Birthstones

The concept of birthstones is an ancient one, with many religious scriptures mentioning stones that offered special abilities or were connected to important events in mythology. Often a connection was drawn between the twelve months of the year and the twelve zodiac signs. People have always revered gemstones for their beauty and also associated them with mystical powers to avert dangers and provide good luck.

This provided the back drop of creating a list of stones tied to specific months of the year, and became an important marketing tool to promote certain gemstones. The gemstones associated with each month have evolved over time, due to availability of the material and popularity of the stones. For example, as tanzanite became popular due to Tiffany & Co.’s extensive marketing efforts, it was added as a birthstone for the month of December, in 2002. Why December? I have a strong feeling that this is due to the fact that December is the month of Christmas and the New Year, a time for celebration and gift-giving; ideal to combine a birthstone with a jewelry product then!