Birthstone  

The giving of a birthstone has been a centuries old tradition to bestow good luck on one's birthday. Since different stones have been a part of the tradition in various cultures and societies there is some flexibility in the choice of gemstone for any given month. This is why different lists of birthstones may vary.

Birthstone List by Month:

Birthstone January-Garnet is nearly always the gemstone for January. In early history the garnet was thought to quell discord and anger. Hundreds of years ago, garnets were worn during battle as a protection against wounds.

Birthstone February-Amethyst The purple color of the amethyst was favored by royalty and it was thought the amethyst could ward off intoxication. It is also credited with bringing peace of mind to the wearer.

Birthstone March-Aquamarine The aquamarine is related to the emerald. It is the same mineral substance, with a different coloration. In early times it was credited for curing laziness and improving the intellect.

Birthstone April-Diamond The diamond in early times was associated with fire and any number of gods. It was thought to make a person invincible and was often worn in battle. In modern times the diamond has become a symbol of love and marriage.

Birthstone May-Emerald In ancient times the emerald was associated with Venus the goddess of love. The emerald is also associated with springtime, rebirth and youth.

Birthstone June-Pearl During the height of the Roman Empire it was unlawful for any but royalty to wear pearls. Mythology surrounding pearls is interesting and varies with each culture. The ancient Chinese thought pearls fell from the sky when dragons fought, while in other cultures they were thought to be the tears of the gods.

Birthstone July-Ruby Rubies are the gem of happiness and passion. Rubies are from the same mineral of sapphire and defined by their color.

Birthstone August-Peridot (pear-uh-doe). The peridot is easily mispronounced and a bit lesser known of the gemstones. Peridot can take on any number of color variations in the green-yellow color family. It is thought to lend the wearer great confidence and an excellent command of speech.

Birthstone September-Sapphire One ancient legend has the earth resting on a huge sapphire, and believed that the color of the sky was just a reflection given off by this colossal gemstone. In other societies it was worn by priests to signify the purity of the soul. 

Birthstone October-Tourmaline tourmaline comes in a wide variety of colors giving October birthdays a variety of choices. Ancient legends tell of the tourmaline journey up from the center of the earth where it crossed over a rainbow and picked up all of it's colors.

Birthstone November-Topaz (yellow). Greek legend has it that topaz can make the wearer invisible. It was also believed it could cool anger and could also be a remedy for fever.

Birthstone December-Topaz (swiss blue). Swiss blue topaz offers a deeper blue coloration than sky blue topaz, and is equated with passion. In legend it was thought that a topaz could change color when in the presence of either poisoned food or drink.

Gemstones have been important to many cultures down through history. They were tied in with all types of belief systems, religion, power and self esteem. Gemstones have played an important part in the world's history, it's royalty and is mentioned many times in the Christian bible where even there it was often a part of battle attire.

Many of these historically important gemstones are among the birthstones listed above.

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