Birthstone Stories

Birthstone Stories: A BLOG Series

If you ask most individuals, they could tell you what their birthstone is without giving it much thought. But beyond the stone itself, how much do people know about their birthstone or how the list of birthstones even came to be? In our blog post series, Birthstone Stories, we aim to provide some insight into the symbolism and specifications of each month’s birthstone along with some fun facts.

The History of Birthstones

Some of the oldest documents detailing birthstones date back thousands of years. The first ‘official’ list intended for commercial use was established in the early 1900s by the American National Retail Jeweler’s Association. Over the years jewelers have modernized the birthstone list to include transparent gems and account for changes in taste and fashion. The new lists are not intended to replace ancient lists, but rather to provide options for the creation of cohesive jewelry pieces, such as mothers rings. The ancient list is still regularly referenced and includes gemstones, ornamental stones, and minerals.

Birthstones for Each Month

As a result of jewelers modernizing the list over the years, several gemological entities have birthstone lists and there can be minor discrepancies between them. For the purposes of this blog series we will reference birthstones as listed below, per the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).