A birthstone is a gift of a precious material (jewelry, mainly gemstones; themselves traditionally associated with various qualities) that symbolizes the month of birth in the Gregorian calendar. It is sometimes also called birthday stone (cf. infra; but that word is, confusingly, sometimes used as a synonym for an anniversary gift, which is related to the recipient's age, that is, year of birth).
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Often combined with modern birthstone lists, traditional birthstones are older society-based birthstones. Since many different cultures had their own list, jewelers' lists are often inconsistent over what constitutes a traditional birthstone. The table below contains many stones which are popular choices, often reflecting Polish tradition.[1]
The Gregorian calendar has poems matching each month with its birthstone. These are traditionally the stones in English-speaking societies. It is not known whether these verses below originally are of the Gregorian calendar or not. In fact Tiffany & Co. published these poems "of unknown author" for the first time in a pamphlet in 1870.[2]
By her who in this month (January) is born
No gem save garnets should be worn;
They will ensure her constancy,
True friendship, and fidelity.
The February-born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they an amethyst will wear.
Who in this world of ours their eyes
In March first open shall be wise,
In days of peril firm and brave,
And wear a bloodstone to their grave.
She who from April dates her years,
Diamonds shall wear, lest bitter tears
For vain repentance flow; this stone,
Emblem of innocence, is known.
Who first beholds the light of day
In spring's sweet flowery month of May
And wears an emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and happy wife.
Who comes with summer to this earth,
And owes to June her hour of birth,
With ring of agate on her hand
Can health, wealth, and long life command.
The glowing ruby shall adorn,
Those who in July are born;
Then they'll be exempt and free
From love's doubts and anxiety.
Wear a sardonyx or for thee,
No conjugal felicity;
The August-born without this stone,
`Tis said, must live unloved and lone.
A maiden born when September leaves
Are rustling in September's breeze,
A sapphire on her brow should bind
`Twill cure diseases of the mind.
October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.
Who first comes to this world below
In drear November's fog and snow,
Should prize the topaz's amber hue,
Emblem of friends and lovers true.
If cold December gave you birth,
The month of snow and ice and mirth,
Place on your hand a turquoise blue;
Success will bless whate'er you do.—Gregorian Birthstone Poems
In 1912, in an effort to standardize birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewelers officially adopted a list, shown in the "Modern" column in the table below.[3] The most recent change to the list was in 2002, with the addition of tanzanite as a December birthstone.[4]
Mystical Birthstones are of Tibetan origin and date back over a thousand years.
The Ayurvedic birthstone list is from the ancient Indian medicine and philosophy dating back to ancient India (1500 BC).
Early civilizations, such as those in India and Babylon, have attributed gemstones with magical properties. Over time, astrologers assigned gems of certain colors to the twelve signs of the zodiac to help people influence the planets in their favor.
| Sign | Dates[5] | Stone[5] |
|---|---|---|
| Aquarius | January 21 - February 19 | garnet |
| Pisces | February 20 - March 20 | amethyst |
| Aries | March 21 - April 20 | bloodstone |
| Taurus | April 21 - May 20 | sapphire |
| Gemini | May 21 - June 21 | agate |
| Cancer | June 22 - July 22 | emerald |
| Leo | July 23 - August 23 | onyx |
| Virgo | August 24 - September 23 | carnelian |
| Libra | September 24 - October 23 | peridot |
| Scorpio | October 24 - November 22 | beryl |
| Sagittarius | November 23 - December 21 | topaz |
| Capricorn | December 22 - January 20 | ruby |
| Month | Traditional Birthstone(s)[6] | Modern Birthstone(s)[5][7] | Mystical Birthstone[5] | Ayurvedic Birthstone[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | garnet | garnet | emerald | garnet |
| February | amethyst, hyacinth, pearl | amethyst | bloodstone | amethyst |
| March | bloodstone, jasper | aquamarine | jade | bloodstone |
| April | diamond, sapphire | diamond | opal | diamond |
| May | emerald, agate | emerald | sapphire | agate |
| June | cat's eye, turquoise, agate | moonstone, pearl | moonstone | pearl |
| July | turquoise, onyx | ruby | ruby | ruby |
| August | sardonyx, carnelian, moonstone, topaz | peridot | diamond | sapphire |
| September | chrysolite | sapphire | agate | moonstone |
| October | opal, aquamarine | opal, pink tourmaline | jasper | opal |
| November | topaz, pearl | topaz, citrine | pearl | topaz |
| December | bloodstone, ruby | turquoise, zircon, tanzanite, blue topaz | onyx | ruby |
The mystical list has a Tibetan origin.[5]
The first century Jewish historian Josephus proclaimed a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac.[8] The Breastplate of Aaron, referred to in Exodus 28:17-20:
- 10 Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a beryl;
- 11 in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald;
- 12 in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;
- 13 in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. They were mounted in gold filigree settings.
- 14 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.
The precise list of birthstones however can be found in Revelation 21:19-20 where the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem are listed, in the order of the Roman calendar:
- 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. . .
- 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
- 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
The custom of actually wearing birthstones first gained popularity in Poland in the fifteenth century. Tradition suggested everyone wear the birthstone for each month, since the powers of the gemstone were heightened during its month. For the fullest effect, individuals needed to own an entire set of twelve gemstones and rotate them monthly.
While this word has also been used as synonym of Birth stone (see above), there is a separate list of assignment according to the day of the week of the recipient's birth[9]:
Just as there are alternatives with birthstones, there are also alternatives with birth flowers. For example, October is often listed as calendula (marigold), but is also occasionally noted as being rose or camellia.