Birthstones – The Enchanting World of Colored Birthstones by Month

July 25, 2022

‘Birthstones’, as the name implies, are the precious colored stones that hold symbolic affiliation to our birth, or more precisely, to our birth month. Each of the twelve months of the year has been dedicated to a unique birthstone or more. The specific month birthstone is believed to shower those born in the month with exceeding fortunes and a strengthened fortitude.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE BIRTHSTONES

As we know of them today, the birthstones hold their first traces of origin the Biblical references. In Exodus 28, Moses, a prophet of God and the first High Priest of the Israelites, was instructed by God to prepare a crystal breastplate for his brother Aaron, the priest. It was supposed to be encrusted with 12 stones. Each stone is to be engraved with a unique name of the children of Israel. Adhering to the specifications, Moses bejeweled the breastplate with 12 precious gemstones, including a diamond, a sapphire, an emerald, an onyx, a jasper, and more, spreading them across four rows. Considered a shield of judgment, Aaron was supposed to adorn this breastplate every time he went to a holy place to pay his tributes to the Lord.

Over time, these twelve gemstones were associated with twelve months of the year, signifying a particular relevance to that month. In 1912, with an intent to standardize, the ‘The Jewelers of America’ organization incorporated a new list of the 12 astrological birthstones, holding on to a few gemstones from biblical times and dropping off a few others. Today, this modern compilation is religiously adhered to and regarded as the most sacrosanct and definitive astrological birthstone chart across the globe.