- January – Garnet :-
The Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and is considered to represent faith, loyalty, truth and devotion. It is also known as the stone of friendship and commitment. Throughout ancient history, the garnet was highly prized because it was believed it would protect the wearer from accidents, as well as from a wide range of illnesses. It was also believed to protect from evil and increase creativity.
The Garnet is available in a wide range of colors, from red to bright orange, to green and purple or gold. It is believed that the name of this particular gemstone was chosen due its similarity with the pomegranate, in both shape and color. Garnet is derived from Latin, which means pomegranate.
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February – Amethyst:-
The Amethyst is an affordable gemstone that is quite popular due to its strong purple color. It is February’s birthstone and a member of the quartz family.
In history, it was believed that the amethyst could protect the wearer from becoming drunk, which is where its name stems from. Amethyst is derived from the Greek word for ‘not intoxicated.’ In fact, the Greeks and Romans would drink from goblets carved from amethyst to avoid becoming intoxicated.
The stone was also believed to improve intelligence, eliminate evil thoughts, protect from poisoning and even bring peace of mind to the wearer.
- March – Aquamarine :-
March’s birthstone, the aquamarine, is also known as the gem of the sea. It’s name is derived from the Latin word for seawater, so named due to its color. Legends claim that aquamarines were the treasure of mermaids and could keep sailors safe at sea.
It was also believed to cure ailments such as headaches and insomnia. It supposedly also improved intelligence, helped couples repair their relationships by smoothing out conflicts and attract new friends.
Aquamarines are members of the beryl family and are quite hard and durable. They also contain few inclusions and their color can range from dark to light blue with slight shades of green.
- April – Diamond :-
The diamond is probably one of the most popular gemstones and it signifies love, purity, faith and success. It is one of the most coveted gems because it is the hardest gemstone on earth. It is used in jewelry as well as industrial applications such as cutting glass and other materials.
Even though diamonds come with a variety of underlying hues, their value increases the whiter they are. These popular gemstones are also available in various shades of red, pink, blue, green and yellow, to name a few. The value of a colored diamond depends greatly on the rarity of that color.
The value of a diamond is determined by the 4 Cs which are cut, color, clarity and carats.
- May – Emerald :-
The emerald, May’s birthstone is a highly prized gem that is a member of the beryl family. Its name is derived from the Latin for “green”. They range in color from dark to light green and the more vivid and pure the color, the more valuable the stone is.
In the ancient world, the emerald was considered a symbol of eternal hope, the arrival of spring and rebirth. It was also consider to bring love, as well as improve intelligence and eloquence.
The emerald is a traditional gift for couples for their 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.
- June – Pearl :-
Unlike other gemstones, June’s birthstone is the result of the defense process of a shellfish. When an organic irritant, such as a parasite or a piece of coral becomes lodged inside a mollusk, it covers the irritant with a substance that is crystalline in structure known as nacre.
A pearl can take anywhere from a few months to a decade to form and naturally occurring pearls are quite rare and expensive. These highly prized gems are now farmed and most pearls on the market today are the product of farming.
Pearls are symbols for many things from virtue, to purity, wisdom and romance. In ancient culture they were considered to be a symbol of wealth and status and were also believed to have many healing properties.
- July – Ruby :-
July’s birthstone, the ruby, has inspired many legends and myths and was favored by the royalty the world over. It’s rich red color has been a symbol of love and passion since ancient times.
The ruby also symbolizes courage and bravery and has been used as protection against disaster and danger. It was also believed to also help staunch bleeding and to heal many other ailments.
The ruby is the second hardest gemstone after diamonds and its chemical composition makes it a sister to the sapphire. Rubies are the perfect gift for couples celebrating their 15th and 40th wedding anniversaries.
- August – Peridot :-
The peridot is the birthstone for August and has a lime hue. It is a very popular gem that is fairly affordable. Peridot was considered to ward off evil spirits, enchantments and nightmares and was used to treat various sicknesses such as asthma.
Due to its beautiful green color it has become a popular choice instead of the more expensive emeralds. As the peridot often contains substantial inclusions, clarity is a highly important factor when purchasing peridot.
The peridot is a soft gemstone which means that it should be handled with care as it scratches easily. For this reason, it usually is not used as the main stone in a ring as it can’t handle the rough treatment.
- September – Sapphire :-
The sapphire is considered to be the ultimate blue gemstone and its value stems both from its rarity as well as its durability. It is the second hardest gemstone, after diamonds, and is part of the corundum family, like the ruby. Its name is derived from the Latin for blue, “sapphiru.”
September’s birthstone is a symbol for faith, enduring commitment and remembrance. It is considered to be a sacred stone as tradition states that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on tablets made of sapphire.
Despite the fact that sapphires are traditionally associated with the color blue, they are also available in other fancy colors from pink to peach and violet or green. The only color that is not included in this palette is red as then it would be a ruby.
- October – Opal :-
The opal is a stone made of tightly packed sand and water. Opals come in a variety of colors depending on the size of the spheres of sand. The more colors an opal features and the more impressive the play or shift in spectrum of colors, the more valuable the stone is. Dark opals are more prized than lighter ones that are of the same quality.
The opal was highly prized throughout history due to the many mystical powers it was believed to contain. It has been considered to be able to do everything from warding off lightning and preventing the wearer’s hair from turning gray, to aiding the heart and kidneys as well as protecting against infection.
Opals are very delicate gems and need to be handled with a lot care.
- November – Citrine :-
November’s birthstone is one of the most affordable gemstones due to its availability. It is a type of quartz that features a wide range of yellow hues, from gold to lemon and stray, to sun yellow. Its name is derived from the French term for lemon.
Ancient cultures believed citrine could protect them from snake venom and evil thoughts and was also thought to provide mental balance to the wearer.
Citrine is quite durable and with a moderate hardness that makes it ideal for every day wear. However, most citrine gemstones available today have been subjected to heat treatments for improved color, therefore they should not be subjected to strong light or heat for extended periods of time.
- December - Blue Topaz :-
Blue topaz is a highly popular gemstone as it is quite affordable and has excellent clarity and durability. While it is readily available, this shade of blue is rarely found in nature, meaning that most topaz gems have been treated to obtain this particular hue.
The topaz is a gemstone that was believed to have the largest number of healing properties as it could dispel enchantment, improve eyesight, increase strength and even make the wearer invisible if there was an emergency. It was also thought to cure insomnia, asthma, ensure fidelity and even bring friendship.
When buying topaz you need to be careful and verify that you are indeed buying this gemstone as many stones considered to be topaz are nothing more than colored quartz. They are highly delicate and should be handled with extreme care.
