Birthstones
January 26, 2010 | Comments | Birthstones
BIRTHSTONES
When identifying a birthstone, most people in the U.S. seem to know theirs and I venture to say that they are probably using Hallmark’s listing of popular birthstones. [1]
Generally, the Hallmark list conforms mostly to the “Modern” list which is the most current and widely used designation in America, Australia and Thailand. In 1912, the Jewelers of America put together the “Modern” list. [2]
The “Traditional” list reflects Polish preferences of the 15th century as the wearing of birthstones became very popular then. Before this time, jeweler’s lists were often inconsistent from country to country, and primarily based upon popularity in the older societies. [3]
Over the centuries, astrologers assigned gems of a certain color to the twelve signs of the “Zodiac” to help people influence the planets in their favor.[4] It is important to point out here also that the Zodiac breaks the month up a bit and many times the dates of a Zodiac sign do not neatly correspond to the 30-day month of a calendar.
Then there is the “Mystical” list which is of Tibetan origin (over 1000 years old) and “Ayurvedic” list which is from India and based upon it medicine and philosophies (over 1500 years old).
Therefore, as you can see, there are varying systems to designate birthstone gemstones. I hope these lists help you as you try to find the gems most suited to you or your friends and family.
Hallmark Birthstones by the Month: [1]
| MONTH | BIRTHSTONE | FLOWER |
| January | Garnet | Carnation |
| February | Amethyst | Violet |
| March | Bloodstone, Aquamarine | Jonquil |
| April | Diamond | Sweet Pea |
| May | Emerald | Lily of the Valley |
| June | Pearl, Alexandrite | Rose |
| July | Ruby | Larkspur |
| August | Onyx, Peridot | Gladiolus |
| September | Sapphire | Aster |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline | Marigold |
| November | Topaz | Chrysanthemum |
| December | Turquoise, Zircon | Narcissus |
By culture of times
| Month | Traditional Birthstone(s) [5] | Modern Birthstone(s)[2] | Mystical Birthstone[6] | Ayurvedic Birthstone[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | garnet | garnet | emerald | garnet |
| February | amethyst | amethyst | bloodstone | amethyst |
| March | bloodstone, jasper | aquamarine | jade | bloodstone |
| April | diamond, sapphire | diamond | opal | diamond |
| May | emerald, agate | emerald | sapphire | agate |
| June | alexandrite, emerald | moonstone, pearl | moonstone | pearl |
| July | ruby, onyx | ruby | ruby | ruby |
| August | sardonyx, carnelian | peridot | diamond | sapphire |
| September | sapphire, peridot | sapphire | agate | moonstone |
| October | tourmaline, aquamarine | opal, tourmaline | jasper | opal |
| November | citrine, topaz | topaz, citrine | pearl | topaz |
| December | zircon, ruby | turquoise, blue topaz | onyx | ruby |
Zodiac Gemstones
| Sign | Dates [4] | Stone [4] |
|---|---|---|
| Aquarius | January 21 – February 19 | Garnet |
| Pisces | February 20 – March 20 | Amethyst |
| Aries | March 21 – April 20 | Bloodstone |
| Taurus | April 21 – May 20 | Sapphire |
| Gemini | May 21 – June 21 | Agate |
| Cancer | June 22 – July 22 | Emerald |
| Leo | July 23 – August 23 | Onyx |
| Virgo | August 24 – September 23 | Carnelian |
| Libra | September 24 – October 23 | Peridot |
| Scorpio | October 24 – November 22 | Beryl |
| Sagittarius | November 23 – December 21 | Topaz |
| Capricorn | December 22 – January 20 | Ruby |
References:
[1] www.hallmark.com
[2] Jewelers of America leaflet
[3] Kunz, George F (1913). The Curious Lore of Precious Stones. Lippincott, p. 359
[4] www.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_stones
[5] Kunz, George F (1913). The Curious Lore of Precious Stones. Lippincott, p 367
[6] http://www.timewellcorp.com/birthstones.htm
