Diamond Tourmaline

Diamond Tourmaline

There are many different types of birthstone charts and those that you have become with traditionally probably have a modern version that is much different than the older one. A stone is associated with each month of the year and is often used to create jewelry for the wearer to use to signify their birth month. One of the advantages to the flexibility of the birthstones is that if you never really liked your birthstone color when growing up, the modern one that represents your birth month may be a better choice for you.

Birthstone jewelry is enjoyed by the young and the young at heart and makes wonderful birthday gifts since it is created especially for the occasion! Following are the traditional and modern birthstones associated with the twelve months of the year.

Traditional Birthstones By Month:

January-Garnet

February-Amethyst

March-Bloodstone

April-Diamond

May-Emerald

June-Alexandrite

July-Ruby

August-Sardonyx

September-Sapphire

October-Tourmaline

November-Citrine

December-Zircon, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli

Modern Birthstones By Month

January-Garnet

February-Amethyst

March-Aquamarine

April-Diamond

May-Emerald

June-Pearl, Moonstone

July-Ruby

August-Peridot

September-Sapphire

October-Opal, Tourmaline

November-Yellow Topaz, Citrine

December-Blue Topaz, Turquoise

As you can see, not all the birthstones were changed from their traditional stone but the modern stones were adopted officially in 1912 by the American National Association of Jewelers although many jewelers have used the traditional stones in many instances.

Often, birthstone jewelry is created with appropriately colored natural gems or synthetic stones in place of the real gems. Otherwise, jewelry that had the real stone for April (diamond) would be much more expensive than any other stone!

Some of the better brands of birthstone jewelry will include the appropriate gemstones and these are graded on quality in the same way as diamonds. The four C's which stand for color, cut, clarity, and carat weight will help you determine the quality of any of the gemstones.

• Color - relates to how rare the gemstone is as well as its value and quality.

• Cut - this is the way the stone is shaped including round, marquise, heart, and pear-shaped.

• Clarity - the clarity describes how clear the gemstone is and it is based on the number of inclusions, or flaws, that are visible within the stones as well as any blemishes that might occur on the surface.

• Carat Weight - this is the measurement used to determine the weight of the gemstone.

The color of the gemstone that is used in birthstone jewelry is important in two ways: It is important to represent the color of the stone that is designated for the recipient's birthday and it also helps to determine the value of the stone and, therefore, the value of the piece of jewelry.

The colors that occur in gemstones are the result of a variety of factors. The more rare the color, the higher the value of that particular gemstone. Some gemstones are found in a variety of colors and the presence of certain minerals or other elements can cause them to show in different colors. For example, purple color is caused by the presence of iron and/or manganese while green colors result from exposure to the natural radiation in the earth. Therefore, some colors may be found much less frequently than others.

Birthstone jewelry has been given traditionally to mark special occasions for many years and it remains a popular choice in jewelry today as well. When purchasing, consider the characteristics that determine the value of any piece.

Denise Sanger loves jewelry of all types and is the owner of ButterflyJewelryShop.com Denise is always looking for beautiful new sterling silver jewelry pieces including heart jewelry to add to the company's unique jewelry catalog. Denise is located in Sunny North Florida and may be reached at 877-297-9050.

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