With all the different sources and dealers of birthstones, jewellery designers have some wonderful options to make their designs stand out.
Healing properties
The mystical birthstone chart was originally derived for healing purposes. Crystal healing and metaphysical uses of gemstones are still practised. Jewellers often create jewellery designed to target certain life challenges including health, serenity, spiritual growth, etc.
Twelve – the magic number
If you ask a mathematician, the number twelve is where it’s at. Referred to as the duodecimal or “dozenal,” system, they have written dozens (no pun intended!) of papers arguing for its adoption.
But mathematicians are not alone, either. When you look at human history, the number twelve springs to mind frequently:
- Twelve inches to a foot
- Twelve items to a dozen
- Twelve dozens to a gross
- Twelve troy ounces to troy pound
- Twelve tribes of Israel
- Twelve disciples of Jesus
- Twelve Western Zodiac signs per year
- Twelve Chinese Zodiac signs in a cycle
And, of course:
- Twelve months in a year
- Twelve birthstones to go with them!
Why is customised jewellery so popular?
There are many systems in the history of birthstones, coming from multiple cultures and backgrounds; each has their own origin story. Here are the twelve birthstones and their alternatives:
January
Traditional: Garnet
Colour: Red, brown, black, green, yellow, orange, pink, white and colourless.
Ancient Hebrew: Garnet
Ayurvedic: Garnet
Mystical: Emerald
February
Traditional: Amethyst
Colour: Purple and violet
Ancient Hebrew: Amethyst
Ayurvedic: Amethyst
Mystical: Bloodstone
March
Traditional: Aquamarine
Colour: Green, blue, yellow and pink
Ancient Hebrew: Bloodstone, Jasper
Ayurvedic: Bloodstone
Mystical: Jade
April
Traditional: Diamond
Colour: Colourless, brown, yellow, gray, blue, green, olive, black, pink, violet, purple, orange and red
Ancient Hebrew: Sapphire
Ayurvedic: Diamond
Mystical: Opal
May
Traditional: Emerald
Colour: Green to colourless
Ancient Hebrew: Agate, Carnelian, Calcedony
Ayurvedic: Agate
Mystical: Sapphire
June
Traditional: Pearl
Colour: White, cream, pink, silver, brown, green, blue, black, yellow, orange, gold or purple
Ancient Hebrew: Emerald
Ayurvedic: Pearl
Mystical: Moonstone
July
Traditional: Ruby
Colour: Pink to all shades of red and crimson and also colourless
Ancient Hebrew: Black onyx
Ayurvedic: Ruby
Mystical: Ruby
August
Traditional: Peridot
Colour: Yellow, yellow-green, olive-green, occasionally lime-green, brown, emerald green
Ancient Hebrew: Carnelian
Ayurvedic: Sapphire
Mystical: Diamond
September
Traditional: Sapphire
Colour: Blue, purple, yellow, pink, orange and sometimes red
Ancient Hebrew: Chrysolite
Ayurvedic: Moonstone
Mystical: Agate
October
Traditional: Opal, Tourmaline
Colour: Black, red, purple, green, yellow, pink, blue, gray, and also bi-coloured
Ancient Hebrew: Aquamarine
Ayurvedic: Opal
Mystical: Jasper
November
Traditional: Citrine, Topaz
Colour: Yellow, orange, blue, pink, reddish pink, brown, gray and colourless
Ancient Hebrew: Topaz
Ayurvedic: Topaz
Mystical: Pearl
December
Traditional: Tanzanite, Zircon
Colour: Purple, blue, violet and colourless
Ancient Hebrew: Ruby
Ayurvedic: Ruby
Mystical: Onyx
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