Birthstone Chart
January Garnet
The gemstone Garnet is the official birthstone for January. It is also the birthstone for the Zodiac sign Aquarius. Garnet may be given as a gem on the 2nd and 6th wedding anniversary.
Garnet occurs in every color except blue. Garnets are formed when high temperature and/ or pressure is a factor and geologist often use garnets as a gauge of temperature and pressure present during their formation. Garnets powers include healing, strength and protection and it is often worn to relieve inflammations of the skin. It is also believed to regulate the heart and blood flow and aid in curing depression. In earlier times, garnets were exchanged as gifts between friends to demonstrate their affection for each other and to insure that they meet again.
Rhodolite Garnet: Rhodolite is a red variety less common than its related type, pyrope garnet. It is a mixed crystal of almandine and pyrope and is of a wonderful velvety red color with a fine violet or raspberry-red hue.
February Amethyst
Amethyst is the official birthstone for February. It is also the birthstone for the Zodiac sign of Pisces. Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member of the quartz family. It must be purple to be amethyst, but it can display a range of color including deep purple to lavender. Top quality amethyst is deep medium purple with rose colored flashes. It's purple color made it the stone of royalty for many thousands of years. Amethyst is an ancient name derived from the Greek amethystos, meaning not drunken as it was believed to protect those who wore it from drunkenness. It is thought to be helpful in overcoming addiction. It has been used for healing disorders, insomnia, headaches and other pain.
March Aquamarine The gemstone Aquamarine is the modern birthstone for March. It is also the birthstone for the Zodiac sign of Scorpio. Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family and ranges in color from almost colorless pale blue to blue-green or teal. It gets its name from Latin words meaning water and sea. Since early times, aquamarine has been believed to endow the wearer with foresight, courage and happiness. It is said to increase intelligence and make one youthful. As a healing stone, it is said to be effective as a treatment for anxiety and in the Middle Ages it was thought that aquamarine would reduce the effects of poisons. A legend says that sailors wore aquamarine gemstones to keep them safe and prevent seasickness.
April Diamond
By far the most precious and desirable of the birthstones, diamonds are created deep within the earth where there is enough intense heat and pressure for carbon to crystallize. Diamonds are the number one choice for engagement rings. The diamond also symbolizes the 10th and 60th years of marriage. Diamonds are so gorgeous that ancient Greeks thought they were splinters of stars that had fallen to earth. Some even said that there were tears of the Gods. The precise origin of diamonds is a mystery to scientists and geologists. India is thought of as having the first large source of diamond mining. Ancient Hindus called the diamond Vajra, meaning lightening because of the sparks of light that it emits as well as its incredible strength. By far the most pleasing stone on the globe, it is also known as the hardest substance in the world. For quite some time diamonds have been known for having certain curative properties. In the middle ages gemstones were thought to cure illness if the patient took the diamond in their bed with them. It is said that Cupid's arrows were tipped in diamonds so it makes sense that over the years this beautiful stone has gotten a reputation as being the gift of love. Diamonds used to be reserved for only royalty and others who were allowed their symbolism of might and courage. In 1477 Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy and set a tradition of diamond engagement rings. Placing the ring on the third finger of the left hand dates back to the early Egyptian belief that the Vena Amors, vein of love, runs directly from the heart to the tip of the third finger Giving a diamond for any purpose is sure to be appreciated.
May Emerald
Emerald is the traditional birthstone for May. This gem is suggested as the anniversary gift for the 20th or 35th anniversaries and as an alternate stone for the 55th wedding anniversary. Emerald is the name given to the green variety of beryl. The name Emerald is derived from the French esmeraude and the Greek root smaragdos which means green gemstone. Top quality emeralds are a deep grass green with a slightly bluish cast. Emeralds are found in many countries, but Columbia is recognized as the source for the finest stones. Stones of fine color are among the most highly valued gemstones and their price may equal or exceed that of diamonds. Emeralds are brittle stones and care should be taken when wearing and cleaning them. They should never be immersed in an ultrasonic or subjected to steam cleaning. Emerald were used as amulets to ward off epilepsy in children and thought to cure diseases of the eye. Folklore suggests that these stones will improve memory, intelligence and enhance clairvoyance thus helping to predict future events. They are also worn to enhance love and contentment. Cleopatra prized emerald above all other gems.
June Pearl or Alexandrite  
June counts three gems as birthstones - Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone. Pearls is also the birthstone for the Sun Signs of Gemini and Cancer. Fresh water pearls are given on the 1st wedding anniversary. Pearls are also given on the 3rd, 12th and 30th anniversaries. A Pearl is formed when some sort of small object, typically a parasite, bit of sand or piece of organic matter, becomes embedded in the tissue of an oyster or mollusk. In response, the mantle tissue of the mollusk secretes a lustrous substance called nacre, a combination of crystalline and organic substances. As the nacre builds up in layers, it surrounds the irritant and eventually forms a pearl. This process of building a solid pearl can take up to seven or eight years. Cultured pearls, by contrast, are those in which humans take a helping hand. By actually inserting a foreign object into the tissue of an oyster or mollusk, pearl farmers can induce the creation of a pearl. The same natural process of pearl creation takes place. Today more than 99% of all pearls sold worldwide are cultured pearls. Pearls vary in color from white to those with a hint of color, often pink, to brown or black. Each coloration will depend on the type of mollusk and the water where the mollusk lived. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to extreme heat, acids, dryness, and humidity. Care should be taken when storing them. Pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, to quicken the laws of karma and to cement engagements and love relationships. They are thought to keep children safe. Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought. Ancient legend says that pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods and the Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying.
Alexandrite: A relatively modern gem, Alexandrite, was first discovered in Russia in 1831 during the reign of its namesake, Czar Alexander II, and is an extremely rare chrysoberyl with chameleon-like qualities. Its color is a lovely green in both daylight and fluorescent light; it changes color to a purplish red in incandescent light. Due to its rarity, some jewelers stock synthetic versions of this enchanting gemstone. (Synthetic gemstones are man-made alternatives to the natural material, possessing the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as the natural gemstone.)
Moonstone: Moonstone is one of the modern June birthstones and an accepted gem for the 13th wedding anniversary. Moonstone belongs to the large mineral family of feldspars. It is an opalescent stone which can range from colorless to blue, peach, green, pink, yellow, brown or gray with a silvery sheen. This iridescence is called adularescence. Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. Rainbow moonstone is milky white with a rainbow colored sheen. Moonstone was used in jewelry by the Romans who believed that the stone was formed from the light of the moon. Moonstone is considered a sacred stone in India. It is believed to bring good fortune, to enhance passion, and balance the yin and yang and is said to protect women and children. In early times, it was believed that one could see the future if the stone was held in the mouth during a full moon. According to legend, moonstone will ensure abundant crops.
July Ruby
Ruby is the official birthstone for the month of July. Ruby is given at the gem for the 40th wedding anniversary. Ruby is the most valuable variety of corumdum. Ruby varies in color from pink red to brown red. Rubies with the finest color come from Myanmar (formerly Burma). The ruby is one of the hardest stones in nature, second only to the diamond. Very good quality rubies are rare and fetch exceptionally high prices. Good quality stones of at least 2 carats are still quite valuable. The name Ruby is from the Latin rubeur meaning red. In Sanskrit it was called ratnaraj meaning king of precious stones. Legend has it that a ruby instills health, wealth, wisdom and success in love. The ruby is considered a stone of power and passion. It is supposed to bestow energy and willpower. The alchemists adopted the "perfect ruby" as a symbol of the philosopher's stone or elixir of life.
August Peridot
Peridot is the official birthstone for the month of August . It is also the stone for the Zodiac sign of Libra. Peridot may be given as a gem on the 16th wedding anniversary. 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 comes 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. Gem quality peridot is rather rare. The largest cut peridot is a 310 carat in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C It's been mined as a gemstone for thousands of years, and is mentioned in the Bible under the name of Chrysolite. Legend says that peridot was one of the favorite gemstones of Cleopatra and that some of the "emeralds" worn by her were actually peridot. It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, peace, and success, Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. The advantages of peridot are to attract love and calm anger while also soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions.
September Sapphire
Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September. Sapphire is given as a gem for the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversaries while a star sapphire is given on the 65th wedding anniversary. Sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral. Blue is by far the most popular color for sapphires, but they can be almost any color, including yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple. Padparadscha is the name for a rare orange-pink variety of sapphire and has a higher value than blue sapphires. Heating colorless and very pale blue sapphires to high temperatures is done to give them an intense blue color This treatment can also improve the clarity of the stones by removing tiny inclusions. Its powers include spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. Sapphire is believed to offer healing properties for rheumatism, colic, and mental illness. It is also considered an antidepressant and an aid to psychokinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance and astral projection.
Star Sapphire: Sapphires with inclusions of tiny needles exhibit an optical property called asterism. This is the star shaped effect seen in star sapphires and is usually only seen in cabochon cuts. Star sapphires usually have six ray stars, but twelve ray stars are also known. Rarely, when sapphires are cut en cabochon, they can demonstrate a cat's eye effect. This effect displays a thin band of light down the center of the stone and is known as chatoyancy.
October Opal or Tourmaline
Opal is the modern October birthstone and the accepted gem for the 13th wedding anniversary. The name opal is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit upala, meaning precious stone and later the Greek derivative opallios meaning to see a change of color. Moving the stone causes light to diffract, or split, as it grazes the opal surface. This light diffusion shows iridescent flashes of green, blue, aqua and sometimes yellowish or red colors which are referred to as "fire The opals used in ancient times came from the former Czechoslovakia. The Romans prized opals greatly and used them widely for jewelry. They called the opal the queen of gems because it embodied the colors of all the other gems. Legend tells that opal aids inner beauty, faithfulness, hope, purity and love. The Romans believed it had power to cure one from disease, disorders of the eye and in later times blond women used to wear opal earrings and hair ornaments, believing it would keep their hair from going gray. The crown of the Holy Roman Emporer contained a striking opal called Orphanus. Described as though pure white snow flashed and sparkled with the color of bright ruddy wine, and was overcome by this radiance, this opal was said to guard the imperial honor. A legend also tells a story of how Napoleon gave Josephine a brilliant Opal with red sparkles that he called the burning of Troy, asking her to become his Helen.
Black Opal: In 1877, an amazing black opal was found in South Wales, Australia. These black opals took the world by storm. Australia is in fact, still the principal source of black and white opals.
The name Tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) word tura mali which translates as the stone of mixed colors. Tourmaline is available in a wide variety of colors. Some stones are dichroic meaning they appear to change color when viewed from different angles.The most expensive tourmalines are the blue, green and pink . Ancient legend says that tourmaline is found in all colors because it traveled along a rainbow and gathered all the rainbow's colors. Tourmaline is believed to strengthen the body and spirit. It is also thought to inspire creativity and was used extensively as a tailsman by artists and writers.
November Topaz or Citrine
Topaz is the birthstone of November (yellow topaz) and December (blue topaz), it is a talisman for the sign of Sagittarius and the suggested anniversary gemstone for the 4th, 19th or 23rd year of marriage. The name topaz comes from the Sanskrit and means fire. Topaz occurs in a wide range of colors including red, orange, peach, pink, gold, yellow, brown and clear and is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Russia. Naturally pale to medium blue topaz is enhanced by irradiation to produce a more intense blue color. Red and pink topaz gems were used in the jewelry of the 18th and 19th Century Russian Czarinas and is why topaz is sometimes called "Imperial Topaz". During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. The Greeks believed it had power to increase strength and to make its wearer invisible while the Romans believed it had power to improve eyesight. The Egyptians wore it as an amulet to protect them from injury. The most famous topaz is actually a colorless topaz that was originally thought to be a diamond. It is a 1680 carat stone known as the "Braganza Diamond" set in the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Another beautiful topaz is in the Green Vault in Dresden which has one of the world's most important gem collections. Although topaz is a very hard gemstone, an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, it can be split with a single blow and should be protected from hard knocks.
The gemstone Citrine is a variety of quartz ranging in colors of yellow to reddish brown.. It is the Planetary stone for the sun sign of Virgo and the accepted gem for the 13th and 17th wedding anniversary. Citrine is believed to help the heart, kidney, digestive tract, liver and muscles. It promotes creativity, helps personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.
December Blue Topaz or Turquoise
Blue Topaz is the birthstone for December, the talisman for the sign of Sagittarius and the suggested anniversary gemstone for the 4th, 19th or 23rd year of marriage. The name topaz comes from the Sanskrit and means fire. Topaz occurs in a wide range of colors including red, orange, peach, pink, gold, yellow, brown, blue and clear and is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Russia. Naturally pale to medium blue topaz is enhanced by irradiation to produce a more intense blue color. Red and pink topaz gems were used in the jewelry of the 18th and 19th Century Russian Czarinas and is why topaz is sometimes called "Imperial Topaz". During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. The Greeks believed it had power to increase strength and to make its wearer invisible while the Romans believed it had power to improve eyesight. The Egyptians wore it as an amulet to protect them from injury. The most famous topaz is actually a colorless topaz that was originally thought to be a diamond. It is a 1680 carat stone known as the "Braganza Diamond" set in the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Although topaz is a very hard gemstone, an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, it can be split with a single blow and should be protected from hard knocks.
Turquoise is the one of the birthstones for the month of December and the Planetary stone for Aquarius, Taurus and Sagittarius. The name turquoise is related to the fact that is was brought to Europe from the Eastern Mediterranean by Levantine traders, more commonly known as Turks. The color is, of course, turquoise, but its range of color varies from green and greenish blue to sky blue shades. For centuries, the most valuable turquoise came from Iran (Persia) but today some specimens mined in the southwestern United States compete with it. The name "Persian Turquoise" is now generally used to refer to any turquoise stone that does not have the black or brown veining commonly found in turquoise mined in the United States and used in a style of jewelry created by the American Indians. Turquoise is often dyed and stabilized with resins to produce a harder stone which retains its color and polish. Pure turquoise is a relatively soft stone ranging between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Turquoise attracts money, success and love. Its powers include protection, healing, courage, friendship, and luck. Turquoise relaxes the mind and eases mental tension. Its been used as a valuable ornament for ages and was used by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. The Aztecs mined turquoise in an area now known as New Mexico and a significant amount of turquoise comes from Arizona, California and Nevada in the United States. Turquoise is sacred to many Native American's and was carved in the shape of animals and birds. These carvings were placed in the Indians tombs to attract beneficial spirits and to guard the dead. Turquoise was also used by medicine men for healing and by warriors who fixed turquoise to the end of their bows to insure accurate shots.
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