The origin of the belief that a special stone was dedicated to each month, and that the stone of the month possessed a special virtue or “cure” that it could transmit to those born in that month, goes back at least the first century. There is speculation that the twelve stone in the great breastplate of the Jewish High Priest may have had some bearing on this evolution. In the eighth and ninth centuries, the interpreters of Revelation began to ascribe to each of these stone attributes of the twelve apostles. The Hindus on the other hand had there own interpretation. But whatever the reason, one fact is clear. As G. F. Kunz points out in The Curious Lore of Precious Stones “there is no doubt that the owner of a ring or ornament set with a birthstone s impressed with the idea of possessing something more intimately associated with his or her personality than any other stone, however beautiful or costly. The idea that birthstones possess a certain indefinable, but none-the-less real significance has long been present, and still holds a spell over the minds of all who are gifted with a touch of imagination and romance. Keep in mind that most birthstones come in several colors. You may be surprised to learn that the color you associate with your birthstone may be only one of the several available. For example, most people think garnet is dark red and are surprised to learn it can be green, orange, yellow, white, purple – virtually every color in the rainbow except blue. Before discarding your birthstone as a choice, check out all the colors in which it may be available. Accents with diamonds with the personal significance of the birthstone for a lovely, deeply, meaningful, and often much more affordable piece of jewelry. In addition to birthstones, the choice of a particular colored stone may be connected to mystical powers, attributed or symbolism with which the stone has been historically identified. There is an almost limitless wealth of information about colored gems, enough to stir the imagination of even the greatest cynic. Besides the list of birthstones and zodiacal or talismanic stones, there are lists of stones for days of the week, hours of the day, and states of the union, for each of the seasons. The Magic and Mystery of Colored Gems The world of colored gems is endlessly fascinating. Since ancient times, colored stones have been thought to possess certain magical powers or the ability of endow the wearer with certain attributes. Emeralds were thought to be good for the eyes; yellow stones were believed to cure jaundice; red stones to stop the flow of blood. At one time it was believed that a ruby worn by a man indicated command, nobility, lordship and vengeance; worn by a woman however, it signified pride, obstinacy, and haughtiness. A blue sapphire worn by a man indicated wisdom and high and magnanimous thoughts; on a woman, jealousy in love, politeness and vigilance. The emerald signified for man joyousness, transitory hope, and the decline of friendship; for a woman, unfounded ambition, childish delight, and change. The Importance of Color and Its Mystical Symbolism in Gems Yellow- Worn by a man, denoted secrecy (appropriate for a silent lover); worn by a woman, it indicated Generosity. White (colorless) -Signifies friendship, integrity, and religion for men; purity, affability, and contemplation for women. Red- On a man, indicated command, nobility, lordship, and vengeance; on a woman, pride, haughtiness, and obstinacy. Blue- On a man, indicated wisdom and high and magnanimous thoughts; on a woman jealously in love, politeness, vigilance. Green- For men, signified joyousness, transitory hope, decline of friendship; for a women unfounded ambition, childish delight, and change. Black- For men, meant gravity, good sense, constancy , and strength; for young women, fickleness, foolishness, but for married women constant love and perseverance. Violet- For men, sober judgement, industry, and gravity; for women, high thoughts and spiritual love. What color stones are available today? Today, gems are worn primarily for their intrinsic beauty and are chosen primarily for aesthetic reasons. While we may own a birthstone that we wear on occasion, our choice is dictated more by personal color preferences, economics, and fashion. The world of colored gems today offers us an almost endless choice. New gems have been discovered and are being made available through the major jewelry companies. If you like red, there are rubies, garnets, red tourmalines, red spinel, and even red diamonds. If you prefer blue, there are sapphires, iolite, blue spinel, blue topaz, blue tourmaline, tanzanite, and even blue diamonds. For those who prefer green, there are emeralds, tsavorite (green garnet), green zircons, green tourmalines, green sapphires, peridots, and even green diamonds. Colored gems, because of the magical powers associated with them, achieved extensive use as talismans and amulets; as predictors of the future; as therapeutic aids’ and as essential elements to many religious practices—Pagen, Hebrew, and Christian. The following stones were strongly associated with the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles. Levi—garnet Naphtali--agate Zebulon—diamond Joseph -- onyx Gad – amethyst Reuben – Sard (brown chalcedony) Benjamin – jasper Judah -- Emerald Simeon—Chrysolite (peridot) Dan- Topaz Issachar – sapphire Asher-- beryl The Twelve Apostles Peter—Jasper Matthew—chrysolite (peridot Andrew – sapphire Thomas – beryl James – chalcedony James the Less – topaz John – emerald Jude – chrysoprase Philip – sardonyx Simon – hysacinth ( zircon) Barthalomew – sard (brown chalcedony) Judas—amethyst | |
| Some data may vary depending on the resource. This information was copied from Engagement and Wedding Rings The definitive buying guide for people in Love by Antolnette Matllns, Antonio Bonanno and Jane Crystal. copywrited 1990 |