Gemstone & Birthstone Guide

Gemstone & Birthstone Guide 

A birthstone is associated with each month of the year and can also be associated with milestone events such as wedding anniversaries. There are many myths and legends about the healing properties of birthstones including heightened powers during its assigned month.

The gemstone guide below is arranged by month and shows at least one birthstone for every month. You can use this information to personalize a gift for someone or for yourself. If the gemstone you are looking for is not listed on our website, simply contact Funan Jewellery representative for a special quote.

If you select multi-color as your gemstone choice, you will receive all semi-precious options with the exception of tanzanite, ruby, and sapphire.

January - Garnet

Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and anniversary gemstone for the second year of marriage. This stone represents friendship. According to legend, if you wear garnets they will improve your personal relationships and protect you from harm. This benefit supposedly doubles if your birthday is in January. They were often used as good luck charms by the bourgeoisie in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe. It was also thought to assure the wearer of love, devotion from loved ones, health, faithfulness and energy. Garnets come in a rainbow of colors, from deep red to vibrant green. The standard color is a medium red.    

  February - Amethyst

Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February and anniversary gemstone for the 6th year of marriage. Fine Amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels. Once believed to be able to prevent drunkenness and protect people from contagious diseases. Also believed to give courage, bring victories to soldiers in battle, and attract favors from those in high places. Other attributes that have been associated with the stone are its ability to soothe the nerves in times of stress, make the wear become calm and gentle and make men successful in business. Amethysts are a purple quartz stone and come in a variety of purple shades including lighter violet to purple with deep red undertones.    

  March - Aquamarine

Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March and anniversary gemstone for the 19th year of marriage. Aquamarine, birthstone for March, derives its name from "sea water". Aqua (water) sparkles like the sea and its color is light to medium blue. Aquamarines were believed to assure love, affection, youth, and health to the wearer of this stone. Aquamarine stones vary in color from greenish blue to blue-green. 

  April - Diamond

Diamond is the birthstone of April and anniversary gemstone for the 10th and 60th years of marriage. The name "diamond" comes from the Greek work "adamas" which means unconquerable-suggesting the eternity of love. Since ancient Greece diamonds have been the traditional symbol of love. Diamond is a colorless stone and the purest of all gemstones. Some believe that if you dip a diamond in water... that water would acquire healing properties. It was also believed that if you dipped a diamond in a mixture of water and wine... the mixture would have the ability to make a person immune to gout, jaundice, and apoplexy. Diamonds have had a reputation for keeping the body in tune with the infinite, which in turn helps a person to withstand the pressures of the material world. Diamond color varies greatly from non-colored to shades of yellow, pink, blue and green. A colored diamond is typically referred to as “fancy” and is generally more expensive than colorless diamonds. Sometimes a treatment is used to add color to diamonds, that is called a lab colored or treated diamond. Funan Jewellery strictly sells natural, untreated, colorless diamonds. If the diamond quality you are interested in is not listed on the website, please contact customer service representative for a special quote.    

  May - Emerald

Emerald is the birthstone of May and anniversary gemstone for the 20th and 35th years of marriage.

Emerald is derived from the Greek word smaragdus meaning green. It is believed to signify rebirth and good fortune.  

  June - Pearl and Alexandrite

Pearl

The sparkling beauty of a strand of pearls has been used for adornment for centuries. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. Pearl is known to many as a symbol of wisdom, wealth, faith, knowledge, and innocence. It has been said that if you wear a pearl next to the skin it will give off a vibration that has healing properties. Pearls come in a range of colors from a sparkling white to a slightly pink overtone to more golden tones, grey or blacks.

Alexandrite

Alexandrite is a fairly modern birthstone as it was discovered in Russia during 1831. With a lovely green or purple color and slight fluorescence, this gemstone may also appear to change color under different lighting conditions.    

  July - Ruby

Ruby is the birthstone of July and anniversary gemstone for the 15th and 40th years of marriage.

The scarlet-colored gem, July's birthstone under the sign of Cancer, is said to accord wearers health, happiness and wisdom, and to bring particularly good luck to gamblers and lovers. Ruby is considered regal and sacred; in ancient India the ruby was called the king of gems. It was said that if you dreamed of a ruby, it indicated success in business and good fortune in money matters. A top quality ruby is a pretty rare find. The color is one of the most important factors contributing to its value. A medium or dark vivid red is the most valuable ruby color. However, the color ranges from light red to reds containing purple and orange undertones.  

  August - Peridot

Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August and anniversary gemstone for the 16th year of marriage.

Peridot according to ancient legend, protects people from evil spirits. Once considered more valuable than diamonds, the Romans wore them as protection from enchantment, melancholy, and nightmares. The Romans called peridot "evening emerald", since its green color did not darken at night but was still visible by lamplight. A peridot can vary in color from yellowish green or brown to a brighter shade or olive toned green.

  September - Sapphire

Sapphire is the birthstone of September and anniversary gemstone for the 5th and 45th years of marriage.

Sapphire symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness, and is an excellent choice for an engagement ring. Sapphire is also considered regal and sacred, since sapphires were worn by kings and queens for good luck. When Prince Charles gave Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring, couples all over the world were inspired to revive this ancient tradition. Their blue color was believed to symbolize heaven. Sapphires were believed to promote peace and happiness between lovers, and promote good health. Blue sapphires typically range from a very light blue to very dark green or purple blue. The most valuable blue sapphires will have a medium to medium dark blue color. Because this gemstone is part of the corundum species it is also found in other colors such as pink, green, orange, purple and yellow sapphires.    

  October - Opal

Opal is a birthstone of October. Opals were once said to bring good fortune because they possessed the colors and powers of all gemstones. Since they are very sensitive to the atmospheric conditions, their brilliancy varies and is determined by the temperature and moisture in the air. Many believers say that an opal has a soul of their very own, and it attunes its soul to that of the person who wears it. Because they have the ability to change colors, people soon began attributing certain myths to each color; for instance, bright colors indicated good fortune and success, while dull and lifeless colors symbolized a warning of disappointment and failure. People believed the opal to be a very valuable lucky stone. Opals range in color from milky white to almost black with contrast flashes of greens, oranges, yellow, ted and blues.  

  November - Topaz and Citrine

Topaz

Topaz is the birthstone of November (Yellow Topaz) and December (Blue Topaz). Blue Topaz is the anniversary gemstone for the 4th year of marriage. Topaz is known as the "stone of strength" because people believed that if you wore topaz it could protect you from any and all accidents that you may encounter when you traveled, keep you from becoming injured in a fire, and get rid of all fears. It was also believed that if you wore it on your left arm or hung it around your neck it could break all enchantments that may have been cast upon you, bring you loads of money, and enable you to receive impressions from astral sources. Topaz can range in color from yellow to smoky browns or the popular light blue shade.

Citrine

An alternative birthstone for the month of November, the citrine stone is a golden toned gem that was supposed to support vitality and health. Citrine comes in a variety of colors including a pastel yellow to a darker brownish orange. These stones are plentiful in nature and therefore are one of the most affordable.   

December - Tanzanite

Tanzanite was discovered during the late 1960s in Tanzania, and found exclusively in this tiny area of the world. Its’ typical rich violet-blue color makes it a treasured gem. The variations in color range from blue to purple with a medium dark tone. As tanzanite is often less expensive than a blue sapphire, it is often purchased as an alternative.