The Untold Truth Of Birthstones

If jewelry and gems are a little intimidating, then there's a pretty easy entry point for just about anyone: birthstones. A casual search will quickly land you on a list of each month's unique stone (or, in some cases, multiple stones). If you're looking for a gift to give a special someone in your life, then that's an easy solution. But where did the idea of birthstones come from, anyway? And how can you be so sure that this list is right?

Turns out there is some historical truth to the concept, but things in the birthstone world can get complicated fast. Depending on your birth month, you may have only one gemstone to pick or a relatively wide variety. That list may also depend on which gem association or tradition provided it. According to the American Gem Society, most standard birthstone lists reserve garnet for January, amethyst for February, followed by bloodstone or aquamarine for March. April and May have diamond and emerald respectively, while June babies can pick alexandrite or pearl.

July has ruby and August is represented by peridot, spinel, or sardonyx. September has sapphire. October births merit either tourmaline or opal, while November gets citrine or topaz. December is the most chock-full birthstone month, with a slate of blue-hued choices including blue zircon, blue topaz, tanzanite, lapis lazuli, and turquoise. This may all seem like a lot, but there's even more to learn. This is the untold truth of birthstones.

Beliefs that play into our modern understanding of birthstones aren't restricted to Biblical or European contexts. In fact, some early Hindu religious documents link religious belief and gemstones, including the very idea that some stones are assigned to individuals based on the time of their birth. According to the International Gem Society, the fifth-century Ratna Pariksha text specifically links various gems with different individuals and categories, including gods, specific days of the week, and planetary bodies.

Nine specific gems, known collectively as the Navaratna, are especially interesting in the context of Vedic religious belief. "Ancient Astrological Gemstones and Talismans" maintains that these traditionally include ruby, pearl, coral, emerald, yellow-hued sapphire, diamond, blue sapphire, hessonite (a type of garnet), and cat's eye (which can be a variety of gems but is often chrysoberyl, per Britannica). Associated with planets, these gems can then be linked to one's astrological chart in the Vedic tradition and, therefore, produce an individual's uniquely powerful stone. According to lore, wearing the correct gem can put one in harmony with the universe and potentially even repel the ill effects of certain planets or other cosmic forces while looking pretty good, too.

Clearly, tracking down definitive sources for the backstory of birthstones is pretty tricky. People have been mining shiny rocks out of the earth for thousands of years, after all, giving our species plenty of time to come up with stories and associations for these sparklers (without providing proper documentation). But there may be an often-ignored link here: early modern Europe.

According to "Gems and Gemstones: Timeless Natural Beauty of the Mineral World," writer and gemologist George Frederick Kunz claimed that the link between birth months and gemstones came about in 18th-century Poland. However, perhaps because sourcing was a bit different in 1913 when he published his volume, Kunz didn't provide any clear sources for his claim.

Still, Jewish religious traditions in the region may hint at a basis in reality. There is, of course, that mention in Exodus of Aaron's priestly bejeweled breastplate. And it is true, as "Gems and Gemstones" notes, that there was a large population of Jewish people living in Poland after migrating there throughout the 18th century. Later, in the 19th and early-20th centuries, many of these people then moved to the United States. Shortly thereafter, the contemporary idea of birthstones, especially as it was formed by the gem and jewelry industry, began to form. It's a circumstantial link, to be sure, but one that may help explain how migration, Hebrew scriptures, and Jewish culture could have brought the idea of birthstones to America.

Let's say that you're an August arrival, but maybe you're not exactly a fan of August's peridot. Or it could be that none of December's bevy of birthstones really appeals to you, even though you can now pick from blue zircon, blue topaz, tanzanite, turquoise, or lapis lazuli, depending on which list you consult (via International Gem Society).

You may cast your eye towards other people's birthstones, but beware. Some traditions maintain that stones like October's opal are only lucky for those born in the right month. Anyone else who disregards this lore may find themselves in trouble, as the stories claim. Opals seem to be the target for many of these stories, with their many different colors and complex interplay of light through the gem's silica-rich depths. However, "Gems and Gemstones" notes that it's also fairly fragile, and it could be that its tendency to ominously shatter led to its less-than-stellar reputation. Even Queen Victoria wasn't reportedly immune from its effects, as when a malfunctioning opal brooch supposedly threatened to reveal rather too much of her royal body at her coronation.

Then again, you may remain skeptical, especially if the opal's unique, shimmering look is especially beautiful in your eyes. Take heart, then. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports that this superstition may only go back as far as the 19th century and, in fact, may have been completely invented by novelist Sir Walter Scott in 1831.

Though the path to today's birthstone lists comes through a variety of cultures, people, and places, you can pin a lot of the credit on one man: George Frederick Kunz. According to Atlas Obscura, Kunz was the vice president of jewelry giant Tiffany & Co. in 1913, when he wrote "The Curious Lore of Precious Stones," which had been preceded by the 1909 volume, "Natal Stones: Sentiments and Superstitions Associated with Precious Stones."

Though Kunz clearly had some interest in marketing and selling gemstones to the public, his motivations behind his writings were more complex. In reality, Kunz believed that "natal stones" should be kept special and separate from crass marketing ploys. In "The Curious Lore of Precious Stones," he wrote that the "spirit of commercialism" could forever alter the unique lore of birthstones. If everyone dove headfirst into the capitalistic side of things, he said, "there is grave danger that the only true incentive to acquire birth-stones will be weakened."

What's more, he said this sort of drive would cheapen not only the industry but perhaps even the human spirit and its sense of sentiment. "Nothing is more likely to destroy it than the conviction that it is being constantly exploited for purposes of commercialism," he wrote.

As one of the few birthstones to remain stable throughout the many lists that have been issued throughout the years, January's deep red garnet gem has a rich scientific and cultural background. And that background reaches pretty far into the past, considering that it's featured in ancient and modern jewelry, according to the Gemological Institute of America. Garnets have been found in ancient Egyptian and Roman jewelry and appear to have been popular amongst the showy upper-class folks of medieval and Victorian-era Europe. One particularly spectacular piece is a hair comb donated to the Smithsonian in 1937, which is fairly encrusted with the red gems, including an especially large one in the center.

Those classic red garnets are actually just one variety of the gemstone and are known more specifically as pyrope; other types of garnet can be almost purple, pink, yellow, brown, green, orange, and even clear (via University of Waterloo). As for the less scientific properties of garnet, the Gemological Institute of America notes that some believed that garnets would clear one's mind, banish bad thoughts, and even reduce inflammation — though modern medical doctors will probably still cast a skeptical eye over many of these claims.

Moonstones, one of three generally accepted birthstones for June, were reportedly believed by some ancient Hindu people to be made from moonlight, per the GIA. It was also a popular stone in both ancient Roman adornments (via the American Gem Society) and much later works by 20th-century Art Nouveau jewelers. According to the 1903 "Encyclopædia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World," this gem also has a few occult associations and was reportedly linked to the success of Frances Hodgson Burnett, the British writer who would eventually become famous for her novels "The Secret Garden” and "A Little Princess." The moonstone is also the state gem of Florida, thanks to its tangential connection with the Apollo space program. Never mind that moonstone is not found naturally in Florida (or on the moon, for that matter).

If the historical and mystical pedigree of moonstone still isn't your bag, then rest assured that June has at least two other birthstones, depending on the list you consult. According to the American Gem Society, those born in June can also pick pearl or alexandrite as their birthstone of choice.