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A birthstone is a
gemstone A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, ...
that represents a person's period of birth that is usually the month or zodiac sign. Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace.


History of birthstones


Western custom

The first century historian
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...
believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate (signifying the tribes of Israel, as described in the
Book of Exodus The Book of Exodus (from grc, Ἔξοδος, translit=Éxodos; he, שְׁמוֹת ''Šəmōṯ'', "Names") is the second book of the Bible. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through ...
), the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the
zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...
. Translations and interpretations of the passage in
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...
regarding the breastplate have varied widely, with Josephus himself giving two different lists for the twelve stones. George Frederick Kunz argues that Josephus saw the breastplate of the Second Temple, not the one described in Exodus. St. Jerome, referencing Josephus, said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem ( Revelation 21:19–20) would be appropriate for Christians to use. In the eighth and ninth century, religious treatises associating a particular stone with an apostle were written, so that "their name would be inscribed on the Foundation Stones, and his virtue." Practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month. The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old, though modern authorities differ on dates. Kunz places the custom in eighteenth century
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, while the Gemological Institute of America starts it in Germany in the 1560s. Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity. Tastes, customs and confusing translations have distanced them from their historical origins, with one author calling the 1912 Kansas list (see below) "nothing but a piece of unfounded salesmanship." There are poems that match each month of the
Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years d ...
with a birthstone. These are traditional stones of English-speaking societies. Tiffany & Co. published these poems "of unknown author" for the first time in a pamphlet in 1870.


Modern birthstones

In 1912, in an effort to standardize birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewelers (now called
Jewelers of America The Jewelers of America (JA) is a trade association of professionals in the United States jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings ...
) met in Kansas and officially adopted a list. The Jewelry Industry Council of America updated the list in 1952 by adding Alexandrite for June, citrine for November and ''pink'' tourmaline for October. They also replaced December's lapis with zircon and switched the primary/alternative gems for March. The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a December birthstone in 2002. In 2016, the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America added spinel as an additional birthstone for August. Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths created their own standardized list of birthstones in 1937.


Eastern traditions

Eastern culture recognizes a similar range of gemstones associated with birth, though rather than associating a gem with a birth month, gemstones are associated with
celestial bodies An astronomical object, celestial object, stellar object or heavenly body is a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe. In astronomy, the terms ''object'' and ''body'' are often us ...
, and
astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
is employed to determine the gemstones most closely associated with and beneficial to a particular individual. For example, in Hinduism there are nine gemstones associated with the ''
Navagraha Navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth according to Hinduism and Hindu astrology. The term is derived from ''nava'' ( sa, नव "nine") and ''graha'' ( sa, ग्रह "planet, seizing, laying hold of, ...
'' (celestial forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon), known in Sanskrit as '' Navaratna'' (nine gems). At birth, an astrological chart is calculated, and certain stones are recommended to be worn on the body to ward off potential problems based on the place of these forces in the sky at the exact place and time of birth.


Birthstones by time frame


Zodiacal


Tropical zodiac


Birthday (day of the week) stones

While the term "birthday stone" is sometimes used as a synonym for birthstone, each day of the week is also assigned a unique gemstone and these assignments are distinct from the monthly assignments.


Gallery

File:GarnetEZ.jpg, alt=Garnet, the birthstone for January,
Garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different ...
, the birthstone for January File:Amethyst Gems.jpg, alt=Amethyst, the birthstone for February,
Amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος ''amethystos'' from α- ''a-'', "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) / μεθώ (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that ...
, the birthstone for February File:Beryl-gem7-59b.jpg, alt=Aquamarine, the birthstone for March, Aquamarine, the birthstone for March File:Diamond.jpg, alt=Diamond, the birthstone for April, Diamond, the birthstone for April File:Smaragd-G-EmpireTheWorldOfGems.jpg, alt=Emerald, the birthstone for May, Emerald, the birthstone for May File:White pearl necklace.jpg, alt=Pearl, one of three June birthstones,
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
, one of three June birthstones File:Moonstone from Africa.jpg, alt=Moonstone, one of three June birthstones, Moonstone, one of three June birthstones File:Alexandrite 26.75ctsCropped.jpg, alt=Alexandrite, one of three June birthstones, Alexandrite, one of three June birthstones File:Ruby gem.JPG, alt=Ruby, the birthstone for July,
Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called ...
, the birthstone for July File:Peridot-China.jpg, alt=Peridot, the modern birthstone for August,
Peridot Peridot ( /ˈpɛr.ɪˌdɒt, -ˌdoʊ/ ''PERR-ih-dot, -⁠doh''), sometimes called chrysolite, is a deep yellowish-green transparent variety of olivine. Peridot is one of the few gemstones that only occurs in one color. Peridot can be found in ...
, the modern birthstone for August File:Sardonyx Inscription.JPG, alt=Sardonyx, the traditional birthstone for August, Sardonyx, the traditional birthstone for August File:Spinel-49528.jpg, alt=Spinel, a more recent (2019) alternative birthstone for August,
Spinel Spinel () is the magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula in the cubic crystal system. Its name comes from the Latin word , which means ''spine'' in reference to its pointed crystals. Properties S ...
, a more recent (2019) alternative birthstone for August File:Sapphire.png, alt=Sapphire, the birthstone for September,
Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...
, the birthstone for September File:Lapis Lazuli, Afganistan.jpg, alt=Lapis the traditional birthstone for September, Lapis lazuli, the traditional birthstone for September File:Precious opal (Coober Pedy Opal Field, South Australia).jpg, alt=Opal, one of two October birthstones,
Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...
, one of two October birthstones File:Tourmaline cut.JPG, alt=Tourmaline, one of two October birthstones,
Tourmaline Tourmaline ( ) is a crystalline Silicate mineral, silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is a gemstone and can be found in a wide variety o ...
, one of two October birthstones File:Citrine taillee.jpg, alt=Citrine, one of two November birthstones, Citrine, one of two November birthstones File:Topaz Minas Gerais MNHN Minéralogie.jpg, alt=Topaz, one of two November birthstones, Topaz, one of two November birthstones File:Kingmanturquoise.jpg, alt=Turquoise, one of three December birthstones, Turquoise, one of three December birthstones File:Zoïsite (Tanzanite).jpg, alt=Tanzanite, one of three December birthstones, Tanzanite, one of three December birthstones File:Zircon-rlkg001a.JPG, alt=Zircon, one of three December birthstones,
Zircon Zircon () is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates and is a source of the metal zirconium. Its chemical name is zirconium(IV) silicate, and its corresponding chemical formula is Zr SiO4. An empirical formula showing some of t ...
, one of three December birthstones


See also

* Navaratna * Birth Flowers


References

{{Reflist


External links


Jewelers of America leaflet
*
The Curious Lore of Precious Stones
', G.F. Kunz – full text online version *
Gems and Gem Minerals
', Oliver Cummings Farrington – full text online version Birthdays Gemstones