January's birthstone, garnet, is derived from the Latin “granatum” meaning “pomegranate” because the crystals resemble the fruit's red color and seed-like form. Ancient warriors believed that garnets brought victory to the wearer, and provided safety during travel. Garnet comes in many colours including green and yellow, however, red is the most popular colour.
February, month of the Amethyst, a deep purple jewels said to strengthen relationships and give courage to its wearer. At one time, only royalty could wear Amethysts and purple is still, to this day, considered the colour of royalty.
March — month of the Aquamarine, which derives from the Latin word for seawater. Those born in March are said to be blessed with serenity, majesty and the calm energy of Aquamarine.
April, month of the diamond, a symbol of everlasting love, was once thought to bring courage, balance, clarity and abundance.
May, month of the Emerald, a jewel said to provide soothing energy, freshness and vitality for the spirit. 💚
June, the month of Alexandrite, a jewel named after Russia’s Prince Alexander II because it was discovered on his birthday in 1830. With flashy flecks of green & red (which happened to be Russia’s military colours), it became their national jewel. I doubt they'd have liked it when, years later, someone renamed it Chrysoberyl 😟. This one is also an ambigram!
July, month of the Ruby, representing passion and vitality. ❤
💚💛 Peridot, the birthstone of August, said to stimulate clarity and inspire a sense of happiness, calm & contentedness. Aside from diamonds, it's the only other gemstone formed, not in the Earth’s crust, but in molten rock brought to the surface by earthquakes and volcanoes. It morphs between green, gold, olive and lime-green and is especially pretty when set in gold.
If your birthday is in September, you have the sparkliest array of sapphires from which to choose: yellow, orange, purple, black, blue, pink and green. The yellow sapphire signifies creativity, focus and manifesting goals & ambitions throughout the seasonal shift of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere and Fall in the Northern.
October is month of the Opal, which derives from the Greek ‘opallos’ meaning ‘to see a change’. The spectacular changing colours in opals signify love, passion and desire.
November, month of the Topaz which derives from the Sanskrit 'tapas', meaning fire 🔥. Said to bring lasting energy, joy and abundance, this symbol of love and affection comes in soft yellows, orange, red, blue, pink, violet, green, brown and colourless. It's also the month of my mother's birthday, so I devote this pared-back design to her.
Deriving from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-coloured', Zircon is popular in blue, yellow, colourless and a variety of subtle shades.
