Birthstones

Where does the tradition of birthstones come from? Over the past few centuries gemstones have been associated with different months of the year. It is believed by many cultures that wearing the gemstones that represents your month of birth will bring good luck. In my opinion it is lovely to honour this tradition but also to really personalise a piece of jewellery.

So what are the birthstones and why might you choose them?

January birthstone- Garnet

Garnet is most commonly a deep red but can also be found in orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, blue, pink and colourless. The rarest colour is blue. There are many suggestions as to symbolism of the garnet but the most common themes are truth, purity, faithfulness and friendship.

Garnet originates from Sri Lanka, India, Africa, Uruguay, US and Brazil and its name may have come the Greek word ‘Granatum’ meaning pomegranate

February birthstone- Amethyst

Amethyst is an iconic purple known for its glassy lustre. It comes in all shades from pale to violets and deeper purple. It is said to bring healing, wisdom and importantly calm.

It’s linked to Gemini and Virgo star signs.

March birthstone- Aquamarine

Aquamarine is strongly linked to its namesake- aqua- as its appearance is much like looking through crystal blue seas. Its hues are not limited to blue, but have essences of green and turquoise flashes too. This gemstone is said to be the stone of courage and intuition.

April birthstone- Diamond

Is there anything quite like a diamond and its unique sparkle? This versatile gemstone is known for engagement rings, of course it is not limited to that though. It is a light-capturing vision in all jewellery. Unsurprisingly, people believe it represents faithfulness and love. Whether it’s the focal point or a partner to a pop of colour, you can’t go wrong with whichever cut or shape diamond you choose.

May birthstone- Emerald

This extremely delicate gemstone is up there with the classics- diamond, ruby and sapphire. Its green is iconic and has featured in many pieces of jewellery for centuries, often then passed down to future generations to inherit and wear or redesign. Over time, people have believed that emerald provides inspiration, balance and patience to those who wear it.

June birthstone- Alexandrite

Alexandrite is rather understated but is starting to become more popular. There’s no other gemstone quite like alexandrite, which has rare colour changing qualities. Depending on the light it flashes greens, yellows, blues and purples. It’s no wonder that this gemstone apparently aids creativity and inspires the imagination- the colours alone are mesmerising.

July birthstone- Ruby

Ruby- another classic icon! This is known for its deeper reds, but can also range from prink to brown hues too. Being a 9 on the Mohs scale makes it a good gemstone to daily wear, and looks great in birthstone or 40th anniversary jewellery.  The depth in colour connotes the image of love, as well as energy. On top of that, it’s said to be lucky for Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Aries zodiac signs.

August birthstone- Peridot

Peridot’s lime green is like no other; its known for this flamboyant and vivid nature. Choosing peridot in a piece of jewellery is perfect for bold and bright characters.  This unique gemstone is known for being an amulet to protect against sadness and draw out joy and growth.

September birthstone- Sapphire

Sapphire is often known for the classic blue tones, however, this gemstone is remarkable and comes in all colours of the rainbow. It has been used in jewellery for centuries and will continue for many more. Especially nowadays, people are more adventurous with their colour choices where teal and pink are frequently picked. This versatile gemstone brings good health.

October birthstone- Opal/ Tourmaline

Depending on which you identify with most or prefer, opal and tourmaline are both options for October. And they both have beautiful qualities! Opal has a translucent colour play which can also be blues and blacks, not just the popular creamy white. On the other hand tourmaline is known for its bright green, but also comes in blush, pinks, plums and bi colour. A particular favourite is a watermelon tourmaline.

November birthstone- Yellow Topaz or Citrine

As with October, this month also has 2 choices. The thing that links them is their orangey/yellow colouring. Topaz’s history is potentially linked to Roman times, where it is said they discovered the stone in the island of Topazos in the Red Sea. Citrine is a yellow quartz and can be pale or brighter. This is most commonly created by heat treating amethyst. Both bring their own warmth and shine to bespoke jewellery.

December birthstone- Blue Topaz or Tanzanite

Another with 2 options- now on the blue spectrum. Blue Topaz is most known as  Sky, London and Swiss. Each are as captivating as the other and look fabulous particularly in rounder cuts. According to some, it is said that Topaz connects to long life and intelligence. Tanzanite on the other hand has really interesting qualities and history alike. Mined only in the foothills of Tanzania, this enigmatic purplish-blue is often bought by people as a token of their travels. It is most common in circular cuts- like oval and brilliant- too.