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Do you know what your birthstone is? The wearing of ones birthstone is commonly thought to bring good luck or health. Learn more about birthstones below.
Garnet signifies eternal friendship and trust.
Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed, and is called so because of the gemstone's resemblance to a pomegranate seed. Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry as early as 3100 B.C. Garnet actually comes in a rainbow of colors, with the most popular being the deep red of the pyrope garnet and the vibrant green of tsavorite garnet. Today, the most important sources for garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.
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Amethyst is said to keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted.
Ancient
Greeks and Romans believed the stone to ward off the intoxicating
powers of Bacchus. Throughout history, the gemstone has been associated
with many myths, legends, religions, and numerous cultures. Historically,
the finest amethyst featured in royal European jewelry. Amethyst
is purple quartz and comes in various blends of violet and red
that can found in every corner of the earth. Today, while Brazil
is the primary source of this gemstone, amethyst can be found
elsewhere, especially in Zambia.
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Aquamarine's
serene color is said to cool the temper, allowing the wearer to
remain calm and levelheaded. 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. Aquamarine is most often light in tone and ranges
from greenish blue to blue-green with more intense color usually
found in larger stones. This gemstone is mined mainly in Brazil,
but also is also found in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan,
and Mozambique.
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Diamond has been associated with invulnerability and protection.
Diamond
comes from the Greek adamao, transliterated as "adamao," "I tame"
or "I subdue." The adjective adamas was used to describe the hardest
substance known, and eventually became synonymous with diamond.
It is difficult to determine at what point in history the hardest
known substance become diamond. The first diamonds were found
in ancient times in India but now most of the world's diamonds
come from South Africa and Israel.
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Emeralds are thought to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth.
Emerald,
a symbol of rebirth, is derived from the word smaragdus, meaning
green in Greek, and was mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C. Today,
most of the world's emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan,
and Zambia.
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June - Pearl, Alexandrite
Pearls symbolize innocence and a pure heart.
Pearls
have been used as an adornment for centuries. They were one of
the favorite gems of the Roman Empire and are unique as they are
the only gems from living sea creatures and require no faceting
or polishing to reveal their natural beauty. In the early 1900s,
the first successful commercial culturing of round saltwater pearls
began. Since the 1920s, cultured pearls have almost completely
replaced natural pearls in the market.
Alexandrite is said to enhance communication, mental clarity, memory, and perception
A
relatively modern gem, Alexandrite was first discovered in Russia
in 1831 during the reign of Czar Alexander II and is an extremely
rare chrysoberyl with chameleon-like qualities. Its color is a
lovely green in both daylight and fluorescent light; it changes
color to a purplish red in incandescent light.
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