The lore and attraction of Zodiac gemstones and birthstones is something I want to take a close examine over the coming months, taking each Zodiac sign and month in turn.
There has been a long tradition of assigning gemstones to birth and planetary influences, and whether you believe in this, it does tend to make a nice theme for giving birthday presents of jewellery or jewellery gifts, incorporating the chosen stones! Over the centuries, from the Ancient Greeks and Romans, to the Indian system of Ayurveda, particular stones and gems were believed to mirror the character associated with a individual as well as indeed animals and also plants born under the influence of a certain planet.
Therefore I will commence with the month of May, along with the key sign, and that is Taurus, the Bull. There are many gemstones which are suitable, key among them being emerald. It is in no way exclusive to this specific sign or month because it also shows up in a number of other horoscope signs, nonetheless it’s a gorgeous gemstone to own! Additional gems linked to Taurus include rose quartz, tourmaline, topaz, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli and diamond. I’m going to focus on the lesser-known gemstones, leaving out diamond wedding rings.
The Emerald is considered among the very best gemstones, typically more expensive compared to the same carat of diamond. Part of the reason is the brittleness of the stone which makes it difficult to cut. The green colour is considered to be associated with Spring and regeneration, and with love and passion. Associated with the goddess Venus, it grew to become a well known love symbol. Having said that a double meaning was connected to the offering of emerald – it was used to examine a loved one’s constancy. In the event the individual wearing had been cheating, the gemstone might lose its color! Also, it is the wedding anniversary jewel for the 20th, 35th and 55th year of marriage.
Rose Quartz is called the Love Stone. It’s a pretty pink feminine stone which has associations with self-knowledge and is said to lift depression. A favourite of mine, it is said to allow you to get to know your true self and to be accepting of what you find! Often it is worn as a pendant on a fine chain or silver necklaces for women.
Tourmaline is regarded as a lucky stone, bringing its wearer good fortune and it is also regarded as a ‘friendship’ stone, meant to encourage strong relationships, and therefore it is a nice stone to give to a friend or lover! It comes in many colours including green and red.
The Topaz is also a birthstone for November and Sagittarius, as well as being the wedding anniversary stone for the 4th and 23rd anniversaries. It comes in a wide range of colours, including yellow, blue, red and green. It is not a rare stone, and it is hard, so it is very popular for use in rings, bracelets, necklaces, and so on. Tiger’s Eye is so called because the base colour is brown with stripes of yellow and gold, thus resembling the eye of the tiger when cut and polished. It is a member of the quartz family and is said to protect the wearer from adverse influences. Also, it is connected with children therefore this can be a acceptable gift idea for a child. Last and surely not least, Lapis Lazuli, coming from Latin ‘Lapis’ for stone, and Arab ‘Azula’ which means blue, is actually a lovely gemstone which is normally found made up to be a ring. It had been ground up for paint before manufactured paints were made, but it was very costly to work with. In crystal lore, it can be deemed a gemstone of real truth, so Egyptian judges used it.
A lot of the suppliers featured on my website, www.myjewellerystore.co.uk, currently have most of these wonderful gemstones made up into jewellery, so make sure you look and enjoy!