The idea of birthstones – a gemstone assigned to each month of the year – is thought to be an ancient one, and scholars trace it back to the Breastplate of Aaron that was described in the book of Exodus in the Bible.
15“You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen you shall make it. 16“It shall be square and folded double, a span in length and a span in width. 17“You shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz and emerald; 18and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond; 19and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; 20and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. 21“The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes.
Exodus 28:15-21
So, in summary, the Breastplate was a religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The gems were set in four rows of three:
- Ruby, Topaz and Emerald;
- Turquoise, Sapphire and Diamond;
- Jacinth, Agate and Amethyst; and
- Beryl, Onyx and Jasper.
And, with the breastplate being a span in length (about 9 inches) and a span in width (verse 16), that means each stone is to be 3 inches long by 2¼ inches wide — quite an impressive piece.
The writings of Flavius Josephus (1st century AD) and St. Jerome (5th century AD) made the connection between the 12 stones in the Breastplate and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The idea was proposed that each of the gemstones had special powers associated with the corresponding astrological sign, and that wearing these stones at the right time would have therapeutic or talismanic benefits.
This was still not quite the same idea as our modern concept of the birthstone. Based on this astrological model, one ought to own a collection of the 12 different gemstones assigned to the signs of the zodiac and wear the appropriate gem during the ascendancy of the corresponding sign. This is more like the Vedic astrological tradition of India, which assigns 9 different gemstones to 9 planets and prescribes the wearing of particular gems according to a person’s state of health and the challenges that they face in life.
The idea of each person always wearing a gemstone corresponding to the month of their birth is a distinctly modern idea that scholars trace to 18th century Poland, with the arrival of Jewish gem traders to the region. Yet the modern list of birthstones was not defined until 1912, by the National Association of Jewellers in the UK and Jewellers of America in the USA.
The modern birthstone list has been unchanged since 1912. Only recently have we seen two attempts to change it, both curiously associated with the gemstone Tanzanite. In 2002 the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) announced that they had added Tanzanite as a birthstone for December, though December already had two birthstones (Turquoise and Zircon).
The world had clearly come a long way from the purported magical powers of astrological gemstones.
In February 2006, Tanzanite One Ltd., the aspiring Tanzanite cartel, announced a marketing strategy to make Tanzanite a birthstone. Tanzanite One wasn’t content for Tanzanite to be merely another birthstone. They wanted to go further – they wanted Tanzanite to be given on the birth of every child, regardless of the month. With the slogan “Be Born to Tanzanite,” they cited rather contrived connections to Masai tribal birth practices. At this point we can safely say that the commercialisation of birthstones is complete.
To see individual months and their stones please use the links below: