Birthstones and Their Meanings for July through December
Birthstones are special gifts based upon the month a person is born into. Birthstones are often thought to be embued with unique and, perhaps, magical qualities that are imparted to the wearer. The use of birthstones has been going on for thousands of years. And while each month has its traditional main birthstone, there are many alternative gems to commemorate a person's birthdate. This add to the fun of giving and receiving a birthstone...
July - The birthstone for July is the ruby. The word ruby is derived from the Latin name for red. This gemstone traditionally stands for protection and harmony. This birthstone has been mined since ancient times, and is a member of the "four major gemstones" - Diamonds, sapphires and emeralds being the other three.
Pink to deep red in colour, any ruby can make a stunning birthstone. But the most prized ruby has a red color called Pigeon Blood Red. These gems have a unique, vivid and fiery appearance that would delight anyone. Rubies have a hardness of 9.0 with on the Mohs scale and is a variety of corundum (aluminium oxide).
Alternative birthstones for the month of July are Jade, Carnelian and Onyx.
August - August's birthstone is the beautiful green peridot, sometimes referred to as "poorer brother of the emerald." Peridots are commonly thought to be a protection against evil and night terrors. And many believe, the gem will enhance the properties of healing drugs.
Usually thought of as lime green, peridots can range in color from yellow-green to olive to brownish green. This birthstone is a by-product of volcanic action, and is a variety of forsteritic olivine. The Mohs Scale hardness for this gemstone is 6.5-7. Some think this birthstone gives off a unique energy.
Alternative birthstones for the month of August are Aventurine and Sardonyx.
September - Sapphire is the birthstone associated with September. This is a versatile gemstone. Not only is it beautiful as a natural gem, but commercially produced sapphire is used in making durable windows, and Semi-conductors. Sapphires are associated with faith and purity, as well as foresight. It was once thought that the stronger the sparkle of the gem, the more faithful and honest the wearer.
These birthstones look stunning in all types of jewellery, but are most often set in white gold and platinum metal.
Sapphires are actually another variety of the mineral corundum, which is an aluminum oxide. Depending upon What other elements are present, sapphires are not only blue in color, but can also be yellow, pink, purple, orange or green. Mohs Scale hardness for sapphire is 9.0, making them very durable gemstones.
An alternative birthstone for September is Lapis lazuli.
October - The birthstone for October is the opal. This is an unsual gemstone for opals contain water up to 20% percent of its make-up! Opals arealso the national gemstone of Ausralia. It is believed that opals reflect purity, hope and innocence. This gem has also been linked to healing forces and friendship. Conversely, some believe this stone is an eveil one, unless given as a gift Or the owner is born in October. This last belief may stem for Opal's relative fragility.
While many think of opals as being a white filed that refelcts a dallzing array of colors, Opals actually ranges from clear through white, gray, red, yellow, green, shore, blue, magenta, brown, and black. Its Mohs Scale hardness is 5.5–6.5.
October's alternative birthstone is Pink Tourmaline.
November - If you were born in November than your stone is topaz, usually in its yellow form. And if you live in Utah, you might also be interested in topaz, as this is the state's gemstone. Associated with healing, and the life force, the ancient Greeks also connected topaz to physical strength. And a very powerful speciman of topaz has the ability to make the wearer invisible intimes of danger...
This birthstone comes in a vaiety of colors, besides yellow including golden, blue, pale green, pink and red. Topaz has a Mohs Scale hardness of 8 and glossy luster. Still, because of a tendancy towards developing cleavage flaws, it must be handled with some care.
An alternative birthstone for November is Citrine.
December - The birthstone for December is turquoise. This precious stone is associated with happiness, fortune and luck,and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years due to its unique hue. The origin of the word turquoise is from either the word(s) for Turkish (Turquois) or dark-blue stone (pierre turquin). Whle there is no turquoise found in Turkey, in the 16th century Turkish bazaars often sold the sky blue stone which maybe Why the stone's name is associated with this country.
Turquoise can range in colour from mid-blue to a green-blue or light green colour. The Mohs Scale hardness ranges from 5-6 and this stone has a tendancy to fracture. So some care should be taken in handling turquoise. Often set in silver, turquoise is lovely in almost any type of jewelry. It was one of the first gemstones to be mined by ancient man.
Alternative birthstones for December are Lapis Lazuli, Tanzanite and Zircon.
Giving a birthstone to commemorate a person's birthday has been a long tradition and a fun one. And whether you give the main birthstone or one of the many alternatives for a particular month, there is no doubt that the recipient of a such a gift will love the gemstone you choose. The ancient meanings tied with each of these birthstones gives them a quality that is impossible to achieve with any other gem.
To learn about the birthstones for the months January to June, please visit: Birthstones for January to June.
About the Author: Scott Harker is the publisher of several websites including: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, View Videos On Any Subject, To The Stars - Astronomy, In The Garden, and Pin-up Artists.
Birthstones for July to December
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