When looking for jewelry for someone and not knowing what sort of stone to choose many people opt for purchasing something with that person's birthstone. This is generally a pretty safe bet if you're buying for someone's birthday or want to get them a token of your appreciation. When people are shopping for a birthstone these days they are usually looking for the modern choices. But you might be interested to know that there are all sorts of different birthstones for each month according to various calendars.
What is your birth stone?
The first mention of twelve stones that could be said to be birthstones that we know of was in Revelations in the Bible, which includes a list of the foundation stones of New Jerusalem. These are according to the Roman calendar, which is not the one that you will see hanging on the wall in your English course or at your home. Some also believe that the tradition of birthstones came from the ancient druids or even the people of Atlantis. Many of these stones are now included in the list of traditional birthstones. The Jewelers of America put modern birthstones together in 1912 in an effort to find those gemstones and jewels that were most common from all of the existing origin stories.
While most of the jewelry that you will find in the birthstone displays in a jewelry store will be from the modern list, this is not your only option when you're choosing something to give your wife or to a daughter as her first piece of jewelry. Most people are more partial to one kind of stone over another and that is why it's great that there are so many choices when it comes to birthstones. For example, between the traditional, modern, mystical and Ayurvedic option, a person born in August could get a sardonyx, carnelian, topaz, moonstone, peridot, diamond, or sapphire. This makes nearly endless possibilities for someone who was born in that month.
There are also many traditions for when someone should get or wear a birthstone. In Poland in the 15th century it was thought that different stones had the greatest power throughout the year. If you wanted to take advantage of that you would own twelve different stones and rotate them as the months changed. There are also stones according to the day of the week that you were born. If you're interested in getting the right stone for someone special at a jewelry store, you might want to find out more about their different birthstones.
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