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Lots of people are interested in
finding out what their birthstone is Dear oh dear, did we have trouble ! It seems like there are about a million lists (well, hundreds anyway) that link specific crystals with specific star signs of the zodiac and/or month. A bit of history is probably called for here so that we can understand why there are so many lists. But before we get into this - if you want to see
the list that
Many thousands of years ago, people from various cultures worldwide were performing healing with chants, herbs, spells, plants, crystals (actually, minerals to be more precise) and many other forms of "natural" healing. Leaving aside the lists of herbs and plants, minerals began to be thought of as having specific healing properties and certain minerals were considered to be the bringers of good luck whilst others were thought to be more useful in warding off evil. Still others were useful for bestowing strength and many others were seen to help in other various ways. As and when Gemstones themselves were discovered (Rubies, Diamonds, Emeralds, Sapphires etc) and became more widely spread around the world, these were thought to be even more powerful healing stones because of their clarity and rarity. Things carried on in this way until around 1,300 BC when some of the stones seemed to have acquired a religious significance. How this came about, probably no one is really sure, but it is usually said that, at the time, the twelve tribes of Israel, as mentioned in the book of Exodus, each became associated with a specific stone. So here is one of the first, or at least earliest lists, linking gemstones to specific tribes. In the list below, the modern names of the stones are given. The twelve Tribes of Israel
Astrology, as we know it in modern Europe, was developed about 3,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians and later, "borrowed" from them by the ancient Greeks. The Egyptians originally developed the zodiac signs that we know today based upon their observations of the night skies and the observations of their repetitive lifestyles. They could see that each group of stars, that they likened to an animal (with the exception of Libra, the weighing-scales) took around 30 days to pass across the skies and therefore they devised a system of 12 "sky segments" each of 30 days length (total = 360 days) and each represented by its own sign. This was thousands of years before we had our modern 12 month calendar ! Exactly when these zodiac signs became associated with crystals, and whether this was before or after 1,300 BC and the twelve tribes of Israel, no one is really sure. However, shown below is another ancient list linking birthstones to zodiac signs. Early Zodiac Signs and Birthstones
Also around the same timescale, 1,300 BC - 1,500 BC the great Indian tradition of Vedic astrology became associated with crystals and gemstones linked to Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and shown below is a listing of these Ayurvedic birthstones. Ayurvedic Birthstones
Things stayed pretty much the same way until the 18th Century (i.e. the 1700's) when there was somewhat of a revival of interest in star signs and their associated birthstones amongst the general public. The jewellery trade was quick to pick up on this and many "alternative" birthstones found their way into jewellery. Come the 20th Century, and in 1912 the American National Association of Jewellers adopted an official list of birthstones by calendar month, which is still in use in America today. This list is shown below. The 1912 the American National Association of Jewellers List
In 1937 the British National Association of Goldsmiths followed the American idea and adopted their own official list of birthstones, also by calendar month, which is still in use in the UK today. This list is shown below. The 1937 the British National Association of Goldsmiths List
Of course the more cynical among you may believe that the above two lists, the American list and the UK list, represent only the interests of the jewellery trade and are designed to ensure that something is sold all year round ! Even if we leave aside Chinese astrology and North American Indian astrology, there are still many other lists out there. Two that particularly caught our attention were birthstones by day of the week and by hour of birth ! Birthstones by Day of the Week
Just to complete the record, a more or less "standard" UK modern star sign chart nowadays looks like this....unless of course you live in America....or India....or China....or Russia....or....?
So where does all this leave us when we want to know what our "real" or our "true" birthstone is ? Sadly, the answer is usually .... lost and confused ! - and we haven't even yet touched upon choosing a birthstone by colour, by synthetic stone, by association with the planets, by sun sign, by moon sign, by precious stones, by semi-precious stones and by many other crystal associations - the lists are endless ! All that we would say is that no matter what all the charts and all the lists in the world may tell you, go with the crystal that really calls to you, the stone that really speaks to you, that piece that you are really drawn to - for that crystal is trying to tell you something and you may find endless possibilities open up for you by choosing the crystal that is truly "meant" for you... ...and not just the one that is "supposed" to be meant for you ! Enjoy your crystals, but enjoy the ones you have truly connected with even more. With Lots of Love and Bright Crystal Blessings, Steve & Mo.
Check out the list that
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Birthstones
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