The birthstone is a very popular gem to give as a gift during birthdays. These stones are used in a wide range of products today, ranging from figurines to accessories. Many people buy birthstone gifts for others without realizing that this practice has been around for quite a long time. The connection was made by a Jewish historian named Josephus during the first century.
Josephus noticed that the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate-a sacred garment worn by the High Priest of the Israelites according to the Book of Exodus-to the months in one year and the related zodiac signs. There was some discrepancy due to different Exodus translations, with Josephus himself ciphering two different lists of birthstones from the passage.
The original practice was to keep twelve birthstones and wear one each month. It was just a few centuries ago that the switch was made to wearing only one stone – the one representing the wearer’s birth month. Birthstones were standardized in 1912 by the National Association of Jewelers. This US-based organization met in Kansas and developed much of the list we use today.
The Many Myths of Popular Birth Stones
Perhaps it comes as no surprise that these gorgeous crystals that are so adored throughout the world would also come with many legends and myths. Some cultures believed specific stones had mystical powers or abilities. January’s garnet was believed to end bleeding and protect anyone who wears it from blood illnesses and poison.
Leonardo Da Vinci believed that February’s amethyst was capable of dissipating evil thoughts and improving the wearer’s intelligence. March’s aquamarine was sometimes carved into amulets of Neptune by sailors who thought that such a trinket would protect them from dangers on the open water. The stone’s coloration also tends to associate it with the sea.
Diamonds, which are April birthstones, were described by ancient Greek and Roman stories to be splinters from falling stars or tears of the gods. The Romans also associated May’s emerald with fertility and rebirth. The Egyptians believed that that the gem held the power of endless youth and often buried it with their beloved pharaohs.
June’s pearl has a somewhat romantic backstory created by the Arabians. The tale states that the jewel was kept by the oyster because it was a drop of the moon, which the creature had fallen in love with. July’s rubies darken when danger is near or, in some stories, when a lover has not been faithful. August’s peridot was believed to protect the wearer from negative powers and to cure heart diseases.
Some cultures believed that the world sat upon a bed of September’s blue sapphires, which was why the sea and sky were of the same color. October’s opal was considered a sign left by ancestors by the Aborigines in Australia. November’s citrine was thought to protect the wearer from evil thoughts and to cure urinary and kidney ailments. The twelfth stone, December’s turquoise, was used to guard Native American burial sites and was thought to relieve mental tension and stress. There are many more stories and myths that follow each stone, lending these exquisite gems more meaning and significance to those who wear and cherish them.