Ah, the beauty of gems! Irresistible in the eyes of some, simple colored pebbles in the eyes of others, they even have “power” according to certain beliefs.
While Western popular culture piques his interest in astrology, witchcraft, and other concepts that are more esoteric than scientific, THE “luck stones” they are in turn gaining traction on the TikTok and Instagram pages of prominent young people. But what exactly is it? And where does it come from, again?
The historical origin of the symbolism of “luck stones”
Giving particular meanings to stones and their colors is nothing new: it has been done at least since ancient times. As for the association of a gem with a birthday monthAlexis Coin, gemologist of the French jewelery house Gemmyo, traces the origin of this belief back to Figaro :
“Two authors, Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of 1st century AD., and St. Jerome, the translator of the Bible into Latin, would have established an analogy between the 12 stones mentioned in sacred texts and their correspondence with the 12 months of the year. »
It is therefore of the Old and New Testaments from which this belief would come. And since it could allow brands to sell more and more different jewellery, it has obviously been used for marketing purposes by many jewelery houses, until today!
So much so that in 1912 the American Association of Jewelers published a list of birthstones in 1912…at the urging of George Frederick Kunz, gemologist at the influential jewelry house Tiffany & Co. at the time.
It should however be noted that the origin of this symbolism may have been engraved in rock for nearly 2,000 years in the West, this has not prevented translations and interpretations from varying over time, and therefore the famous birthstones change according to the times! Oops.
Consequently, I might as well tell you that all of this is to be taken in hindsight, and as potential inspiration for making your pick among all the gems, one more beautiful than the other, that might catch your eye.
Which precious or precious stone corresponds to your birth month?
- January : garnet.
- FEBRUARY : amethyst.
- March : aquamarine.
- April : diamond (expensive for a birthday present, right?)
- May : Emerald.
- June : pearl or moonstone.
- July : ruby.
- August : peridot.
- September : sapphire.
- October : tourmaline or opal.
- November : citrine.
- December : tanzanite or topaz.
Do you speak the language of stones?
Let’s talk about “precious stones” to designate only diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. And if we can still hear the expression “semi-precious stones” to designate other gems, this name is no longer relevant since a decree approved in France in 2002.
Rather, we are talking about “fine stones” to designate agate, amber, citrine, garnet, jade, jasper, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, quartz, turquoise or even tourmaline.
This will avoid translation and comprehension problems should ever an irascible jeweler want to show you all the colors.
Front page photo credit: pexels-mikhail-nilov-6931883
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
