Birthstone Articles - general and specific birthstone gemstone articles, information, and buying tips

• Birthstone Articles - Birthstones - Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the zodiac based on a color system. Color was thought to unleash the power attributed to the stone.
  In time, birthstones became associated with calendar months rather than the zodiac. And people began to select birthstones in colors other than the original. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Garnet is January's Birthstone - Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and the traditional anniversary gemstone for the second year of marriage. Archaeologists have found primitive garnet jewelry among the graves of lake dwellers which dates the use of this popular gemstone to the Bronze age. Today they are mined in Brazil, India, Madagascar, India, Siberia, Africa, Sri Lanka, and the United States.  READ MORE

   

• Birthstone Articles - Amethyst: February's Birthstone - Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February. It can save from deceit and protect a person from baldness. It is also believed to improve the condition of skin of a person too. It occurs naturally as crystals within rocks. Basically, the stones are mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Zambia, and Australia and in the mountains of Russia America. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Aquamarine is March's Birthstone - March Birthstone: Aquamarine Birthstone Properties: Bestows courage, insight, and victory Alternative Birthstone: Bloodstone Aquamarine is the traditional birthstones for March. It is also the accepted anniversary gem for the 19th year of marriage. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Diamond is April's Birthstone - Formed deep within the earth where there is intense heat and pressure, diamonds are simply crystallized carbon. April's birthstone is the perennial first choice for engagement rings, but is it also the anniversary gem for the 10th and 60th years of marriage when eternity bands and other diamond-detailed rings replace original wedding bands. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Emerald is May's Birthstone - Emerald is the birthstone for May and also the anniversary gemstone for the 20th and 35th years of marriage. Some people believe wearing an emerald brings wisdom, growth…patience. It is perhaps this last attribute that may explain why a gift of emerald for an anniversary -- or any occasion -- is symbolic of love and fidelity. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - The Meaning of Pearls - Just like all the other gemstones, pearls carry a meaning. Historically, the glowing white orbs have been associated with the moon. With the high luster and deep color of pearls, it is no wonder why these natural gemstones have been held in such high regard for thousands of years. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Rubies - The Ruby is July's Birthstone - Ruby is the birthstone for July and also the anniversary gemstone for the 15th and 40th years of marriage. The history of ruby mining dates back more than 2,500 years ago, and today the coveted gemstone is found in Burma, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Peridot is August's Birthstone - Peridot is the birthstone for August and 16th anniversary gemstone. Its name comes from the Arabic word "faridat," meaning gem. Peridot is sometimes referred to as an "Evening Emerald" because under artificial light it glows as a brilliant green. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Sapphire is Septembers's Birthstone - Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gemstone given for anniversaries of the 5th and 45th years of marriage. Taken from the Greek word for blue, "sapphirus", sapphires have a time-honored tradition with priests (who considered them symbolic of purity) and kings (who considered them symbolic of wisdom.) READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Opals - The Opal is October's Birthstone - Opal is the birthstone for October and the gemstone given to commemorate a 14th wedding anniversary. The word "opal" for this dynamic gemstone was derived from the Greek word "opallus" which means to see a change in color…because it is, after all, opal's abilty to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light that make it so special. In fact, there are more than a dozen varieties of fiery and iridescent opals. READ MORE

• Opal Care and Information - Natural Opal is silicon oxide (in the form of closely packed aggregates of silica spheres) with a variable amount of water (between 5-15%). In precious opal the arrangement of spheres is in orderly layers, and light passing through the spheres is diffracted at the void and layer interface to produce the vivid play of color associated with opal. Larger silica spheres are associated with more sought after colors, such as red. READ MORE

• Topaz and Mystic Topaz Information - In ancient times, the name 'topaz' refered to any yellow stone. Topaz was first used to describe the mineral that we know today as topaz in 1747 when Henckel described the Saxony deposits. Until the 18th century, the name topaz was often used in refering to our present day mineral peridot. READ MORE

• Birthstone Articles - Turquoise is December's Birthstone - Turquoise is the birthstone for December and the traditional gift to commemorate the 5th and 11th years of marriage. It's color is, of course, is referred to as turquoise, but the hue can range widely from the familiar green-blue to a light sky-blue. READ MORE

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