Birthstones: Which one are you and what does it mean?

Birth stones are stones associated with each person's month of birth. Each month has a different stone associated with it, with certain essential qualities and characteristics.

In theory, we have twelve birthstones, although there are several lists or types of "birth" stones. People usually classify them as traditional and modern, but most often than not, these categories don't change a lot about their properties.

The origins of this tradition come from the Bible, where they relate the representation of twelve tribes with precious stones. In the first century after Christ, the twelve zodiacal signs were associated with precious stones.

In the present time, we see how the months of birth can dictate the way we behave and function. That's the main thesis behind the powers of birthstones: each one gives us special benefits depending on our birth date.

How are birthstones useful?

Birthstones have multiple uses according to several legends and opinions. The most concrete and known use is as jewelry; women use precious stones as part of their jewelry. We have the diamond used in their rings, either engagement or not, the sapphire in a necklace, among others.

Other beliefs affirm that each jewel represents and bridles the opportunity to develop an ethical principle. An example is a loyalty represented by the amethyst of February; its use makes people more loyal. Each crystal represents a human quality, and its implementation helps the person to develop it.

Another legend states that each gem has different healing powers, but they have them in different periods. Each gemstone has healing powers in the month it represents; outside of this, it's a common stone. Some stones work in the corporal healing, others in the spiritual one and others in the sentimental one.

In this last two, it's thought that having the twelve stones with you gives you the maximum benefit.

What's the best way to use birthstones?

The benefits of birthstones are clear. Now, the question is how to carry them with you all the time. Taking the gemstone alone is a danger. You run the risk of misplacing it or feeling uncomfortable if the stone is too big.

The question is: how can you take it with you most of the time while minimizing the risk of loss?

For women, they can use it as part of a standard jewelry accessory. For example, a necklace may have a sapphire or earrings made of pearl or garnet. You can use precious stones as a form of decoration apart from the advantages of daily use.

Another way to use one is in plates or artifacts with precious stones embedded in them. There are objects such as watches with some of the stones that make up the birthstone list. You can use them daily, and with this, you have the positive effects of the stones without bringing anything additional.

Another form is representative jewelry, such as rings or graduation necklaces. Each quality has a precious stone assigned to it, and you can take advantage of your birth stones for better performance.

Birthstones Properties

Depending on traditions or culture, birthstones have unique features and benefits in the month they represent. Among those advantages, we can find healing effects and even help to improve our personality. In other cultures, they attract good luck and fortune, each in different aspects.

In healing properties, each stone has the benefit of helping in some aspect of health in the month they represent. For example, the sapphire can help you to heal some ailment in September, as per the traditional listing. The stones may vary depending on the list; for instance, in the zodiac, sapphire helps Taurus (April - May).

For personal development, according to legends and mythology, they are the source of a positive ethical principle. For example, the ruby of July is a source of courage for the users of this gem. Another example is the amethyst: a representation of friendship and trust between people.

The benefits vary according to the list that one takes into consideration; in this case, we only take into account the traditional version.

What's Your Birthstone?

The birthstone, as mentioned above, represents a specific month of birth. Currently, there are several lists - each one with different stones for each month of the year. In this case, although there are many, we will focus on the best known traditional and zodiacal lists.

The traditional list is based on a person's birth date and assigns a jewel to the month in question. The zodiacal list maps to a precious stone having the date range that involves the zodiacal entity. Let's see the characteristics of each month according to these two lists, and the advantages of each stone.

January

For January, the birthstone is the garnet: a stone of an intense color of great visual value. The stone represents trust and friendship between people as a strong unbreakable bond. The garnet is a precious gem that does not break easily. It has an intense reddish color that's often associated with friendship and affection.

In the zodiacal term, the garnet is associated with Aquarius (Jan.21 - Feb. 21). The garnet, contrary to widespread knowledge, not only comes in reddish color but also other colors such as green, light purple, and others.

The garnet, the jewel of January, is a trendy jewel since the ancient Egyptians, and it remains so today. Many companies distribute these jewels not only as an accessory but as a birthstone. The most popular are Distinctive Gold Jewellery, Gem Rock Auctions, Onecklace, Diamonds Rock, The Goods, Wixon jewelers, GIA, American Gem Society, and the IGS.

February

For February we have amethyst, a precious stone with a popular purple color, although there are other variations with a different color. Amethyst has several meanings, but one of the most outstanding is the loyalty and courage to be faithful to your convictions. Another quality it represents is determination and perseverance when acting with passion.

Amethyst is the jewel of the zodiac sign Pisces (Feb.21 - Mar. 21). As the stone of February, it's tied to an ancient Roman god called Bachuss, the god of wine and celebration. The deity mentioned was associated with the gem, and it's the reason why February is seen as the month with the highest consumption of alcoholic beverages.

You can find the amethyst in different jewelry stores as the Distinctive Gold Jewellery, where you will see it embedded their products. You can find them in brooches, rings, bracelets, and necklaces, in different sizes and shades of purple. If you want to see an exhibition, you can find it in the Distinctive Gold Jewellery, Gem Rock Auctions, Onecklace, and Diamonds Rock.

March

In March, we can find many precious stones, but the best known is the aquamarine. The aquamarine, as a crystalline bluestone, represents a clean and crystal clear soul like spring water. In the sea, it works as a protective force for sailors who undergo active maritime adventures.

According to the zodiacal listing, this stone does not represent any zodiacal sign. Ironically, the main reason that this stone is associated with March is that the Pisces meet in this month. The sign of Pisces comes symbolized with a fish, and that's why sailors associate aquamarine with protection at sea.

The aquamarine has a single color: a light blue of a tone that's similar to the sea. Aquamarine is treated by jewelers as The Goods, Wixon Jewelers and Jewels For Me, and transformed into something else. Examples are brooches and necklaces with amethyst incrustations, as well as rings with this type of stones on top. Jewels with these stones are costly.

April

For April, we have the hardest and most valuable gemstone of all, and it is the diamond. It is the most valuable and a jewel on the planet. The gemstone mentioned represents invincibility and derives from its derivation from the greek Adamas, which means unbreakable.

The diamond is a stone that also represents the patience to pass a complicated process of formation. The reason is simple, to form a diamond, the carbon that is below the tectonic layers of the earth subject to high pressures. The pressures of the earth layer are what transforms the weak carbon into an indestructible diamond.

The diamond is the most famous jewel on the market, especially for women. The diamond is in different jewellery stores, the most popular is in an engagement ring, as a symbol of the permanent bond.

You will be able to find other jewels such as necklaces and bracelets, which you can buy in the pieces of jewellery in GIA, American Gem Society and the IGS.

May

In May, we find the emerald in the traditional list for birthstones. The emerald is a precious stone of intense green colour and a considerable value depending on the cut it sports.

The gem represents life, rebirth, flowering and growth for the person, intellectually and spiritually.

The emerald also represents people of the cancer sign on the zodiac list (June 21 - July 22). The reason the emerald is the birthstone of May is because of its color and representation. The month of May is known to be the beginning of spring, a month of flowering and the emergence of new life and growth.

Emerald alone often doesn't have a high value; however, jewelers often polish gems to repair imperfections and scuffs. They prepare them for either graduation rings or decorative accessories. In the stores Distinctive Gold Jewellery, Gem Rock Auctions, GemSociety, and Diamonds Rock, you will find a great variety of these elements.

June

The month of June is one of the unique and rare months. The reason is that they have more than one gem - in this case, the pearl and Alexandrite. Over many debates between the traditional and modern list, it was decided to include the gem of each in the month. The Alexandrite is for its adaptation to the environment and the pearl symbolizes purity and innocence.

The Alexandrite is a very peculiar stone since it changes color when the light impacts it in a certain way. Others call it the chameleon stone because it has a similar quality to this animal. The pearl is the only precious stone that comes from a living being, and it results when oysters or mussels cover foreign bodies that enter their shells.

The jewelers process the Alexandrite, according to the desired cut, until it is clean. The pearls don't require treatment; they only need to be taken by someone and implemented for jewelry. The most outstanding accessories of both stones are the necklaces, which you can see in The Goods, Wixon Jewelers, Jewels For Me, GIA, American Gem Society, and the IGS.

July

For July, we have another red gem: the color of passion, and that is the ruby. The gemstone symbolizes the goodness and health, both physical and spiritual, of people. The ruby is one of the hardest stones, which is also subjected to intense pressures for its generation.

The reason that the ruby is the July Birthstone splits into two. The first is for its high utilization and the second for its representation of good health, love, and spirituality. The ruby is a stone that's known and sought all around the world, and virtually everyone knows its value.

The value of the jewel can vary depending on the accessory in which it embeds and the colour of the stone. In the case of an opaque and lifeless red color, the value decreases, but if it is intense and alive, its worth increases considerably. Jewelry stores such as Distinctive Gold Jewellery, make necklaces and earrings of great value with these gems.

August

August is the month of the peridot: a natural green gem and symbol of body healing. In some cultures, it's called the earthly treasure, and in others, the extraterrestrial masterpiece. The reason is because of the theories about how they were found on earth. The first says that they come to the surface through volcanic eruptions.

The second theory dictates that gems did not come out of a volcano, but fell from a meteorite years ago. Whether terrestrial or extraterrestrial, this gem has excellent value; it differs from the emerald by the tonality. The peridot is lime green in color, much lighter green than an emerald.

The value of the jewel, like all volcanic gems, depends on the type of process performed after extraction—the less scratched, the higher its price on the market. Jewelry stores have different ways to market them; they're common to see in necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, crowns, among others.

September

Sapphire is the precious stone that represents people born in September in the traditional Birthstone list. The gem mentioned is known to be the protector of lovers, making that feeling indestructible. It is a benefit associated with the durability of the sapphire, being one of the most resistant gems on the market.

The sapphire is known as a dark blue stone or violet-blue. In history, its use dates back to biblical events before Christ. The scriptures of the Ten Commandments developed by Moses were made from a stone inlaid with sapphire. The stone is used by royalty as a decorative ornament and representation of their power.

Sapphire, as a precious stone, has a different value, depending on the type of cut. It is a stone that crafters can use in jewelry such as rings, pendants, bracelets and inlaid artifacts such as watches.

You can find these artifacts in jewelry stores like Distinctive Gold Jewellery, Gem Rock Auctions, Onecklace, Diamonds Rock and the International Gem Society (IGS).

October

October is the month of the luckiest people, protected by a couple of stones. The birthstones of this month are the and the tourmaline, in a diversity of colours that they offer us. Opal is the representation of the protection from external dark forces and the preservation of human physical characteristics.

Opal can come in different colors, although the most popular is pink. We can also find red, orange, yellow, white and black.

This unique birthstone comes in different colors, usually in the colors of the rainbow, and with the mixture of three of them. It is a very eye-catching gemstone that many see as the cosmos and infinite energy. The gem is known for its healing power both for physical health and on an emotional level—more specifically: the nervous system.

One can see the two stones in presentations different from one another. In the case of Opal, it's common in necklaces and hair clips. In the case of tourmaline, it's easier to see them in rings and earrings.

November

November is the month of yellow and calm, and the birthstones that represent these two elements are the citrine and topaz. Both gems are known for their yellow color, although other colors can also make up these stones.

The citrine generates traces of irons that form quartz crystals. This stone is also very popular in anger management therapies.

Topaz is known for its yellow color, although there are currently different versions of it. We can find them in red, pink, yellow, orange, among others. Some collect these stones as a way of protection and to soothe their heart. It is a precious stone that is used to calm the emotions and your general state.

The economic value of the stones is lower than amethyst, emerald or sapphire. Although in jewelry, it is common to combine them in inlays to increase their value and add more attractiveness to the accessory. In Distinctive Gold Jewellery, we can see a series of inlays that even combine both gems.

December

If we said that November was the yellow month, then December is the blue month for the jewels that represent it. Tanzania, turquoise and blue zirconium are the birthstones of December. The reason is simple: because it is the month of new beginnings, for planning the goals and dreams of the new year.

The stones have protective properties at a mental and spiritual level, used by emperors and regents in medieval times. Legend has it that the gems gave their owners wisdom, mental clarity, serenity and good judgment—the qualities that every leader must have to guide his people.

These stones can be found in different natural environments, and each can be placed in jewellery. Turquoise is popular in earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Tanzania and zirconium are also used in the manufacture of such jewellery. They're popular thanks to their high durability.