I personally don’t believe in symbolic of Birthday gift which traditionally associated with a certain quality of the gemstones that symbolizes the month of birth in the Gregorian calendar. But I found many interesting history behind it and why they are used as birthstones and I like to share it with you.
There are many set of different birthstones used throughout the history and in different culture but in 1912, American national association of jewelers, adopted below list to standardize it and now the list is widely used not only in America, but also in many countries including Australia, Indonesia and Thailand .
January = Garnet (Alternate: Rose Quartz)
February = Amethyst (Alternate: Onyx)
March = Aquamarine (Alternate: Red Jasper / Bloodstone)
April = Diamond (Alternate: Rock Crystal / Quartz)
May = Emerald (Alternate: Chrysoprase)
June = Pearl (Alternate: Alexandrite / Moonstone)
July = Ruby (Alternate: Jade/Carnelian)
August = Peridot (Alternate: Alventurine / Sardonyx / Sapphire)
September = Sapphire (Alternate: Lapis Lazuli)
October = Opal (Alternate: Pink Tourmaline)
November = Yellow Topaz (Alternate: Citrine / Turquoise)
December = Turquoise (Alternate: Lapis Lazuli / Tanzanite )
January – Garnet
The name "garnet" comes from the Latin granatus ("grain"), to refer to the Punica granatum ("pomegranate"), a plant with red seeds similar in shape, size, and color to some garnet crystals.
Garnet is a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnets are most often seen in red, but are available in a wide variety of colors spanning the entire spectrum.
Pure crystals of garnet are used as gemstones. Garnet sand is a good abrasive and a common replacement for silica sand in sand blasting. Mixed with very high pressure water, garnet is used to cut steel and other materials in water jets.
February – AmethystAmethyst is a violet or purple variety of quartz often used as an ornament. The name comes from the Greek a ("not") and methuskein ("to intoxicate"), and can be translated as not drunken. The name itself imply to the belief that the stone will protect its owner from drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it.
There are 2 versions of legend behind the origin of this gemstone.
Version 1, when a drunken Dionysus was pursuing a maiden called Amethystos, who refused his affections, she prayed to the gods to remain chaste. The goddess Artemis granted the prayer, transforming her into a white stone; humbled by Amethystos' desire to remain chaste, Dionysus poured wine over the stone she had become as an offering, dying the crystals purple.
Version 2, Dionysius, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today."
March – Aquamarine
Aquamarine (Lat. aqua marinā, "water of the sea") is a gemstone-quality transparent variety of beryl, having a delicate blue or turquoise color, suggestive of the tint of seawater. It's closely related to the gem emerald. Colors vary and yellow beryl, called heliodor; rose pink beryl, morganite; and white beryl, goshenite are known.
People in the Middle Ages thought that aquamarine could magically overcome the effects of poison. Ancient sailors traveled with aquamarine crystals, believing that it would ensure a safe passage, and often slept with the stones under their pillow to ensure sound sleep. They believed the siren’s or mermaid fish-like lower body was made of aquamarine.
April – Diamond
The name “diamond” derives from the ancient Greek adamas (“invincible”). They have been treasured as gemstones since their use as religious icons in India at least 2,500 years ago— and usage in drill bits and engarving tools also dates to early human history.
Popularity of diamonds has risen since the 19th century because of increased supply, improved cutting and polishing techniques, growth in the world economy, and innovative and successful advertising campaigns. They are commonly judged by the “four Cs”: carat, clarity, color, and cut.
The earliest written reference can be found in the Buddhist text, the Anguttara Nikaya, and another sanskrit text, the Arthashastra, which was completed around 296 BCE and describes diamond's hardness, luster, and dispersion. Diamonds quickly became associated with divinity, being used to decorate religious icons, and were believed to bring good fortune to those who carried them. Ownership was restricted among various castes by color, with only kings being allowed to own all colors of diamond.
In Western culture, diamonds are the traditional emblem of fearlessness and virtue, but have also often associated with power, wealth, crime and misfortune. Today, diamonds are used to symbolize eternity and love, being often seen adorning engagement rings and sometimes wedding rings as well.
May – Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes irons. It is highly prized as a gemstone and by weight is the most valuable gemstone in the world, although it is often made less so by inclusions, which all emeralds have to some degree.
Most emeralds are oiled as part of the post lapidary process. The amount of oil entering an emerald micro fissure is roughly equivalent to the size of a period (full stop) in print.
Emeralds come in many shades of green and bluish green. There is a wide spectrum of clarity, along with various numbers of inclusions. Most emeralds are highly included, so it is quite rare to find an emerald with only minor inclusions. Because of the usual inclusions, the toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor.
June – Pearl
A pearl is a hard, rounded object produced by certain animals, primarily mollusks such as oysters. Pearls can be used in jewelry and also crushed in cosmetics or paint formulations. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewelry.
The largest pearl ever found so far, came from the Philippines in 1934. It weighed 14 lbs (6.36 kgs) when it was discovered by an anonymous Muslim Filipino diver off the island of Palawan. Later, a Palawan chieftain gave the pearl to Wilbur Dowell Cobb in 1936 as gift for having saved the life of his son. It was first called the Pearl of Allah and is now officially named the Pearl of Lao-Tzu.
July – Ruby
The name of Ruby came from Latin ruber for red. The red color is caused mainly by chromium. Rubies can vary from a light pink to a blood red, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide).
Natural rubies are exceptionally rare, but synthetic rubies (sometimes called created ruby) can be manufactured fairly cheaply. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. It is considered one of the four precious gems, together with the sapphire, the emerald and the diamond.
Ruby is associated with the Sun in vedic astrology and symbolizes passionate love.
August – Peridot
Peridot (pronounced "pair-uh-doe") is the gem quality variety of forsteritic olivine. The name of the gemstone is believed to come from either the Arabic word faridat meaning "gem" or the French word peritot meaning "unclear."
Peridot is one of the few gemstones that come in only one color. The depth of green depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure, and varies from yellow-green to olive to brownish green. Peridot is also often referred to as "poor man's emerald".
The largest cut peridot is a 310 carat (62 g) specimen in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C... The peridot is believed will bring its wearer success, peace, and good luck
September – Sapphire
The name of Sapphire derives from Hebrew “sapir” and representing the tribe of Issachar.
Although blue is considered the normal color for sapphire, it is found in the full range of spectral colors as well as brown, colorless, grey and black.
Any sapphire other than blue or fully saturated red (ruby) is considered a fancy color sapphire. Sapphire includes any gemstone quality varieties of the mineral corundum except the fully saturated red variety, which is instead known as ruby.
October – Opal
The word opal comes from the Sanskrit upala, the Greek opallios, and the Latin opalus, meaning "precious stone." Opals are also Australia's National gemstone.
Opal is a mineraloid gel which is deposited at relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, and basalt.
Opal is one of the mineraloids that can form or replace fossils. The resulting fossils, though not of any extra scientific interest, appeal to collectors.
November – Yellow Topaz
The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek topazos, "to seek ," which was the name of an island in the Red Sea that was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be a yellowish olivine) was mined in ancient times. In the Middle Ages the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but now the name is only properly applied to the silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with chemical formula.
The biggest topaz crystal ever found - named "El Dorado" - was found in Brazil in 1984. It weighs 6.2 kg and belongs to the British Royal Collection.
December – Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market, some difficult to detect
even by experts.
Being a phosphate mineral, turquoise is inherently fragile and sensitive to solvents; perfume and other cosmetics will attack the finish and may alter the colour of turquoise gems, as will skin oils, as will most commercial jewelry cleaning fluids.
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may also discolour or dehydrate turquoise. Care should therefore be taken when wearing such jewels: cosmetics, including sunscreen and hairspray, should be applied before putting on turquoise jewellery, and they should not be worn to a beach or other sun-bathed environment.
After use, turquoise should be gently cleaned with a soft cloth to avoid a build up of residue, and should be stored in its own box to avoid scratching by harder gems. Also, make sure the box is not airtight, or the turquoise will become ruined.
Editor’s Rating: *** ( 3 / 5 stars )
