I have to admit, when preparing to write this post, I thought I knew what there was to know about birthstones. I mean, most of us probably know what our own birthstone is, if not those of our friends and loved ones, but I could easily rattle off all of them if you asked, along with a list of the alternates, the less expensive versions of the more pricey standard birthstone such as the one for April, which is diamond. So, in the spirit of “the best way to learn is to teach,” while reading up on birthstone lore, I discovered a few details I did not know. For starters, I always thought the whole birthstone thing was little more than a marketing gimmick. you know, a lure to drive customers into a jewelry store in pursuit of their gemstone talisman, a way to personalize an otherwise frivolous item which was out of reach for most people, and create demand.
Well, I was wrong. Okay, partially wrong. turns out, in 1912, an organization called the Jewelers of America published the definitive list of birthstone gems, which in fact became the modern marketing masterstroke we know and love today. However, experts claim birthstones can be traced all the way back to the bible.
According to the American Gem Society (americangemsociety.org), the origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
“There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.” Exodus 28:17-20.
The Breastplate was set with twelve Gemstones set in four rows of three: Sardius, Topaz, Carbuncle, Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond, Ligure, Agate, Amethyst, and Beryl, Onyx, and Jasper. In the 5th century AD, these gems became associated with the 12 signs of the zodiac, and eventually, with the 12 months of the year.
Not only have historians had difficulty in determining exactly which gemstones were being referred to in the breastplate “blueprint,” changing styles as well as changing availability of certain gems altered the standard birthstones list throughout the centuries. In 1952, the list was updated by the Jewelry Industry Council of America to include the addition of alexandrite to the month of June, citrine to November, pink tourmaline for October, replacing alternate lapis with zircon for December, and flipping the March standard and alternate gemstones of aquamarine and bloodstone. In 2002, tanzanite was added as a December alternate.
So, here is the standard birthstone list for your reference:
January – Garnet, February – Amethyst, March – Aquamarine, April – Diamond, May – Emerald, June – Pearl, July – Ruby, August – Peridot, September – Sapphire, October – Opal, November – Citrine, December – Topaz.
Here is a complete list of the alternates, according to the International Gem Society (gemsociety.org), along with the corresponding astrological signs:
Aquarius (Jan.21 -Feb. 21)
Garnet
Pisces (Feb.21 – Mar. 21)
Amethyst
Aries (Mar.21 – Apr. 20)
Bloodstone
Taurus (Apr.20 – May 21)
Sapphire
Gemini (May 21 -June 21)
Agate
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Emerald
Leo (July 22 – Aug. 22)
Onyx
Virgo (Aug. 22 – Sep. 22)
Carnelian
Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 23)
Chrysolite
Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov 21)
Beryl
Sagittarius (Nov. 21 – Dec. 21)
Topaz
Capricorn (Dec. 21 – Jan. 21)
Ruby.
Does it really matter which birthstone is yours? Not in my opinion. If you don’t like the color of your birthstone, then adopt a new one. Call it your “half birthday” birthstone, or your dog’s birthstone, or whatever you want. They’re all beautiful, so whichever you choose, sparkle on!
Laura