50% off premium videos! Read our review…, Bench jewelers work very hard with little or no acknowledgement, creating and repairing treasured possessions. Hayasaka Yoshino is a stone healer that usually works in Tokyo area, Japan. Cultivated pearls are far more attainable than. Deomar Pandan is the author of POWER BIRTHSTONE. Learn more. Few gems have held our attention over millennia as well as sapphire. In earlier times, garnets were exchanged as gifts between friends to demonstrate their affection for each other and to ensure that they meet again. There are in fact three official December birthstones - Turquoise, Tanzanite and Blue Zircon, with Blue … From January to December we have a variety of birthstone rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Tanzanite is a modern birthstone for December, having been added as America’s December birthstone only in 2002, while already recognized as December gemstone in Britain by the time. Get to know the true December stone, as well as the magical powers of all birthstones, when you read my book Power Birthstone. The January Birthstone is Garnet. Always green in color but with considerable variations, a peridot’s particular shade depends on its source. Some of these color combinations are incredible. The International Gem Society (IGS) is the world's top resource for gem professionals, enthusiasts, and industry content. However, blue topaz and tanzanite are also modern options. So, if you want that pearl, turquoise, diamond, and emerald mother’s ring, go for it. The correct question would in fact be, what are the birthstones for December? Crystals common, often barrel-shaped, prisms with flat ends, sometimes bipyramidal; also massive, granular, in rolled pebbles. (And there are also many different types of alternative birthstone lists to choose from). The birthstone color for December is undoubtedly blue. Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is a traditional birthstone for December from as far back as the 15th century. None of the gems on this list or others is the original December gem. April: Diamond. Explore a range of gemological tests… not only will you get familiar with the process but also time-saving shortcuts. Hardness: 5.5-6.5 No other gem comes in as many colors, including multi-colors, as tourmaline, the modern October birthstone. If cold December gave you birth, The month of snow and ice and mirth, Place on your hand a turquoise blue; Success will bless whate’er you do. For example, spinel, citrine, and tanzanite are recent additions to the modern list. Since, Free Engraving on Birthstone Jewelry, Insured Shipping & Lifetime Warranty, Choosing a Ring Style, Setting, and Metal, garnet is commonly associated with the color red, blue is such a popular color for gemstones, Discover the 17 practical steps to gemstone identification (even if you’re just getting started with gemology), Learn how you can use specific tools to gather data, make observations & arrive at an accurate ID. Among the 3 December birthstones, Tanzanite is the most expensive, due to its rarity. Cube and octahedron forms extremely rare. Amethyst is both the modern and traditional birthstone for February. Color: Reddish brown, yellow, gray, green, red; various other colors (including blue) induced by heating. How much do you know all the different December birthstones? January – Garnet. Sources: Occurs naturally worldwide (but rarely); most pearls are cultivated. This December birthstone is a green variety of chalcedony sprinkled with red inclusions, commonly red jasper. This December birthstone is also the zodiac stone for Capricorn, as well as the zodiac sign’s talismanic stone. Major Sources: Brazil, Madagascar, the United States, Australia, India, Namibia, and Nigeria. Other birthstones that are associated with December are turquoise and tanzanite, also brilliant shades of the December birthstone colour of blue. Meaning: spiritual protection. The December gemstone is believed to enhance courage as well as physical strength. Zircon was traditionally the birthstone for December, and remains the December birthstone in modern U.S. gemology, after the gemstone replaced lapis lazuli in 1952. It also is beneficial for those born under Sagittarius, one of the Zodiac signs of December. Even though topaz has a greater hardness (8) than citrine, citrine still makes a more durable ring stone. Readily available and moderately priced, the March birthstone makes an excellent jewelry stone. Learn … Diamond is both the modern and traditional birthstone for April. The December birthstone color is rather obvious. The December stone is a transparent gemstone ranging in color from blue to purple. Sources: Bolivia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Peru, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and Zambia. Although garnet is commonly associated with the color red, these gemstones can be found in almost any color and are popular choices for jewelry of all types. Blue zircon is the most popular modern December birthstone. Consequently, faceted specimens are extremely rare. Color: Colorless, white, gray, blue, blue-green, green, violet, purple, orange, yellow, yellow-green, brown, golden amber, peachy pink, pink, black. This December birthstone is also … You’ll usually find peridot listed as the modern August birthstone. All rights reserved. Lapis lazuli is traditionally a birthstone for December. This birthstone of December is the red variety of corundum, which would otherwise be called sapphire in another color. However, it’s quite a rare mineral. Turquoise was also a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and abundance in many ancient societies. Onyx is a banded chalcedony of black and white, though black is the December stone’s most popular color. Their Pharaohs proudly adorned themselves with the gem as a form of protection, even in the afterlife. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist! Ancient shamans looked to this gem as a talisman of protection, prosperity, and luck. In the United States today, people draw freely from both lists and pick the stones that appeal to them. Lapis lazuli was a modern birthstone of December in the United States of America until February of 2013, when the American Gem Trade Association replaced the gemstone with zircon as December stone. Hardness: 10 Author Hayasaka Yoshino. See what’s inside…. Before the 20th century, all yellow gemstones were called topazes. Crystallography: Isometric; Crystals sometimes sharp octahedra, dodecahedra, and combinations with other forms. Aquamarine is the modern birthstone for March, while bloodstone is the traditional option. Affiliate Disclosure While pearls require special care, they have an enduring appeal for jewelry, particularly as the traditional June birthstone. Sources: Egypt, Myanmar, the United States, Norway, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Australia. | It’s not a single species but rather consists of several species and varieties. Color: Yellow to red-orange, also deep orange and orangey brown. Sources: Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Vietnam. There are overall 9 birthstones of December, the twelfth and last month of the year. Presumably, this made it easier for jewelers to create “mother’s rings,” which feature the birthstones of a woman’s children, in a manner more suited to modern tastes. The aragonite in the nacre of a pearl is orthorhombic, with minute crystals radially oriented and a concentric structure. Topaz is the birthstone for December in the Hindu calendar, and is also listed as modern December birthstone in the West, though there the gemstone’s variety specifically designated to be birthstone of December is the blue topaz. Stands in contrast to this gem as a jewelry stone with minute radially! Species of interest to collectors expensive, due to its rarity red can! Barrel-Shaped, prisms with flat ends, sometimes bipyramidal ; also massive granular! For this January birthstone gemstone mottled with yellow and white, though is... Sprinkled with red inclusions, commonly red jasper reddish purple tanzanite and Andesine 7, finds! 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