Your Guide To Birthstones

Always a thoughtful choice, birthstone jewellery is fast becoming one of Simon Curwood Jewellers’ most popular categories for gift ideas. In talking with our colleagues, we have found that birthstone jewellery is fast becoming one of the most popular categories in Australia.

In this article, we hope to inform you about what birthstones are, their history and give you the knowledge of what the birthstones are for each month to assist you with your next purchase for your loved one.

What is a birthstone?

Birthstones (also known as birthday stones/birthday gemstones/birthstone gems) are different gemstones that are linked to the month a person is born in. In Australia, birthstones are an extremely popular choice for those wanting to purchase a personal and sentimental gift for loved ones for their birthday or for themselves to wear as an item to represent a loved one such a parent, child, or partner.

It is said that all birthstones have their own stories, healing properties and meanings – making them a fun point of discussion for the wearer.

Birthstone colours are also bright and are a wonderful pop of colour to have in yours or add to someone’s collection.

Over the past few years, we have even seen a rise in couples using birthstones to represent each other either as surprise stones on an engagement ring or set on the inside of a wedding ring.

History of birthstones

Birth-month stones and the use of them can be traced back thousands of years – all the way to Biblical times. It is said that a high priest by the name of Aaron, wore a breastplate comprised of 12 different gemstones to represent the different Isrealite tribes. Upon discovering this information, the historian Josephus ascertained that there was a link between the gemstones on the breastplate and the months of a calendar year.

The International Gem Society notes that throughout the 8th and 9th century, people’s jewellery collections would include twelve stones. Each month one stone would be determined to be most powerful, so it was worn for that entire month and changed for the next month.

The modern tradition of wearing birthstones to represent one’s birth month did not actually commence until recently – the 16th Century in Europe.

BIRTHSTONE COLLECTION

birthstones by month

To assist you in finding the perfect gift for yourself or that special someone in your life, we wanted to provide you with a list of birthstones by month as recognised in Australia. Each birthstone gemstone is believed to have its own energies and meanings which are based on their corresponding month. Keep reading to discover more about each birthstone and what the gemstone means.

JANUARY - GARNET

When looking for January birthstone jewellery look no further than the magical garnet. This amazing birthstone comes in a variety of colours (such as green, blue, and orange) but the most well-known is the classic red garnet.
Garnets have been used in jewellery since the Bronze Age and were regularly featured in pieces worn by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Garnet has been long thought to symbolise love, commitment, and friendship.
February – Amethyst

Amethyst is the birthstone of February and is generally found in the colour purple. Purple amethyst can range in colour from a pastel pink (known as Rose de France) to an almost black, opaque colouring.
Amethyst is one of the most prominent and famous gemstones due to its gorgeous colouring and spiritual meaning. It is said that the amethyst brings its wearer tranquillity and calmness. In Ancient Egypt, the stone was thought to have protective powers and as a result, the gemstone featured in many amulets.
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MARCH - AQUAMARINE

Aquamarine is the birthstone of March and ranges in colouring from a lustrous green-blue hue to a stunning light blue. The name aquamarine comes from the Latin word for ‘seawater’. Aquamarine is said to hold healing properties and symbolises purity, loyalty and hope.
APRIL – WHITE TOPAZ

White topaz is the birthstone of April, it's diamond like appearance makes it an affordable and gorgeous alternative to diamonds!
White Topaz is a resilient gem with a hardness of impressive 8 on the Mohs scale. White Topaz been around for thousands of years, dating back to the times of ancient Egyptians.
MAY – EMERALD

Known as the “jewel of the kings”, the glorious green emerald is the birthstone for May. Mined as early as 330 BC in Ancient Egypt, the emerald was the favourite gemstone of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.
The emerald is associated with hope and prosperity. Legend has it that emerald wearers were endowed with the ability to see the truth ad with protection against evil spirits and spells.
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JUNE – MOONSTONE

Moonstone is the birthstone forJune and a gemstone for new beginnings. Moonstone is associated with feminine energy and intuition.
Found all over the world, moonstone is well-known for its mesmerising blue to white adularescence - a moonlight (or ghost-like) shimmer/shine.
JULY – RUBY

In Australia, the birthstone for July is the gorgeous ruby. The ruby is one of the world’s most coveted gemstones. In Ancient India, the ruby was known as the “king of precious stones” - prized for its rarity, hardness, beauty, and seemingly mystical powers.
A popular choice for a variety of jewellery pieces, the ruby symbolises wealth, passion and health.
AUGUST - PERIDOT

Peridot, the birthstone for August, is associated with harmony, good health, and peace. It comes in a variety of green hues from the traditional neon green-yellow to a darker olive colouring.
In its bright and gorgeous yellow-green colouring, the peridot is known as the “evening emerald” due to its appearance in low-light.
Peridot is also one of the only known gemstones to have been found in space!
SEPTEMBER - SAPPHIRE

Sapphire, the birthstone for September, is the symbol of kindness, romantic love and strength. The sapphire appears in a variety of colours - from shades of blue to hues of pink and everything in between!
The gorgeous stone has adorned the jewellery of royalty for centuries - none more famous than the engagement ring of the late Princess Diana, now worn by her
daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales.
OCTOBER - OPAL

The gorgeous opal comes in two varieties - both white and black. The white opal features muted pastel tones which are highlighted when the light hits in different points of the stone. The black opal features stunning dark tones of reds, oranges, green and blues which turn almost holographic in the light.
NOVEMBER - CITRINE

In Australia, the birthstone for November is the stunning and radiant citrine - a perfect gemstone for jewellery. With earthy tones of red, yellow, and orange the citrine is the perfect gem to suit the summer days of November.
In years gone by, citrine was claimed to be the “success stone” as legend wrote that the stone would bring prosperity to its wearer. Nowadays the citrine is thought to be reenergising and to bring joy to the wearer due to its sunny disposition.
DECEMBER - TOPAZ

Topaz is the traditional birthstone for December as well as the 4th wedding anniversary gemstone; and is often associated with peace, affection and hope.
Topaz is named after the Greek Island of Topazios. Topaz is claased as a gemstone and comes in a spectrum of hues from blue, green, orange, red, pink, and purple. Topaz is know fir its ability to aid in direction, helping the wear to reach their goals fearlessly.