| In the Old Testament, the book of Exodus tells the | | | | July Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby |
| story of the Breastplate of Aaron, used in religious | | | | August Peridot Sardonyx Diamond Sapphire |
| ceremonies. (Aaron...just in case you were absent | | | | Sept. Sapphire Sapphire Agate Lapis Lazuli |
| from Sunday school that day...was the Biblical figure | | | | October Opal Tourmaline Tourmaline Jasper |
| who performed, at Moses' direction, the miracles that | | | | November Yellow Topaz Citrine Citrine Pearl |
| confounded Pharaoh and his magicians.) | | | | December Turquoise Lapis Lazuli Onyx Ruby |
| Aaron's breastplate was adorned with four rows of | | | | Astrologically speaking, your place on the Zodiac is |
| gemstones, three gemstones in each row, in the | | | | more meaningful than your birth month for tapping into |
| following pattern: Sardius, topaz, carbuncle; emerald, | | | | your "power," which has led to the creation of the |
| sapphire, diamond; ligure, agate, amethyst; beryl, onyx, | | | | following list of "Star Stones" related to the star under |
| jasper. These twelve gemstones represented the | | | | which you were born, rather than the day. |
| twelve tribes of Israel. The twelve positions were later | | | | Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Ruby, Agate, Garnet |
| co-opted by astologers who linked them to the twelve | | | | Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) - Garnet, Moss Agate, Opal, |
| months of the calendar year and the twelve signs of | | | | Amethyst, |
| the zodiac. | | | | Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) - Rock Crystal, Sapphire, |
| The Traditional Birthstone List contains these older | | | | Amethyst, Bloodstone |
| birthstones and represents birthstone traditions | | | | Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) - Bloodstone, Diamond |
| heralding back to the 15th century. The Modern | | | | Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20) - Sapphire, Turquoise, Amber, |
| Birthstone List was created by the National | | | | Blood Coral, Emerald |
| Association of Jewelers in 1912 in Kansas City, | | | | Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20) - Agate, Chrysoprase, Pearl |
| Missouri. Gemstone purists complained that the NAJ list | | | | Cancer (Jun. 21-Jul. 22) - Emerald, Moonstone, Pearl, |
| was devised solely for commercial purposes (they | | | | Ruby |
| probably didn't believe in Santa Claus either!). As a | | | | Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22) - Tourmaline, Sardonyx, Onyx |
| result, astrologers who prescribed gems often | | | | Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) - Jasper, Carnelian, Jade, |
| substituted alternate or secondary stones. The | | | | Sapphire |
| Mystical Birthstone list below originated in from Tibet | | | | Libra (Sep. 23-Oct. 22) - Opal, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot |
| over a thousand years ago. The Ayurvedic Birthstone | | | | Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) - Aquamarine, Topaz |
| list is derived from age-old Ayurvedic Indian Medicine, a | | | | Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) - Sapphire, Amethyst, |
| practice of native people for more than a century. | | | | Turquoise, Topaz |
| Month Modern Traditional Mystical Ayurverdic | | | | So whether you choose an emerald from the |
| January Garnet Garnet Emerald Garnet | | | | Breastplate of Aaron, a moonstone from Tibet's |
| February Amethyst Amethyst Amethyst Bloodstone | | | | mystical birthstone list, an opal for its ayurvedic |
| March Aquamarine Bloodstone Jade Bloodstone | | | | birthstone properties, or your very own "star sign" |
| April Diamond Diamond Opal Quartz | | | | representative...may the force (of the birthstone) be |
| May Emerald Emerald Sapphire Agate | | | | with you! |
| June Pearl Alexandrite Moonstone Pearl | | | | |