Birthstone

History

Western custom

The first-century historian Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate (signifying the Twelve Tribes of Israel, as described in the Book of Exodus), the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Translations and interpretations of the passage in Exodus regarding the breastplate have varied widely, with Josephus himself giving two different lists for the twelve stones. George Frederick Kunz argues that Josephus saw the breastplate of the Second Temple, not the one described in Exodus. St. Jerome, referencing Josephus, said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19–20) would be appropriate for Christians.

In the eighth and ninth centuries, religious treatises associating a particular stone with an apostle were written so that "their name would be inscribed on the Foundation Stones, and his virtue." Practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month. The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old, though modern authorities differ on dates. Kunz places the custom in eighteenth-century Poland, while the Gemological Institute of America starts it in Germany in the 1560s.

Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity. Tastes, customs, and confusing translations have distanced them from their historical origins, with one author calling the 1912 Kansas list (see below) "nothing but a piece of unfounded salesmanship."

Some poems match each month of the Gregorian calendar with a birthstone. These are traditional stones of English-speaking societies. Tiffany & Co. published these poems "of unknown author" for the first time in a pamphlet in 1870.

Modern birthstones

In August 1912, to standardize birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewelers (now called Jewelers of America) met in Kansas City and officially adopted a list. In 2016, the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America added spinel as an additional birthstone for August. Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths created its own standardized list of birthstones in 1937. In 2021, Japanese industry associations added ten new types of birthstones.

Hindu tradition

Hinduism recognizes a similar range of gemstones associated with birth, though rather than associating a gem with a birth month, gemstones are associated with celestial bodies. Astrology determines the gemstones most closely associated with and beneficial to a particular individual. There are nine gemstones related to the Navagraha (celestial forces including the planets, the Sun, and the Moon), known in Sanskrit as Navaratna (nine gems). At birth, an astrological chart is calculated. Specific stones are recommended to be worn on the body to supposedly ward off potential problems based on the place of these forces in the sky at the exact place and time of birth.

Birthstones by time frame

Zodiacal

Tropical zodiac

Birthday (day of the week) stones

While the term "birthday stone" is sometimes used as a synonym for a birthstone, each day of the week is also assigned a unique gemstone, and these assignments are distinct from the monthly assignments.

Gallery

File:AlmandinInde.jpg|Garnet, the birthstone for January File:Amethyst Gems.jpg|Amethyst, the birthstone for February File:Beryl-gem7-59b.jpg|Aquamarine, the birthstone for March File:Diamond.jpg|Diamond, the birthstone for April File:Smaragd-G-EmpireTheWorldOfGems.jpg|Emerald, the birthstone for May File:Pearl-variety hg.jpg|Pearl, one of three June birthstones File:Moonstone from Africa.jpg|Moonstone, one of three June birthstones File:Alexandrite 26.75ctsCropped.jpg|Alexandrite, one of three June birthstones File:Ruby gem.JPG|Ruby, the birthstone for July File:Peridot-China.jpg|Peridot, the modern birthstone for August File:Sardonyx Inscription.JPG|Sardonyx, the traditional birthstone for August File:Spinel-49528.jpg|Spinel, a more recent (2019) alternative birthstone for August File:Sapphire.png|Sapphire, the birthstone for September File:Lapis Lazuli, Afganistan.jpg|alt=Lapis the traditional birthstone for September|Lapis lazuli, the traditional birthstone for September File:Precious opal (Coober Pedy Opal Field, South Australia).jpg|Opal, one of two October birthstones File:Tourmaline cut.JPG|Tourmaline, one of two October birthstones File:Citrine taillee.jpg|Citrine, one of two November birthstones File:Topaz Minas Gerais MNHN Minéralogie.jpg|Topaz, one of two November birthstones File:Kingmanturquoise.jpg|Turquoise, one of three December birthstones File:Zoïsite (Tanzanite).jpg|Tanzanite, one of three December birthstones File:Zircon-rlkg001a.JPG|Zircon, one of three December birthstones

References

References

1. Kunz, George F.. (1913). "The curious lore of precious stones". Lippincott.
2. Gleadow, Rupert. (2001). "The Origin of the Zodiac". [[Dover Publications]].
3. Knuth, Bruce G.. (2007). "Gems in Myth, Legend and Lore". Jewelers Press.
4. "Birthstone Chart - Modern and Traditional – International Gem Society". International Gem Society.
5. Farrington, Oliver Cummins. (1903). "Gems and Gem Minerals". Mumford.
6. (2009). "Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World". [[University of Chicago Press]].
7. National Jeweler Magazine, "[http://www.nationaljeweler.com/diamonds-gems/supply/4301-ja-agta-add-spinel-as-august-birthstone JA, AGTA Add Spinel as August Birthstone]"
8. (1985). "The Oxford Companion to the Decorative Arts". [[Oxford University Press]].
9. 日本放送協会. link
10. Johari, Harish. (1986). "The Healing Power of Gemstones: In Tantra, Ayurveda, and Astrology". Destiny Books.
11. "Tips & Tools: Birthstones". The National Association of Goldsmiths.
12. "Birthstones For Each Month". [[Gemological Institute of America]].