Birthday Stones
Birthday (day of the week) stones
While this word has also been used as synonym of Birth stone, there is a separate list of assignment according to the day of the week of the recipient’s birth:
•Wednesday: amethyst, lodestone
•Thursday: sapphire, carnelian
Birthstone Colour By Culture
Birthstone description
JANUARY – GARNET
Garnets are found in nature in wide range of colours.The deep red is most popular. Garnet Jewellery is said to bring achievements, fidelity, chastity and is believed to keep its wearer in good health and to protect them while traveling. Garnets are found in the regions of Kenya, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Thailand, India, Canada, U.S.A., Madagascar, Czech Republic, and Spain.
Keywords: Regeneration, Vitality, Order;
FEBRUARY – AMETHYST
Amethysts are members of the quartz family. It is a meditative and calming stone and works to promote calm, balance, and peace. Amethyst is also used to eliminate impatience, to prevent drunkenness and to assist in getting rid of addictions. Not only a psychic protection stone, but is also used to protect from thieves. Generally it is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Zambia, Namibia, and other African countries.
Keywords: Psychic, Sobriety;
MARCH – AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine: The name comes from the Latin phrase meaning “Water of the Sea” because of its gorgeous blue to blue-green colour. The precious Gemstone is said to being courage, foresight, victory and confidence to its wearer. Aquamarine is also said to be a wonderful good luck stone. It is used metaphysically to dispel anger and fear.
Keywords: Courage, Inner Peace;
APRIL – DIAMOND
Diamond – symbol of everlasting love, romance and strength… The most wanted and durable of all the gemstones, diamonds have been cherished since ancient times for their brilliance. They are the hardest natural substance in the world and only a diamond can cut or scratch another. It’s perfect for blocking electromagnetic stress, protection against cell phone emanations and builds up stamina, strength and treating allergies and chronic conditions. Diamond effectively treats dizziness, clears sight and benefits the brain.
Keywords: Strength, Clarity, Truth;
MAY – EMERALD
The rich green Emerald. It represents luck, rebirth and success. Emerald is particularly precious to Ireland which is known as the Emerald Isle for is green fields and pastures. It brings and enhances harmony, joy, memory, and faith. It also benefits intellect, communication, decision making, and promotes truthfulness and honesty, seeing past the superficial.
Keywords: Love, enjoy life to fullest, prosperity;
JUNE – PEARL
The pearl has been cherished for thousands of years for its beauty and rarity. They are formed naturally as an oyster coats one piece of sand over another. The pearl exists in a variety of colours such as black and pink, though the white or cream pearl is most commonly recognised. Pearls are calming and centering. They give purity and promote faith, charity, and integrity, truth and loyalty.
Keywords: Purity, integrity, truth;
JULY – RUBY
The ruby is a high energy stone which is a type of sapphire. Adored since ancient times for its beauty, the precious gemstone is said to promote passion and a balance in love and spirituality. Ruby is the second hardest gemstone, after diamond. Ruby is a good divination tool. It is particularly used for divination related to helping to make decisions, set goals, and be motivated.
Keywords: Vitality, Prosperity, Courage, High Energy
AUGUST – PERIDOT
Peridot, a unique gemstone, is formed in volcanic fire. Depending on its origin, peridot will have various shades of green. Said to bring prosperity, fertility and healing, the peridot stone is hard enough to be suitable for everyday wear.
Peridot is used in crystal healing to lessen stress, especially in relationships, anger and jealousy, slow ageing, and heal ulcers and digestive problems. It also assists in finding what is lost.
Keywords: Renewal, harmony
SEPTEMBER – SAPPHIRE
Sapphire is mineral corundum and is known for its striking blue colour. However, because they are formed in nature, they come in an array of colours ranging from very light to very dark blue, yellow, brown, pink, violet, reddish orange, and bluish green. One of the most precious gemstones, some sapphires can be more valuable than diamonds. It is good for artists, because it can bring fulfilment of dreams and prosperity. Physically it is also used for hearing problems, cancer, insomnia, clinical depression, bleeding, blood vessels, hair loss, vision problems, viruses, back ache, nails, and skin problems.
Keywords: Creative Expression, Intuition, Hope
OCTOBER – OPAL
Opal is the most unusual and most colourful of all gemstones because of the myriad of colours it shows, meaning that no two opals are alike. Since ancient times, Kings have treasured this gemstone for its beautiful fiery shine. Mentally, opal is said to enhance memory. It is also used to decrease confusion. Opal brings love inspiration. Traditionally in crystal healing opal has been considered good for headaches, eyesight, Parkinson’s disease, blood, insulin regulation, PMS, and the immune system.
Keywords: inspiration
NOVEMBER – CITRINE
Citrine stones are variety of quartz. Citrine is a joyful stone with bright energy which lights up many aspects of lives of those who work with it. It has energies of good fortune and good luck, though these may appear in unexpected ways. Traditionally, it was supposed to protect the wearer against evil words and thoughts. Since citrine brings self-confidence as well as positive energy. It is happy stone.
Keywords: Success, Abundance, Personal Power
DECEMBER – BLUE TOPAZ, TANZANITE
Topaz comes in vary colours, including light blue, pink, yellow, red and green. The December birthstone is a bright blue form of topaz and brings its wearer protection and leadership ability. It also enhances and improves psychic knowledge, spiritual growth, and psychic insight. Topaz is a powerful stone in the way that quartz is. It is a balancing and calming stone that balances emotions, releases tension, balances emotions, and can bring joy.
* Please note that healing crystal meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
HISTORY ABOUT BIRTHSTONES
The first century Jewish historian Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Translations and interpretations of the passage in Exodus regarding the breastplate have varied widely, however, with Josephus himself giving two different lists for the twelve stones.
In the 8th and 9th century, religious treaties associating a particular stone with an apostle were written because the book of Revelation stated “their name would be inscribed on the Foundation Stones, and his virtue”. Practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month. Wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old.
Traditional birthstones
Ancient traditional birthstones are society-based birthstones. The table below contains many stones which are popular choices.
The Gregorian calendar has poems matching each month with its birthstone. These are traditional stones of English-speaking societies.
Modern birthstones
In 1912, in an effort to standardise birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewellers met in Kansas and officially adopted a list, where later 1952 list has been updated agin by American Council.
Britain’s National Association of Goldsmiths created their own standardised list of birthstones in 1937
People hold various beliefs about birthstones. Some people believe jewellery sets with birthstones merely commemorate the month of their birth, but other people ascribe spiritual, curative, or even mystical properties to the gems contained in birthstone jewellery. Originally using that for medicinal benefit, invoking specific traits, and plentiful other reasons, and evolving to characterise and enhance powers of zodiac signs.
Note that some months display more than one birthstone. At various times, the high prices and reduced availability of particular birthstones rendered birthstone jewelry for those gems’ months impractical or inaccessible for the budget of the average person. To compensate, jewellers occasionally needed to find a different, though aesthetically similar, stone to assign to a month with a difficult to obtain birthstone. Months that contain multiple birthstones give people an alternate choice if they do not like one stone assigned to their month. When purchasing a birthstone jewelry set as a gift for another person whose birth month offers a choice, confirm if that person prefers one gem over another gem. Occasionally, a person will feel no affinity for the birthstone or birthstones assigned to the month he or she was born. If this is the case, consider choosing birthstone jewelry based upon his or her zodiac sign. For example, a woman born at the end of May might prefer jewelry with the agate assigned to the Gemini sign over the emerald jewellery assigned to her birth month.
Confusion Among Birthstone Listings
People researching birthstones might experience confusion when faced with apparent inconsistencies in the assignment of stones. Different cultures, religions, and countries assign birthstones different from the stones assigned by the American National Association of Jewellers. Although it occurs rarely, occasionally the difference arises from a manufacturer stamping their own interpretation on how gems and months should be paired. These discrepancies are not truly inconsistent; rather, consider the differences as the opportunity to expand options based on various beliefs found in the world regarding gemstones power and ability.
Days of the Week Birthstones
To expand further the choices in birthstone jewelry, the days of the week also have stones assigned. True knowledge of the association between gems and days seems murky; little authoritatively cited information exists to verify whether this association has historic background, astrological roots, or exists as an innovation by jewellers to increase the sale of birthstone jewelry. Regardless of origin, stones assigned to days offer another fun purpose for wearing or collecting birthstone jewellery. As with finding birthstones assigned to months and zodiac signs, some discrepancies exist in birthstones related to days of the week. This table, therefore, contains the gems most commonly accepted in pairings with days.
Wearing Birthstone Jewelry Sets
One should not mistakenly believe that people should only wear the birthstone assigned to their date of birth. When birthstones were first worn, the people wearing the gems would switch gems monthly to wear the gem associated with each current month. This stems from the belief that the powers of each gem increased during its assigned month and even, possibly, its assigned day. Birthstone jewelry sets often commemorate significant events outside of the wearer’s birth; family rings, pendants, and brooches provide popular examples. Mothers and grandmothers often adorn themselves with jewelry displaying gems signifying the birth of each family member; likewise, people sometimes wear the birthstone of any month in which a significant event occurred.
Types of Gems
Shoppers will come across different terms when browsing for birthstone jewelry. Apply the following definitions to understand the classification differences between jewelry sets.
1. Genuine or Natural
The terms “genuine” and “natural” apply to those gems mined from the ground; nature alone creates these gemstones over the course of thousands of years. Human hands play a role in the creation of any gem not listed as genuine or natural.
2. Synthetic
Birthstones carrying the label “synthetic” contain the same properties, both chemical and optical, as genuine birthstones. Virtually indistinguishable from its nature-made counterpart. Often, even experts cannot distinguish between genuine and synthetic gems. Synthetic gems are not very different than those mined out of the ground for wearing.
3.Lab-Created or Lab-Grown
The terms “synthetic” and “lab-created” are not interchangeable. Lab- created birthstones have essentially the same characteristics and properties of genuine gems but still contain differences. These gems contain 70 to 80 percent of a genuine gem’s properties. These gems are not genuine, but they do have enough inherent properties of the natural gem to earn a classification other than imitation.
4. Simulated or Imitation
Simulated or imitation jewellery sets contain gems that look similar to genuine gemstones but do not have the same chemical or physical properties. These gems, of which cubic zirconia holds most fame, cannot be mistaken for the other gem classifications, but the birthstones provide an affordable alternative to other birthstones.
5. Precious and Semi-Precious
In today’s market, birthstone jewelry manufacturers and vendors rarely use the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” because the terms tend to mislead consumers. Putting aside sentimental value, these terms create the illusion that jewelry has either a higher or a lower value than the price for which it is sold.
Conclusion
No restrictions, such as a woman wearing only one birthstone of her birth month, apply to wearing birthstone jewelry sets. Choose one or all birthstones related to date of birth and zodiac sign, wear a different birthstone according to each month, wear a birthstone holding a different, personal significance, or collect numerous birthstone jewelry sets simply to match wardrobe colours. Have fun with gemstones, and choose freely according to beliefs, customs, and spiritual or mystical principles.