Birthstones for April and May

What is a birthstone?  The association of one gem to each month and the idea of wearing your “birthstone,” started long ago – between the 16th and 18th centuries.The National Association of Jewelers released a list of so-called “modern birthstones” in 1912 in the United States.

Wearing your birthstone is supposed to bring you luck. However, if you don’t like your birthstone there are alternatives. There are a variety of birthstone lists these days, so you have some choice – traditional, modern, stones associated with your zodiac sign, etc.  Traditional birthstones include a mix of transparent and opaque gems, the modern list features only transparent gems.

Traditional birthstone choices for April are diamond, opal, and sapphire, but you can also consider rock crystal (quartz) or another white/clear stone like white topaz. The birthstone for May is the emerald – another expensive stone!   An alternate choice for May is agate – available in lots of colors.

The Zodiac signs of Aries and Taurus include nine additional stones to look at: bloodstone, topaz, jasper, coral, amber, turquoise, emerald, aventurine, and garnet.

Stones based on the Zodiac are:  Aquarius (1/21-2/21) – garnet, Pisces (2/21-3/21) – amethyst, Aries (3/21-4/21) – bloodstone, Taurus (4/21-5/21) – sapphire, Gemini (5/21-6/21) – agate,  Cancer (6/21-7/22) – emerald, Leo 7/22-8/22 – onyx, Virgo (8/22-922) – carnelian, Libra (9/22-10/23) – chrysoberyl/peridot, Scorpio (10/23-11/21) – beryl, Sagittarius (11/21-12/21) – topaz, and Capricorn (12/21-1/21) – ruby.

Sun Signs and Star Signs will provide even more choices – have fun!

May also ushers in the wedding season!  Many brides prefer handmade and handcrafted items for their wedding and reception.   I generally use sterling silver and karat gold in creating my jewelry designs, although I can use other metals and materials on request.  I create all my jewelry by hand in silver and gemstones.   Pearls are considered traditional jewelry for weddings and I can offer a selection of freshwater pearls or costume pearls in a variety of necklace and earring designs.  More on Pearls in my next blog post.