Birthstones
Just about everyone knows what his or her birthstone is.
Why is that?
Because people still enjoy the folklore associated with the tradition of the birthstone. They like believing that wearing a birthstone brings them good luck and protects them.
Early civilization as far back as the Assyrians (1400 BC) invested rare and beautiful gemstones with magical properties. Some minerals were thought to contain a force or possess certain values and powers. For instance, amethyst was said to prevent intoxication.
Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the zodiac based on a color system. Color was thought to unleash the power attributed to the stone.
In time, birthstones became associated with calendar months rather than the zodiac. And people began to select birthstones in colors other than the original.
The Roman, Arabic, Jewish, Polish, Russian and Italian lists were all different.
The following list of birthstones, which is the one commonly used today, was adopted in 1912 by the American National Association of Jewelers, which later evolved into the Jewelers of America.
The Modern birthstone list was adopted in 1912 by the American National Association of Jewelers, which later evolved into the Jewelers of America. Traditional birthstone lists are older versions of the Modern birthstone list recommended by the American National Association of Jewelers. It is based on societal birthstone traditions spanning from the 15th to the 20th Century. The Mystical birthstone list is based loosely on a list of Tibetan origin from over 1,000 years ago. To learn more about a particular stone, click on the name or check out the learning links below.
| Month |
Modern Birthstones and a Brief Description |
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January |
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February |
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March |
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April |
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May |
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June |
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July |
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August |
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September |
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October |
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November |
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December |
Email:Bruce@TapleyCollection.com
Copyright: 1979, The Tapley Collection
Copyright: 2005, www.TapleyCollection.com