.