Birthstones Guide

Each month of the year correlates to a specific birthstone. It is believed that the origins of birthstones date back to the Breastplate of the High Priest written about in the Old Testament. The breastplate had twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. It was thought that these gemstones were also connected to the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Throughout the centuries, there have been many myths and legends about birthstones and their healing powers.

At our H&T Pawnbrokers and Shop Online stores we have a range of gemstones. Here are the birthstones for each month and some interesting facts about them:

January

Garnet - Myth has it that garnet has the power to ward off evil spirits, magic and dreams, and if danger is approaching, your garnet will lose colour to warn you.

February

Amethyst - Throughout history it is said that this purple stone has powers to protect the wearer from intoxication, poison and disease.

March

Aquamarine - Aquamarine gets its name from the Latin for water and sea as its colour is similar to seawater.

April

Diamond – This well-known gem is the hardest material on earth.

May

Emerald – Takes its name from the Greek word ‘smaragdos’ which means green stone

June

Pearl - Formed inside molluscs such as oysters and can take up to seven or eight years to develop.

July

Ruby - Large rubies are rarer and more difficult to find than large diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. This means that the value of a ruby increases with size more than any other gemstone.

August

Peridot – Many gemstones come in a variety of colours but peridot is always pale lime green colour.

September

Sapphire - These are not just blue, they come in every colour but red. Sapphires in colours other than blue are referred to as fancy sapphires.

October

Opal - Truly distinctive because each individual gem is a unique one-of-a-kind colour combination.

November

Topaz – Its name signifies a bright shining fire and it is believed to have a wide range of curative powers.

December

Turquoise - The word turquoise means Turkish stone because Turquoise was brought to Europe from Turkish bazaars.