Birthstones

January – Garnet

     This stone was used in Medieval times to protect against poison, injury, nightmares, insecurity, and melancholy of the spirit. Today garnet symbolizes faith and truth, as well as loyalty, affection, and general joy.

     Origin: The word “garnet” comes from the Latin word “granatum”, meaning “pomegranate”, because the stone resembles pomegranate seeds in shape and color. It comes in nearly every color except for blue, but is most popular in its signature red.

Febuary – Amethyst

     Amethyst was the stone of Saint Valentine (of Valentine's day), who was known to wear a brooch of amethyst engraved with an image of Cupid. Amethyst is believed to heal sickness, sharpen intellect, protect against sorcery, and bring victory in battle. Both the amethyst and its purple color represent royalty.

     Origin: The name amethyst originates from the Greek word “amethystos” which means “not drunk”. Ancient Greeks believed amethyst would prevent the wearer from becoming too intoxicated. The Greek myth is as follows: god of wine, Bacchus, was upset with the goddess of the hunt, Diana, and told her that he would set vicious tigers upon the next person to set foot in her woods. To his dismay, that person happened to be a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. Terrified as the lion approached her, Amethyst cried to the goddess Diana to save her. In an instant the girl was turned to impenetrable, pure white stone. Bacchus was overcome with guilt and poured his grape wine over the stone statue of the maiden, turning her the deep violet hue of amethyst.

March – Aquamarine

     Aquamarine stones can vary in hue, ranging from dark blue to light blue-green. Soothsayers claimed aquamarine stones helped to access their fortune telling powers. Aquamarine has been used as the glass in glasses since The Roman Emperor Nero used it in his monocle 2,000 years ago.
     Origin: The Roman words “aqua”, meaning water, and “mare”, meaning sea, combine to make the word aquamarine. They are the stone of the Roman god Neptune (Greek god Poseidon), the god of the sea. Because of this they were thought to bring safety to voyages and protection against storms and sea monsters.

April – Diamond

     Commonly used as engagement rings, diamonds today are a symbol of everlasting love and faith. Their color ranges from transparent to opaque and colorless to dark black, with many tints and colors in between. They are the hardest material known to man, and have been coveted as the most beautiful by many cultures throughout history.
     Origin: The diamond was named for its incredible strength, originating from the Latin word “adamantem”, meaning “the hardest metal”. Ancient Hindus believed that diamonds were created by bolts of lightening striking the ground.

May – Emerald

     The emerald's hue ranges from light to dark shades of green, and the deeper the green the more valuable the stone. Emerald is notorious for the flaws that often occur, and are sometimes hidden by treatment with oil. However, some people desire a few minute flaws in their stone to prove the authenticity of their gem.
     Origin: The word “emerald” comes from the Latin word “smaragdus” which means “green gem”. Farther back, it originates from Arabic “barq”, meaning lightening. Ireland was nicknamed the Emerald Isle for its lush vegetation and frequent rainfall.

June – Pearl

     Pearls represent beauty, love, and hope. They come in many colors besides the traditional white, each with a different meaning. Blue predicts that you will find love, gold represents wealth, and pink means good fortune. Pearls are the only gem that require no carving or polishing to reach their most desirable state - they are found just as they are, naturally created inside one oyster or mussel out of a thousand.
     Origin: Persian myths say pearls come from the tears of spirits, and in Ancient India they believed that they were a result of the morning dew. Romans and Greeks thought pearls were the water that dripped off Aphrodite's body as she emerged from the sea, and for this are sometimes called the 'Fairies of the Water'.

July – Ruby

     Rubies were thought to have protective powers during battle, and Kings in medieval times would wear them in hopes that the prophetic power the stone possessed would help them with decision-making. They represent fiery passion, desire, devotion, and are thought to have the power to heal heartbreak.
     Origin: When mentioned in the Bible, God calls the ruby the most precious of the twelve gemstones. The word is derived from the Latin word “ruber”, meaning simply “red”.

August – Peridot

     Peridot comes in a variety of olivine shades, usually in lighter hues than the emerald. It has been found in Norway, Burma, Red Sea islands, Hawaii, and sometimes even inside meteorites. Peridot brings luck, peace, success, health, and are known to attract love and calm anger.
     Origin: The etymology of the word “peridot” is unknown, most likely because for a long time they were confused with emeralds. The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra had a penchant for the stone, and it is thought that much of her emerald jewelry was really mistaken peridot.

September – Sapphire

     Sapphire has been thought to bring spritual enlightenment, wisdom, and inner peace to the wearer, and represents truth and loyalty of the heart. In the East, they are a talisman for warding off evil and in India as well, they bring protection against evildoers. The world's largest sapphire was found in Madagascar and was originally 90,000 carats, before many elaborate carvings were engraved onto its surface. The carvings range from pyramids at Giza to the moon landing of Neil Armstrong.
     Origin: The word comes from Greek “sappheiros”, meaning “blue stone”. The lesser-known half of one of the Greek myths claims that when Prometheus stole fire from the gods, he also stole a sapphire. As punishment, the stone would no longer protect Prometheus, which explains his untimely and unpleasant fate - he was nailed to the side of a cliff, where a great eagle came to peck out his liver every day, only to have it grow back at night to be eaten over and over again.

October – Opal

     Opals symbolize fortune, hope, purity, and were thought to give the gift of prophecy. It is also rumored that they render the wearer invisible, and is therefore the favorite stone of thieves and mischief-makers. It's said that if worn by someone who was not born in October, an opal is unlucky and will crack.
     Origin: In Greek mythology, opal was created from Zeus's tears of joy after defeating the Titans. The word originates from Greek “opallios”, meaning “precious stone”.

November – Topaz

     Topaz comes in an array of colors – blue, pale green, yellow, pink, red (the most valuable color), brown, and even black. The larges topaz stone ever known was found in Brazil and weighs nearly 600 pounds.
     Origin: The name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning “fire”. In the Middle Ages, it was used to cool down boiling water as well as people in a rage and dangerously high fevers. It was once thought to increase wisdom and prevent mental sickness. To cure bad eyesight, people would soak the stone in wine for three days, then rub the liquid on their eyes.

December – Turquoise

     Turquoise is an opaque gemstone, most valued in its light-blue robin's egg color. It is thought to bring luck, love, healing, and protection, especially if given by a loved one.
     Origin: Turquoise is one of the earliest known stones to be used in jewelry and has been worn throughout history by Egypt's Pharaohs, Native Americans, and every-day people during the Middle Ages and Renaissance Beads 7,000 years old have been found in what was Mesopotamia and is modern-day Iraq. The name comes from the gem once being known as a Turkish stone.