Legend and Facts

January Birthstone = GARNET - the gemstone of faith, truth and constancy. Healing properties: cures depression, enhances sensuality and sexuality. Protects against bad dreams, relieves hemorrhages and infections. Heals fever and inflammations. Legends: it has been said that a garnet engraved with the figure of a lion is an effective charm that preserves health, brings honor to the wearer and guards from all perils of traveling. Ancient warriors believed that garnet brought victory. In Christianity, a blood red garnet is seen as a symol of Christ's sacrifice. Signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend. Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed and is called so because of the gemstone's resemblance to a pomegranate seed. References to the gemstone dates back to 3100 B.C., when the Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry.

February Birthstone = AMETHYST - the gemstone of stability, peace, balance, courage, sincerity and inner strength. Healing properties: relieves pain, cures headache and insomnia, hals arthritis and problems in the circulatory system. Cures withdrawal symptoms of all kinds of addictions. Legends: It's the gemstone believed by ancient Greeks and Romans to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus (god of wine and revelry), also it is said to keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted. It is also believed that if a person drank from an amethyst cup or goblet, he or she wouldn't get drunk at all. In Feng Shui, the amethyst enhances the wealth corner focusing on the giving and receiving material wealth.

March Birthstone = AQUAMARINE - the gemstone of intelligence, calm, serenity, courage, foresight and happiness. Healing properties: water in which aquamarine had been soaked was used to heal heart, stomach, liver, throat and mouth diseases. In the middle age it was used to reverse poisoning.Legends: Romans believed Neptune (god of the sea) considered this stone sacred. Believed to have been washed onto shore from jewel boxes of sirens. The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea. This gemstone was believed to protect sailors, as well as to guarantee a safe voyage.

April Birthstone = DIAMOND - the gemstone of protection, happiness and wealth. Healing properties: Used to enhance energy. Believed to provide a sense of balance, clarity and abundance. In the middle ages, diamonds were used to heal brain and pituitary gland related diseases. Legends: The Greeks believed diamonds were crystallized lightning, star splinters or tears of gods. Egyptians believed that the vein of love (vena amoris) runs from the heart to the left hand's third finger, hence this is where diamond is usually worn. Ancient Hindus believed diamonds to have been created by lightning bolts.

May Birthstone = EMERALD - the gemstone of patience, luck, faith, memory, insight and youth. Healing properties: antidote to panic attacks, enhances cognition, provides eye relief, said to prevent epilepsy, antidote to poison, stops bleeding, cures fever and provides spine relief. Legends: associated with the resurrection by early Christians. Dedicated to the goddess Venus by ancient Romans. It's a symbol of rebirth, is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. Emerald, derived from the word smaragdus, meaning green in Greek, was mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C.

June Birthstone = PEARL - the birthstone of wisdom, integrity, purity, wealth, fidelity and spirituality. Healing properties: heals ulcer and ashtma, antidote to insomnia, memory loss and infertility. Cures heart, stomach, spleen and intestinal problems. Legends: wearing pearls on the day of the wedding promises marital bliss. Ancient Greeks believed pearls dropped from Aphrodite when she emerged from water. In ancient mythologies they believed pearls are drops of heavenly dew and in other beliefs they are tears of mythological beings such as nymphs, mermaids ans angels.

July Birthstone = RUBY - The gemstone of wealth, wisdom, health, devotion, happiness, vitality and love. Healing properties: cures infections, heals blood problems, dispels sadness, improves self-esteem, detoxifies the body, blood and lymph nodes. Legends: eastern legends have it that Ruby cantained the glod of life and called it a "deep drop of the heart's blood of Mother Earh." In parts of Asia it is believed to be self-luminous thus called a lamp or glowing stone. In the middle ages, rubies were believed to darken in color in order to warn its owner of a looming misfortune.

August Birthstone = PERIDOT - The gemstone of loyalty, dignity, protection, love, fame, influence, honesty and truth. Healing properties: wards off fear and depression, heals lungs, lymph, breast and sinuses problems. Protects from evil spirits and nightmares. Legends: Egyptians Priests drank a special beverage called Soma from Peridot cups, believeing this draws them closer to the goddess of nature, Isis. Believed to be Cleopatra's most favored gemstone. Greeks believed peridot gave royal dignity to its wearer. In Hawaii, peridot symbolizes Pele's (the goddess of fire and volcanoes) tears.

September Birthstone = SAPPHIRE - The gemstone of Truth, sincerity, constancy and purity of soul. Healing properties: Heals burns and inflammation; eases rheumatism; works against har and envy; eases hearing problems; lowers fever; improves good mood; wards off impure thoughts, temptations and depression. Legends: Ancient Persians believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire; The Ten Commandmens were believed to have been inscribed upon tablets made of sapphire; ancient priests used sapphire to predict the future.

October Birthstone = OPAL - The gemstone of power, prosperity, growth, influence, fame and love. Healing properties : cures eye infections; prevents fainting; maintains healthy heart; wards off evil and nightmares. Legends: Hindu legend has it that Opal was once a beautiful woman desired by Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Eternal turned her into a creature made of mist, which each of the love struck gods endowed with a color: blue (Brahma), gold (Vishnu) and red (Shiva)> The wind swept away the lovely mist and it later became a stone that shimmers with the colors of the rainbow; Arabs believed opals fell from the heavens in flashes of lightning; Thought to make its wearer invisible, hence it was thieves' and spies' chosen talisman.

November Birthstone = TOPAZ - The gemstone of constancy, loyalty, friendship, strength, happiness and spirituality. Healing properties: cures fever, colds, asthma, gout and insomnia; anger management; strengthens the mind; improves visio; alows spiritual and emotional rejuvenation; cures blood disordes.Legends: Ancient Egyptian belief held that their sun god Ra imbued the topaz with a golden radiance, giving the gemstone great power to guide and protect the faithful; Greeks believed topaz had the ability to provide strength and power in times of need; Ancient lore has it that topaz can reduce heat even cooling boiling water.

December Birthstone = TURQUOISE - The gemstone of prosperity, happiness, honesty, spirituality, strength, serenity, creativity and rebirth. Healing properties: cures teeth, lungs and throat problems; heals infections; improves vision/heals eye problems; antidote to depression. Legends: Ancient Persians believed that a new moon reflected on the surface of a turquoise brought good luck. The Navajo indians believed that a turquoise thrown into a river could bring rain and the Apache lore has it that a turquoise when attached to a gun or a bow, ensured perfect aim.