So where does the concept of a birthstone for each moth of the year come from? In the jewelry business, we learn about the various gemstones and the months they are associated with so that we may direct customers towards these as viable ideas for gifts…usually in the form of a frantic man whose significant other’s birthday has snuck up on him. But if you ask most jewelers, few actually know the history of these stone / month associations. I assume the reason for this is because the current list of birthstones per/month was set-up in 1912 by the National Association of Jewelers (Jewelers of America), and has predated even the oldest jewelers in the business. Therefore, the list has ‘always been,’ and with so much to learn about the practical applications of running a jewelry business, there’s not a lot of time to delve into the history of such things. Thankfully, I have had the opportunity to learn and relay this information to you, because I’m caught-up with work at the moment and should produce something to earn my keep.

It appears that the beginnings of the birthstones as we know them are ancient, and not surprisingly, far-removed from their initial purpose. Scholars think that the birthstones got their start somewhere around 1480 BC ( 3,502 years ago!) in the form of a breastplate that was worn by high-priests. The breastplate, known as the Breastplate of Aaron, was described in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Aaron, Moses’ brother, was directed to make the breastplate by God. The twelve jewels in the breastplate were each, according to the Biblical description, to be made from specific minerals, none of them the same as another, and each of them representative of one of the specific tribes of Israel, whose name was to be inscribed on the stone. It appears that these stones were, at times, used to determine “God’s will” in particular situations, whatever that means…perhaps the ancient equivalent of flipping a coin.

It was not until the 5th century AD, through the writings of St. Jerome and others, that there was a connection made between the twelve stones in the garment, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel, to the twelve signs in the Zodiac. It was believed that each stone had unique powers, and that wearing the stones at the right time (during the corresponding zodiac calendar month) would benefit the user in therapeutic ways. If we adopted this concept, then each of us would have 12 different stones, one for each month!

In 18th century Poland, when Jewish gem-traders first arrived there, the idea of always wearing the stone of your birth-month was first introduced. It was likely easier to sell an individual stone as opposed to twelve! Still, it took another 200 years or so for the official gemstone list, as we know it today, to be devised in 1912, and that list has remained unchanged until recently. Though discovered back in 1967 in Northern Tanzania, the American Gem Trade Association allowed Tanzanite to join turquoise, zircon (and blue topaz) as another birthstone for December in 2002. The Jewelers of America accepted and approved this change as it promoted the selling of more jewelry.

Below is the modern birthstone list by month:

January Birthstone - Garnet

Second wedding anniversary stone

February Birthstone - Amethyst

Sixth wedding anniversary stone

March Birthstone - Aquamarine

19th wedding anniversary stone

April Birthstone -Diamond

10th, 60th and 75th (it’s possible!) wedding anniversary stone

May Birthstone - Emerald

20th wedding anniversary stone

June Birthstone - Pearl, Mother-of-Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite

30th wedding anniversary stone