Birthstones By Month and Their Symbolism

by Vidya Lakshmi October 12, 2020 6 min read

Birthstones By Month and Their Symbolism

Hey guys! Hope y’all are doing well this week. We’ve come up with something quite interesting for today’s post. You’ll love it for sure! It’s all about birthstones for each month and what they symbolize. So if you’re not familiar, birthstones are precious gems related to specific birth months. They are believed to have special significance and meanings for the person wearing them.

Since ancient times, they’re are said to bring good fortune and prosperity. Some are believed to be cursed as well. Not all of them are stones, by the way, they are just called so. We thought it would be nice to talk about these gems, the meanings they’re believed to carry, and how they came into being. Wouldn’t that be fascinating?

Read on!

January - Garnet

Garnets are said to bring health, prosperity, and strength to their wearer. The name Garnet is derived from a Latin word which means seedlike. Since they have a high refractive index it looks as though they’re emitting light. It’s said that in the later years of the Roman empire, soldiers used to carry a piece of garnet with them just to ward off evil and give them strength. Gifting it is a great way to show your loved one that you want them to be safe and healthy.

garnet

February - Amethyst

Amethyst has a really interesting story behind it. The name, first of all, is derived from a Greek word which means “Not Drunk”. Okay, so the story is that Dionysus, the God of Wine was angry with the people after someone insulted him. He swore that he’d kill the next person he sees. This was a woman named Amethystos who was on her way to pray to goddess Artemis. When Dionysus attacked her, Artemis turned her into a white statue so that she’s not harmed.

 amethyst

The God was actually quite moved by the innocent-looking woman’s statue and poured his cup of wine over it. This gave it a purple hue similar to the gem we see today. That’s how it came to be known as Amethyst. It’s loved for its color and crystal form and is being used in jewelry since ancient times. The stone is mainly said to give one control over themselves to remain composed and not overindulge in anything.

March - Aquamarine

Aquamarine is mainly found in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka.  This gem is also quite popular for its beautiful color and crystal nature. The stones with darker blues are considered more valuable because they are rarer. Aquamarine represents the sea and the endless sky. It was mainly used by sailors to get a good night’s sleep when they were out at sea.

aquamarine

It is believed to have calming properties too. It’s also said to bring peace and harmony in relationships. Some say that it will keep you from food poisoning and ward off bad dreams. It’s considered to be the perfect gift for new brides and for people who are sailing the sea. 

April - Diamond

This all of us probably already know. Diamonds are said to symbolize everlasting love, power, and courage. It’s also known for its hardness, resistance to damage, and high refractive index. The word diamond is said to have been derived from a Greek word which means invincible.

diamond

It is believed to give mental clarity and bring the emotion of love. It is also said that diamonds help keep good relationships and build inner strength. In the middle ages, it was believed to have healing powers as well. Heating the diamond and keeping it next to you was believed to heal illnesses.

May - Emerald

The Emerald is believed to be Cleopatra’s favorite gem. It is mainly said to bring fertility and rebirth. Since it is dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love, it is said to strengthen the bond between lovers. Nowadays it is also said to symbolize, intuition, wisdom, and growth. It would make a great gift for someone who’s starting a new life or for someone who you’d like to remind that good things are coming.

emerald

June - Pearl/Alexandrite

Pearls are believed to represent luxury and affluence. They are said to inspire honesty and integrity in relationships. The white color symbolizes purity as well.

pearl

Alexandrite is mostly greenish-blue or yellow at first sight. But depending on the angle you look at, it can show a variety of colors. This phenomenon is called pleochroism. It mainly represents love. This is because love is believed to not come in just one form or color. It’s considered a great way to express love for someone. Discipline, self-control, and focus are a few bonuses that you may receive from wearing the stone.

July - Ruby

Ruby’s red color is said to be similar to that of blood. The most valuable rubies in the world are the ones that have a dark red color, called "The Pigeon Blood". The gem is said to promote vitality, physical strength, and health. Rubies were set into drinking cups and vessels in ancient times because of these properties. It’s a great gift for someone when you want to wish them great vitality and energy all throughout life. Ruby is also called the king of gemstones.

ruby

August - Peridot

Peridot is a yellow-green gem, and the darker it is the more valuable it gets. Egyptians mined peridot on an island in the Red Sea a long time ago. But for some reason, the location was once lost. Later it was rediscovered in 1990. Peridot is said to symbolize natural and real beauty because it looks the same under natural and artificial light. It’s mainly gifted to people just to remind them that they are truly beautiful by themselves and that they are capable of great things.

peridot

September - Sapphire

Sapphire is the second hardest mineral on earth. The first thing that comes to our mind when we hear this name is a blue shiny stone. But sapphire actually is found not just blue but pink orange and yellow as well. The gem is said to enhance creativity, reduce fatigue and pain, and increase energy and vitality. It is also believed to symbolize purity and wisdom. Someused to believe that it is so capable of warding off poison, that even a snake would die if placed inside a vessel made of sapphire.

sapphire

October - Tourmaline/Opal

Tourmaline has the widest range of colors in the world. It’s said that hat no two tourmalines look the same. They were believed to be a stone till the 1800s but later on recognized as minerals. They are still used in jewelry though. 

tourmaline

Opal is very similar to tourmaline but it’s different in the fact that it reflects light, unlike tourmaline. It also displays a variety of colors. It was believed earlier that opal will have the qualities of the gemstones that the colors in the reflections represent. Even so, after the novel “Anne of Geierstein” written by Sir Walter Scot was published, the stone began to be recognized as a bringer of bad luck and death.  It is still widely used in jewelry and is quite popular.

opal

November - Citrine

Natural citrine has only been found in a few places like Spain and Hungary. It’s still the second most popular quartz stone. It’s because of its reddish-yellow, almost gold-like color. It is said to represent the power of the sun. It also symbolizes light, radiance, and vitality. It would be the perfect gift for someone if you’re wishing for them to have lots of energy and happiness.

citrine

December - Turquoise/Tanzanite/Zircon

Turquoise was widely traded in earlier days because of how rare it was. The stone was mainly found in Iran, Egypt, the USA, and China. According to Turkish tradition, turquoise will give you the ability to form good relationships and friendships. Especially if it was given to you as a gift.

Last week we posted a really interesting read all about Tanzanite. Check it out here if you’d like. On there we did mention that it’s one of the birthstones of December borns. It is believed to bring good health and wellness to newborn babies and their mothers.

Image Source : Didier Descouens / CC BY

Zircon is said to be the oldest mineral found on earth and it comes in different colors. The blue zircon is the most popular though. The stone is believed to bring peace and prosperity to one’s life.

Alright, so those are all the birthstones for each month. Earlier it was believed that you’re only supposed to wear the gemstone for the month that you were born in. It was said that if you wore a gemstone from another birth month then it would bring you bad fortune. But that is definitely not the case these days. As you guys might have read already, different gemstones are believed to give us different powers so some like to choose based on those rather than their birth month. 

And of course, we at Navinee believe that all gemstones and beautiful jewelry should be worn by everyone no matter which month they represent or what superstitions lie behind them. Let us know in the comments down below, what your thoughts are. Have a look at some of our newest CZ jewelry as well by the way. Coz we specialize in those.

Monarch Necklace

Azure Necklace

Butterfly Hoop Earrings

 

Bye everyone! Talk Soon!


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