January's Birthstone the Garnet

Garnet, birthstone for January, is reasonable and attractive and makes a fine choice for a jewelry stone.

Garnet is the perfect gemstone. It is abundant, durable, attractive, and reasonable in price. Widely known as red birthstone for January, garnet can be found in any color including the recently discovered blue. Clarity, color, cut and size can make the omnipresent garnet a fine stone for jewelry or as a mineral specimen.

What is not as widely known is the fact that garnet is an industrial mineral with scores of uses as far reaching as petroleum refining to airplane manufacture. Garnet makes a good filtration medium that can be reused and is nontoxic and nonreactive. It also produces very little dust and is considered eco-friendly. The first industrial use of garnet was as an rough. Garnet sandpaper is still manufactured in the US. Industrial uses of garnet far outweigh its importance as a gem, and the US uses sixteen percent of the world’s production.

The Bohemians in what is now the Czech Republic were masters of the use garnets to great artistic advantage by placing the fiery bright red stones tightly together to form pictures frames, religious objects and jewelry. The garnets were used to decorate the interiors of churches and castles Bohemian garnets were popular during the Victorian era, and long before that. Garnet beads were found in a grave that dates back to 3000 BC.

February's Birthstone Amethyst

Amethyst, February’s birthstone, has been fashionable as a decorative stone since the days of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. This gemstone is important to healers, as it is widely distributed and therefore very reasonable in price. Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz. The mineral quartz, both natural as well as synthetic, has numerous industrial uses and practical applications, as in electronic devices and as resonators to generate waves of a fixed frequency. Purple amethyst, though, is valued as a gemstone, by collectors and jewelry enthusiasts, and as beads, bookends, sculptured carvings, bottles and boxes, and other decorative items. It is also important to those who use gemstones for healing. Those born in February claim amethyst as their birthstone.

Once, amethyst was considered a cardinal, or most valued stone along with ruby, sapphire, diamond and emerald. Discoveries of amethyst in Brazil, Russia, and other places caused the value to drop. Today amethyst is quite affordable, although the rare Deep Siberian color can bring a good price. Historically, amethysts were set in the British Crown Jewels, greatly admired by royalty such as Catherine the Great, and prized by the Christian church as a stone worn by bishops and others of high rank.

Amethyst is from the Greek word “amethystous”, meaning "not intoxicated". Thus, wine goblets were carved from this grape-colored quartz, and it was believed the stone protected against drunkenness.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Anglo-Saxons used amethyst for various ornamental objects including intaglios and beads. Amethyst mines are distributed widely across the planet. Much is mined in Brazil in the form of geodes, some that are two meters in height. Russia, Zambia, Canada and the US also produce this purple stone. And important deposits can be found in Austria, Madagascar, Mexico, India, Uruguay, Namibia and Sri Lanka.

Amethyst is said to look best in soft, warm natural light.

March's Birthstone the Aquamarine

The bluish-green variety of beryl known as aquamarine is birthstone for March. It is a very popular, medium priced stone. Metaphysicists value it for its clarity. Aquamarine is a gemstone variety of the mineral beryl, and birthstone for March. Its color is bluish-green or aqua. The name is derived from the Latin “aqua”, water of the sea. It can be found where other varieties of beryl are found. The finest gemstones comes from Russia, Sri Lanka, and Brazil. The US

produces some aquamarine, in central Colorado and near the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. Found mainly in granite pegmatites, aquamarine is related with quartz, feldspars, and muscovites. The color is due to iron impurities in the beryl. There are no major industrial uses for aquamarine, although it does contain the rare element beryllium, which is used in x-ray windows, computer parts, aircrafts, missiles and communication satellites.

Aquamarine is commonly popular as a gemstone. For years it was carried by sailors at sea as a charm, and for their safety. Metaphysicists say it replaces anger and negativity with peace and clarity. Aquamarine is mentioned in the Bible, as a stone in the breastplate of Aaron, and in the book of Revelation as one of the foundation stones of the church. Fantastic aquamarines are on display at several museums around the world. The Smithsonian, the British Museum of Natural History, the LA County Museum, and the museum of Hyde Park all display large, well known aquamarine specimens. The largest known aquamarine was found at Minas Gerais, Brazil, and weighs 110 kilograms.

June's Birthstone the Alexandrite

Alexandrite changes color from green in natural light to purplish red in incandescent light. June’s birthstone is a comparatively to the list, having been discovered in 1830 in the Ural Mountains and named after Tsar Alexander.

Alexandrite is a variety of the mineral chrysoberyl, which is the third hardest gemstone on the Moh´s scale. It shows a color change from emerald green in natural light to purplish red in incandescent light. Good specimens are really rare, which makes it an costly stone. A good one carat faceted stone can sell for $100,000. A few other gems, slighter lower in price, exhibit a similar color shift which has given rise to the word "alexandritic". These are garnet, spinel, and sapphire. There are also synthetic alexandrites, which are used for lasers. Among birthstones, alexandrite is a quite fresh addition to the list, having been discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia in 1830. Named after Tsar Alexander, alexandrite was discovered by Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskjöld. At first he confused his find with emerald but soon discovered its hardness and unique color switching characteristic. Although alexandrite continues to be mined in the Ural Mountains, brilliant stones are found in Brazil, Burma, India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Alexandrite is too young a gemstone to have acquired a large body of legends and metaphysical attributes. However, its colors are those of old imperial Russia and therefore it can be considered a lucky stone for those of Russian descent, and for those lucky to be born in June, who can claim this stunning gem as their birthstone.

April's Birthstone the Diamond

The high refractive index of diamond gives this stone a brilliance unmatched by any other gemstone. Although diamonds have many industrial uses, they are most popular as gemstones for wedding or engagement rings. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral on earth, and number 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It is a pure form of carbon. Some diamonds are harder than others, and heat and high pressure can be applied to those diamonds to make them even harder. The excellent hardness of diamonds make them valuable as abrasives and as a thermal conductors. But by far the most popular use of diamond is in a wedding or engagement ring. For those fortunate to be born in the month of April, the diamond is their birthstone.

Diamonds were first mined in India six thousand years ago. Their use for engraving other stones also goes back many thousands of years. Curious legends have surrounded the diamond since its outstanding qualities were discovered by human beings. The Greeks said they were the tears of the gods. Hindus used them as the eyes in religious icons. Ancient philosophers maintained that diamonds were actual living beings.

Formed very deep within the earth in the cores of volcanoes, diamonds are brought to the surface during eruptions. They can also be formed in other high pressure impact events such as meteor strikes. Some diamonds may have been formed extra-terrestrially and brought to earth by asteroids. White dwarf stars have been discovered to have cores of crystallized diamond measured in the billions of trillions of carats.

Colorless diamonds are the most common, but they can also be yellow, brown, blue, green, black, translucent white, pink, violet, orange, purple or red. No matter what the color of a diamond, its high refractive index gives it a fiery brilliance unmatched by any other gemstone.

May's Birthstone the Emerald

Emerald, birthstone for May, is the most precious gemstone in the world. It is associated with love and happiness. Emerald, the green variety of the mineral beryl, is the most valuable gemstone in the world. Its rare color was greatly admired by Cleopatra. With slave labor, the ancient Egyptians mined emeralds and thus carried on a profitable emerald trade for nearly 2000 years. They domination on this gem until Spanish explorers discovered emeralds in South America. The shiny green stones from Colombia soon found their way into the jewels collection of the ruling dynasties of Europe and the Middle East. Today, emeralds are found in Brazil, Pakistan, India, Africa, Madagascar, Afghanistan, and Russia. In the US, Hiddenite, North Carolina is the location of an emerald mine open to the public.

A fine emerald must be green, in the range from yellowish-green to bluish-green. Its tone should be medium to dark. Light green stones are not classified as emeralds but as green beryl. The tone of a good emerald is bright rather than dull. Inclusions are common in the stone and it has become standard practice to oil the stones to improve its clarity. Stones with too many fissures are often cut into cabochons rather than faceted.

Many large and famous emeralds are housed in the world’s museums. One of the most famous emerald artifacts is called the Crown of the Andes, created to honor the Virgin Mary. It was made from stones once owned by the Incas. The Mogul emerald is over 200 carats and sold for over two million dollars. The Gachala Emerald is one of the world’s largest uncut emeralds and is kept at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. It weighs 858 carats.

The birthstone for May, emeralds are also associated with love and contentment.

July's Birthstone the Ruby

Ruby is red variety of the mineral corundum. Its history as a gemstone goes back to Bible times. Rubies are found at many locations as Kenya, Viet Nam, Greenland and the US.

July’s birthstone ruby has a long history as a gemstone, reaching back to Bible times. The book of Proverbs says, "A virtuous wife’s worth is far above rubies". Ancient Hindu texts make reference to the importance of rubies. The word ruby is from the Latin "ruber" and means red. It is the red variety of the mineral corundum, which has number nine scale of hardness on the Mohs. All other corundum is referred to as sapphire. The color of a ruby can range from orange-red to purple-red.

The mining of rubies dates back at least 2500 years. Today are found in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Viet Nam, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar (Burma), Greenland, and in the US, Montana, North Carolina and South Carolina. Synthetic rubies have been used as lasers since 1960.

Mystical properties associated with ruby include its use as a amulet against evil. Indian medical literature from the thirteenth century describes it as a cure for troubles in digestion. Other cultures have attributed to it health and wealth, peace and prosperity. Some rubies which have become famous because of their size or beauty include the Mogok Ruby which was sold to the Sultan of Brunei for $360,000,000, the Anne of Brittany Ruby which is housed in the Louvre, and the 137 carat star ruby Rosser Reeves which is displayed at the Smithsonian.

Set in gold, rubies make unquestionably elegant and attractive rings, pendants and earrings.

August's Birthstone the Peridot

Although the mineral olivine is plentiful everywhere, including Mars, its transparent gem assortment peridot, birthstone for August, is relatively rare. In ancient times it was mined in Egypt. This parrot green stone has been valued by many cultures. Data from NASA´s Mars Odyssey spacecrafts revealed that the planet’s surface contains amazingly large quantities of olivine-rich bedrock. Olivine has also been detected in meteorites, the moon, in comets, and in dust rings around young stars. The transparent gem variety of olivine is called peridot, and it is birthstone for August.

Olivine is used in aluminium foundries to cast objects, and current research anticipates the use of olivine to produce electricity. Olivine is plentiful but the gem quality peridot is relatively rare. However it is mined in several states and countries like North Carolina, Hawaii, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Kenya, China, Norway, Myanmar, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, and in ancient times it was mined in Egypt.

In Bible, peridot was referred to as chrysolite. It has been mined for at least 3500 years, and became popular in Europe after it was brought in Europe by the Crusaders. Many cultures have valued this stone, including the Hawaiians who believed it to be the tears of the volcano goddess Pele. Its color is described as lime green and as pistachio green. The most attractive stones are a deep, intense green. Peridot represents the sun and is said to relieve night terrors. It is also said to look better in daylight than in artificial light.

October's Birthstone the Opal

The internal colors of valuable opal, birthstone for October, are caused by light passing through silica spheres. Most opal, together with the famous and highly prized black opal, is mined in Australia.

Valuable opal, birthstone for October, is composed of silica spheres. Light passing through the micro-structure of the stone produces various internal colors. There are kinds of opal other than precious, some of which can be of gem quality, these include milky opal, Peruvian blue opal, fire opal and opalized wood, in which the organic structure of the wood has been replaced by opal. In technical terms, opal is a mineraloid gel with a moderately high water content.

Most valuable opal today is mined in Australia, but there are other sources including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, Central America and Ethiopia. In the US it can be found in Spencer, Idaho. NASA reports that opal has been founded on Mars.

Although opals were prized in Europe from the time by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the European market was ruined for fifty years when Sir Walter Scott published a novel about an opal that brought bad luck. It took the discovery of black opals in Australia to bring this stone back to popularity. Queen Victoria laughed at the superstition and gave away opals freely as gifts. Throughout most of its history, opal has been considered good fortune, a position that it occupies in today’s world of gems.

November's Birthstone the Yellow Topaz

Topaz, birthstone for November, has been known to reach rock size in crystal form. The largest faceted gemstone in the world is a topaz, at 31,000 carats. References to topaz are found in the Old and New Testaments and in the myths of saints. Yellow topaz is traditional birthstone for November. Topaz untinted by impurities is clear, but usually it is yellow or wine colored, and sometimes blue, or orange, gray, pink, green or brown. Most often it is found in igneous rocks. Some crystals have been found in Brazil that have reached boulder size. Other locations where topaz is found are the US, Europe, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.

In Bible it is mentioned topaz as one of the gems in the breastplate of the Second Temple. In the book of Revelation, Saint John says topaz as one of the foundation stones representing the Christian virtue of contemplation. Saint Hildegarde said that the light from a topaz enabled her to read prayers in dark chapel. Early Romans related topaz with their god Jupiter, and Egyptians said that topaz, the sun jewel, symbolize the sun god Ra.

The El Dorado topaz, mined at Minas Gerais in Brazil, is not only the largest faceted topaz in the world, it is also the world’s largest faceted gemstone, at 31,000 carats. Another famous topaz is the colorless Braganza diamond, in the crown jewels of Portugal.

Topaz has hardness of number eight on the Mohs scale. Although it can be broken by a pointed, glancing blow, it makes fairly durable jewelry. This factor, along with its clarity, blaze and attractive color make the gemstone topaz very popular.

December's Birthstone the Blue Zircon

Zircon was formed in the earth’s core 4.4 billion years ago, when the earth was new. It should not be confused with cubic zirconia. Zircon, birthstone for December, is valued for its burning brilliance. Blue zircon is one of three stones listed as the birthstone for December. A few sources list blue topaz first and zircon another. Perhaps that is because zircon is misunderstood. It is perplexed with cubic zirconia, a man made material with an completely different chemical structure.

Zircon was once viewed, in its clear form, as a alternate for diamonds. In reality, zircon is a valuable stone in its own right, and one with an exciting geological history. Zircon is from the Hadean era. It was created when the earth was very new and has not been changed since. That means zircon is 4.4 billion years old. It is also one of the densest, heaviest minerals. A stone of a specific carat weight will appear smaller than another stone of equal weight.

Commercial uses of zircon are many. Zircon is extracted for the metal zirconium. It is used as an abrasive, an insulating material, and as a component in nuclear reactors. Crucibles of zircon are used to fuse platinum. Scientists use zircon for formalizing the age of rocks, minerals and sediments. Last but not least, zircon is valued as a jewelry stone. Its fire and brightness make it very attractive.

Rose quartz

Exclusive in the world of minerals, the soft pink of rose quartz symbolizes love. This stone is the another birthstone for January. It is mined worldwide and is the official birthstone of the state of South Dakota.

The color of rose quartz, which varies from light pink to a rosy red, is exclusive in the world of minerals. The origin of this color is unknown, although it is likely due to iron and titanium impurities. Usually, rose quartz is found in solid masses. True crystals are rare, but they do exist. The small crystals that were first founded in Brazilian. Rose quartz were deemed so unusual they were at first regarded as fakes.

Some rose quartz is sufficiently deep colored and clear to be faceted. Most, however, is opaque and more suited to cabochon making. A few specimens that contain rutile display asterism.

Rose quartz is found in many areas of the world. In the US, most is mined in South Dakota where it is the official state stone. It is also the another birthstone for January.

The Mesopotamians made rose quartz into beads, and the Romans used it in rings. This stone is a symbol of love and beauty. Teachers buy it for their classrooms, to uphold peace and harmony. Healers regard rose quartz as a modest yet powerful stone. If there is one wordassociated with rose quartz, it is love. In the view of metaphysicists, rose quartz is the ideal stone to jump start a romance.

This soft, gentle stone is best worn as a pendant, close to the heart.

Bloodstone

Bloodstone, the another birthstone for March, was known by the ancients as Heliotrope. Christian myth places it at the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified. Bloodstone is a symbol of moral valor.

Bloodstone is a dark green chalcedony with red iron oxide inclusions, which early peoples referred to as heliotrope. It has been regarded as a magical stone by many cultures. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians used bloodstone for seals. In the Christian tradition, it is said this stone was at the foot of the cross where Jesus was crucified.

Although it is not in high demand as a jewelry stone, bloodstone makes fine beads and settings for men & acute rings. In addition to jewelry, bloodstone is used for making cups, vases, and statuettes. Two notable busts of Jesus Christ were carved from bloodstone, and are found in the French Royal Collection in Paris and the Field Colombian Museum in Chicago. The French carving is known for its realism, rendered so finely that the red spots look like real drops of blood.

Both early and modern practitioners of crystal healing have used bloodstone to treat blood ailments. This gemstone is said to symbolize moral courage, and to improve the ability to choose the right path. It is worn by those who are ill, even when there is no hope for recovery, because it helps one to face the truth and to move on from there.

Bloodstone is the alternative birthstone for the month of March. The main source of bloodstone is India, but deposits are also found in Australia, North America, Germany, and Scotland.