A young
Roman wife receives a sapphire from
her husband, who is
about to leave on a journey. The sapphire,
he believes, will help her remain devoted
to him
while he is gone.
An English prince suffers from a
terrible stomachache. His servant
holds an aquamarine over him
and chants, hoping the gem will heal
the prince.
A nobleman from India touches
the ruby inside a pouch worn next
to his skin.
He is convinced the ruby is his ultimate protection from harm as he fights in
battle.
Around the world and throughout
the ages, people have noticed and
appreciated the beauty of gemstones,
often assigning these gems special
powers. But how did
certain gemstones become associated with the months of the year? Historians
think that the first written record
comes from the book of Exodus in
the Old Testament.
Here, the breastplate of the Hebrews' high priest is described as having twelve
specific gems, one for each of Israel's twelve tribes.
Over time, gems with
special colors became associated
with the twelve signs of the zodiac,
which correspond roughly with the
months of the year. Each sign
has
its own name and its own characteristics. Those born under a particular sign
are thought by some people to be influenced by that sign and to share common
traits.
The custom of wearing birthstones
probably first became popular in
Poland in the fifteenth or sixteenth
century. For more information about
the history
of birthstones, try The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by George Frederick
Kunz,
a fascinating compendium of all the powers that have been associated with gemstones
through the ages. For example, everyone originally may have worn the birthstone
for each month, since the powers of the gemstone were heightened during its
month. If that is true, to get the full effect, you need to go out and get
a full set
of twelve and rotate them each month.
Most gem scholars agree that the
tradition of birthstones arose from
the Breastplate
of Aaron: a ceremonial religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented
the twelve tribes of Israel and also corresponded with the twelve signs of
the zodiac and the twelve months of the year. "It was square -- a span
[22 centimeters] long and a span wide -- and folded double. Then they mounted
four rows of precious
stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the
second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; in the third row a jacinth,
an agate and an amethyst; in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.
They were mounted in gold filigree settings. There were twelve stones, one
for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with
the name
of one of the twelve tribes." (Old Testament, New International Version,
Exodus, Chapter 39, vs. 9-14)
Because ancient people did not always
classify gemstones by mineral species
like we do, there is some debate
about which gemstones
were set in the breastplate
and why. Because of this, different cultures around the world have developed
different birth stone lists. The modern day list that you know is only the
most
recent list: some older lists still exist. Some also argue that the proper
way to assign gemstones is according to astrological sign and not month.
It is more
fun to choose the gemstone that speaks to you from all the possibilities. |
