Birthstones, Gemstones & Shiny Rocks

September Birthstone: The Sapphire

2008-08-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

It is said that the sky is a gigantic blue Sapphire in which the Earth is embedded. The beauty of the velvety blue Sapphire in jewelry is heavenly indeed. Learn about September's Birthstone.

August Birthstone: Peridot

2008-07-25T11:48:00.000-05:00

Used in the jewelry of Egyptian rulers thousands of years ago the bright green Peridot is said to have been the favored gemstone of Cleopatra. Learn about the August Birthstone.

July Birthstone: Ruby

2008-06-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Long considered the king of gems, the ruby is said to symbolize love and passion. The beauty of pure red rubies cannot be matched. Learn about the July Birthstone.

June Birthstone Spotlight: The Pearl

2008-05-06T12:41:00.000-05:00

Before the creation of cultured pearls, the pearl was one of the most highly prized and sought after gems. A great article on the The History of Pearls can be found on the PBS website. According to the article, adapted from the book "Pearls" by Fred Ward, a single pearl earring was used to finance a Roman military campaign during the height of the Roman Empire. Now more available, they are no less beautiful. Read about your June Birthstone, the Pearl.

May Birthstone: Emerald

2008-05-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Emerald has been valued and revered for more than 5000 years. They were worshipped by the Aztecs and Incas, mined by the Ancient Egyptians and valued in India for their healing powers. Learn about the May Birthstone.

April Birthstone: Diamond

2008-03-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

The Diamond is a category unto itself. The world's most popular gemstone and the world's hardest material make sparkling, brilliant and timeless jewelry. Learn about the April Birthstone.

March Birthstone: Aquamarine

2008-02-22T09:35:00.000-06:00

Named for the clear blue sea, the aquamarine has long been associated with harmony and trust. It is a favorite of jewelry designers for its clarity, size and blue color. Learn about the March Birthstone.

February Birthstone: Amethyst

2008-01-30T12:12:00.000-06:00

The rich purple color of the Amethyst reminds of royalty and in fact has been a staple in royal and crown jewelry throughout the ages. Learn about the February Birthstone.

January Birthstone: Garnet

2008-01-02T12:15:00.000-06:00

The deep red color of the Garnet reminds of Victorian era jewelry, though their use traces back thousands of years. Learn about the January Birthstone.

December Birthstone: Blue Topaz

2007-11-21T11:14:00.000-06:00

The wonderful winter colors of this gemstone make the Blue Topaz the perfect December stone. Learn about December's Birthstone.

December's Other Birthstone: Turquoise

2007-11-19T12:15:00.000-06:00

While we list blue topaz as the December Birthstone, Turquoise is also an acceptable December gemstone. While the opaque blue to green stone is historically found and mined in Iran and Sinai, there are significant occurances in the American Southwest and Mexico - which accounts for it's popularity in Native American and Mexican jewelry. The Aztec and American tribes such as the Apache and Navajo prized the stone as did the Ancient Egyptions and Persians. Even today silver gemstone jewelry inlaid with american turquoise is popular in the Southwest.

The most valuable Specimens are more blue than green and do not contain the specks of other minerals often found in the gems. That said, veined or flawed specimens can often make the most stunning jewelry. Turquoise is often treated with waxes to protect the stones and give them a "wet" polished look. Some are treated with resins and dyes. In some cases porcelain and plastic are used as imitation turquoise. While beautiful blue turquoise are a site to behold, a stone that looks too good to be true might be worth closer examination.

November Birthstone: The Citrine

2007-10-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

The wonderful fall colors of this golden gemstone make Citrine the perfect November stone. Citrine jewelry with large fine quality specimens can be bought at very reasonable prices. Learn about November's Birthstone

October Birthstone: The Opal

2007-09-13T14:21:00.000-05:00

It is said that all the best qualities of all the best gemstones can be found in the brilliant and multicolored Opal. These fragile Australian gems are both beautiful and attainable. Learn about October's Birthstone.

September Sapphires? Try Mining Your Own!

2007-09-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

Want a truly unique gift for that September birthday? Why not mine your own Sapphires? At the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine in Helena, Montana visitors can mine through the gravel for sapphires, garnets and other gemstones. If you can't make it to Montana (which you really should), you can order a piece of the mine and dig for Sapphires from the comfort of your own home. Several packages are available - with and without guaranteed gemstones. Directions are provided and a coupon for faceting services - to turn rough stones into jewelry quality stones - is included. This is an incredibly neat gift idea. Their website has much more detail. Visit them here and http://www.sapphiremine.com.

This Bucket of Rocks May Hold Hidden Treasure

2007-03-08T13:06:00.000-06:00

We previously profiled a sapphire mine in Montana where visitors could mine their own gems or buy buckets of gravel to sift through. Now we've found a nice spot in North Carolina where you can mine for Emeralds, Rubies, Aquamarines and other gemstones. You can also order a bucket of gravel from the mine to sift through at home. Looking for an original gift? Nothing says "I love you" like a bucket of rocks. Especially if one of those rocks is a nice gemstone. They even include a certificate for a free cutting with some packages. Check them out here

November Citrine or Topaz?

2006-10-30T14:39:00.000-06:00

A while back we received a sternly worked e-mail accusing us of being part of the Citrine conspiracy. The writer told us that the Citrine was just a cheap imitation of the real November birthstone - the Golden Topaz.

It is true? Are we part of a global conspiracy? It would be fun to part of a conspiracy, but no.

We've talked before about the evolving birthstone calendar and this is a perfect example of that evolution. The problem is that jewelers want to be able to sell you birthstone jewelry and they can't if the supply of stones is inconsistent or dwindling. In other cases certain stones just go out of fashion. Golden Topaz is one of those traditional birthstones which have disappeared from jewelry store display cases along with others such as onyx, moonstone and bloodstone.

The truth about Citrine is that it is beautiful, plentiful and affordable. Learn more about the November birthstone.

October Opals Direct from Australia

2006-10-02T17:25:00.000-05:00

Jewelry stores can be a great source of fine opal jewelry, but there are other ways to get your hands on unique specimens of October's Birthstone. Most of the world's opals come from Australia and many Australian sites offer rough and polished opals in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. We discovered a unique site that brings them all together in an auction style environment. Opal Auctions (www.opalauctions.com) offers a huge variety of opals and opal jewelry from a variety of sellers. When we visited we found some neat looking rough opals and small polished opals for as little as a couple of dollars. Of course you can also spend thousands on some stunning and colorful large opals. Check them out here.

June Birthstone: Pearl

2006-05-29T12:14:00.000-05:00

The only birthstone naturally produced by a living organism. Pearls have long been valued for their rare natural occurrence and beauty. To this day a string of matched natural pearls can be considered priceless. Learn about the June Birthstone

Confused about Birthstones?

2005-08-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

Confused about Birthstones? New Gemstones? The birthstone calendar has and will likely continue to evolve as the world of gemstones evolves. Read the article: The Evolving Gemstones

Not Just Your Month

2005-08-25T13:05:00.000-05:00

Not just your month. There are no rules to buying gemstone jewelry. The jewelry police will not take you away for buying gemstones outside your birth month. The birthstone calendar is a jewelry guide for all seasons. Read the article: Fine Gem Jewelry is for all Seasons.

Welcome to BirthstoneSource.com

2005-08-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

Love shiny rocks? Things that sparkle? Exotic pieces of earth forged in fire and time? So do we! Thank you for reading our first post. Our goal is to encourage the sharing of knowledge and provide regular updates on the world of gemstones, birthstones, minerals and trends in jewelery. If you're interested in joining this blog as a posting member please contact us. We certainly don't have a monopoly on information and we welcome your input.