The History of Birthstone-how to choose the right birthstone

June 25, 2012 - PRLog -- The lure of birthstones
The basic human have to be compelled to own and we tend toar materials we deem "sacred" or special is what drives us to gather rocks and minerals. maybe this explains the lure of birthstones; how powerful it's to own our month of birth represented by a gorgeous natural gemstone. we are able to own and show our special stone and feel embraced by its beauty. we tend to hope you get pleasure from these facts, legends, and history behind every birthstone.

Difference between minerals and gems
All birthstones are minerals, however why are some minerals thought of gems? apparently, there's no geological definition for the word gem, as a result of a gem could be a human creation. Minerals are fashioned by geologic processes in rocks in their natural atmosphere. once we excavate precious or semiprecious stones, cut, and polish them into specific shapes, they become gems. When a gem is about into metal to be worn on the body it becomes a jewel. many key factors confirm the worth of a gem: To be thought of merit jewellery, the mineral should have rarity, durability, attractiveness, size, and color.

History of garnet
There are many alternative myths regarding the origins of garnet. One such myth suggests that the garnet originated with Persephone, the Greek goddess of sunshine. Persephone was captured by Hades, the god of the underworld. Before Hades released Persephone, he needed to ensure her come back, thus he gave her some pomegranate seeds. The word garnet comes from the Latin "granatus," which suggests seed. subsequent time you eat a pomegranate, you'll notice the seeds' resemblance to garnet.

History of amethyst
According to Greek myth, Dionysius, god of intoxication, was angered by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on subsequent mortal that crossed his path, making fierce tigers to hold out his would like. Along came the unsuspecting Amethyst, a gorgeous maiden on her thanks to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a statue of pure crystalline quartz to shield her from the tigers. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse at the sight of the attractive statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, making the gem we all know nowadays.

History of aquamarine
Aquamarine's name comes from the words "aqua" and "mare," that means water and ocean, from of its intense blue-green color. attributable to its resemblance to the ocean, sailors used to wear talismans product of aquamarine depicting the god Neptune, who dominated the seas. With the assistance of their god, they believed the aquamarine would supply them protection from the weather.

History of diamond
Diamond is that the most acquainted gemstone and it's an upscale and attention-grabbing history. Diamonds are known for his or her prismatic beauty and hardness, and that they are highly valued for these and alternative qualities. At just one occasion, it had been even thought that if you took a diamond into bed with you, it'd cure your illness!

History of emerald
Thousands of years ago, the traditional Egyptians mined the planet, suffering through extreme conditions to seek out the prized inexperienced emerald. Cleopatra was thus taken with these stones that she claimed the mines for herself. In fact, she was known for sporting innumerable huge emerald jewellery, and gave emeralds carved together with her portrait to her vital guests.

History of moonstone
Moonstone could be a sort of the mineral oligoclase feldspar. Moonstone's name comes from the very fact that its shiny iridescent and refractive properties resemble the glowing moon. Moonstone (also known as sunstone) may be blue-white or peach in color. Ancient peoples believed that the stone had mystical properties and will facilitate with non secular awareness. Some even believed that sporting this stone might cause invisibility for the wearer.

History of ruby
The ruby is one among the foremost highly valued of all gems. Ancient Hindus mentioned it as "the king of gems," and royalty used ruby to thrust back evil as a result of it had been believed to own magical powers. One such magical power was that the ruby would get darker within the presence of evil and lighter when the evil was gone—but providing possessed by its rightful owner.

History of peridot
The Arabic word "faridat," that means gem, is where the name for the gem peridot comes from. Peridot's beautiful beauty and bright color caused the traditional Egyptians to decision it "the gem of the sun." it had been believed that peridot glowed with its own inner lightweight even once sunset, which miners used to find the stones at midnight to retrieve them throughout the day.

History of sapphire
Sapphires were believed to own special protecting powers, like preventing envy and protecting the wearer from poisoning. Some ancient cultures even thought that if a sapphire container held a venomous snake, it'd die. additionally, folks believed that sapphire had medical healing properties, like the power to cure colic, rheumatism, blindness, and mental sicknesses.

History of opal
Opals were greatly valued by ancient monarchs for his or her protecting powers. They were worn as jewellery and in crowns to thrust back evil and to shield the wearer's eyesight. The opal was conjointly ingested in a very ground-up powder to shield against nightmares.

History of citrine
The first civilization thought to wear citrine (a yellow sort of quartz) were the Romans, who formed it into cabochon—polished however unfaceted cuts of stone worn in jewellery. throughout the Romantic amount in turn-of-the-century Europe, citrine became a lot of common for the approach it visually enhances gold jewellery. Citrine, like all styles of quartz, was believed to own magical powers and was worn as protection against evil and snake venom poisoning.

History of turquoise
Since regarding half-dozen,000 B.C. when it had been 1st mined by the Egyptians, turquoise has been one among the foremost valuable opaque minerals within the jewellery business. Native Americans and Persians conjointly valued it for its ornamental and decorative beauty. The Navajo believe that turquoise could be a a part of the sky that fell to Earth.