Birthstones in Jewelry – What Are the Meanings?

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So as not to bore you I will list a few of them and share the information I have found, then in later articles include more. To begin with there are Modern birthstones, Mystical birthstones and Ayurvedic birthstones. AYURVEDIC? (medicine) is the ancient practice of healing, gives you the means of attaining and maintaining your own optimal health and well-being.

January modern birthstone is the garnet, mystical is the emerald and Ayurvedic is garnet
February modern is amethyst, mystical is bloodstone and Ayurvedic is amethyst
March modern is aquamarine, mystical is jade and Ayurvedic is bloodstone
April modern is diamond, mystical is opal and Ayurvedic is diamond

The mystical birthstones are of Tibetan origin and date back over a thousand years and the Ayurvedic birthstone list is from Indian medicine and beliefs dating back to ancient India (1500 BC).

To complicate matters there are also Zodiac birthstones. Just as you would expect the zodiac birthstones are shared within two months like Aquarius os Jan 21 – Feb 18 and it is the garnet. I will leave the zodiac stones for a future article.

I continue on with the Modern birthstone list as it is the official birthstone list from the American National Association of Jewelers and was adopted officially in 1912. This is the list accepted in the USA. Tanzanite was added for December by the American Gem Trade Association in October 2002. The birthstone origin is believed to date back in Biblical times to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel.

January’s garnet gemstone can be traced back as far as the Bronze Age and other reference as far back as 3100BC when the Egyptians used garnets in their jewelry and carvings. Egyptians said it was the symbol of life. Garnets were also popular with the Romans in the 3rd and 4th Century. The word garnet comes from the 14th century middle English word garnet meaning dark red. The word is derived from a Latin word that means seed.

Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors from deep red to vibrant green. There are some rare garnets in blue, colorless or most rare change colors in different lights. The most common color is the range of reds from rust to deep violet red. Legend has it that the garnet can bring peace, prosperity and good heath to the home.

For February the amethyst is a beautiful purple quartz. The ancient Greeks and Romans use it to ward of the powers of evil and was said to keep the wearer clear headed and quick witted. Amethyst has been found back as early as 2000 BC. This stone was often favored by royalty or exclusively by the clergy as a symbol for the deity of Christ. For many years it was held in the same regard as diamonds.

Aquamarine the stone for March is derived from the Latin aqua meaning water and marina meaning the sea. The color is serene and invokes tranquility. This stone is also used to celebrate 19th wedding anniversaries. This gem was believed to protect sailors and guarantee a safe voyage. The serene blue, blue-green color is said to cool the temper and allows the wearer to remain clam and levelheaded.

In the Middle ages the belief was that just wearing aquamarine was an antidote to poisoning. Some believed giving this stone to the bride at a wedding in order to symbolize long unity and love. The Sumerians, Egyptians and Hebrews admired this stone and the warriors would wear it into battle to bring victory.

For those lucky to be born in April the diamond is their birthstone. Historically the diamond was first popular in India when the Moghuls and Imperial Colony mined diamonds from deposits along three major rivers. Diamonds are formed well below the earth’s crust, then forced upward until it is uncovered. Before this process was understood many ancient civilizations believed diamonds were lighting made real on earth. Because of this many thought the diamond could cure brain disease, alleviate pituitary gland disorders and draw toxins from the blood.

A diamond is made of only one element – carbon. It’s structure makes it 58 times harder than anything in nature and can only be cut with another diamond! Diamonds come in several colors including red, pink, blue, green and yellow. The more saturated the color the higher the value. Color is sometimes introduced in a laboratory. These are correctly called color-treated diamonds.

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