Hi Weaver, Thanks for the post about birthstones.....I've seen sites that show the zodiac vs. birthstones, as I was checking on this myself a few days back. Here is a site with the listings: http://www.thaigem.com/discover_birth.php?engine=over for anyone who is interested. I am just partial to the Alexandrite. My father is a goldsmith/jeweler, and the after my "baby" ring, the first ring he gave me as a child was one with a very big Alexandrite in it. I guess as the time, they weren't as rare and expensive as they are now (which I found out from my aunt, who shares my birthstone).....this gave me a renewed interest in my ring, which I hadn't worn in years. Yes, you are correct about the different color hues, as mine definitely has them and changes colors/hues in certain climates. I guess they are more expensive than diamonds, and to check this out, I looked on a price list my father had, and sure enough, a real Alexandrite was about the cost of a diamond! If it weren't for my aunt (who has tons of jewelry), I wouldn't have known this....as my father had forgotten about that ring he made for me as a child! Needless to say, I love it and that is why I wish they somehow could have done the June doll in this color, rather than pearl! Crystal
the real birthstone for June is an Alexandrite (Pearl is just a cheap version)...Alexandrites are very expensive and beautiful....the color on
them
changes....sometimes its purple with different hues of other colors in
it....
pinks, greens. Also, October is a pink stone...Tourmaline (again Opal is
a
different version, not really a gemstone).
Hi Crystal,
I have to be picky, picky here because I used to make "magical" jewelry and birthstones were a big factor. I've also been collecting gemstones for over 30 years and these kinds of details bother me.
First -- since there are so many traditions there are at least a dozen birthstones for each sign depending on the source so determining just one is arbitrary.
Second -- the "traditional" birthstones, as we know them, were determined by the jewelers association (exact name escapes me at the moment) and it was based on tradition and availability.
Third -- everyone has two primary birthstones: the stone of the month you were born and the stone for the zodiac sign you were born in.
Four -- Good quality ("gem fine") alexandrite is nearly impossible to find so the pearl was chosen as an alternate. I have no idea why. Good alexandrite with 100% color change will go from red, through the purples and blues, to green in different lights. The pale grey/lavender that we see as an example of alexandrite is actually what poor quality alex with no color change looks like. (There are some very good lab-grown alexandrites available now for appx $100. per carat which make them more affordable and they have a really good color change factor. It's the only synthetic birthstone that is acceptable.) Anyone wanting the real thing, mined from the ground, can still find the lavender stones at a fairly reasonable price.
Five -- The October birthstone was/is green tourmaline. It was changed by said jewelers association to pink because of availability/cost. Now days any color tourmaline is considered an October birthstone. The green was chosen when it was thought to be the only color of tourmaline.
Six -- Opal is "really a gemstone" and has been considered the October birthstone for as long as the tourmaline. A ring with opal and pink and green tourmalines is a wonderful birthstone statement! All of the iridescent white fabrics and rhinestones currently available would have made a beautiful gown for Barbie. A gown in true tourmaline pink would be classic Barbie bubblegum pink.
If anyone wants information on their zodiac birthstones, let me know. They are entirely different from the month birthstones.
This is probably much more information about birthstones than anyone wanted to know. LOL. Stones are my thing.
Weaver