Garnet is the birthstone for January and the gem for the second wedding anniversary. Garnet is derived from the Middle English word, ‘Gernet,’ which means dark red. That term came from the Latin word ‘granatum,’ which means seed. The gemstone’s connection to seeds comes from the red seeds inside a pomegranate. Garnets have a wide array of shades including the traditional red Mozambique and Pyrope, raspberry Rhodolite, green Demantoid and Tsavorite, golden to rosie Mayala and Hessonite, orange Spessartite, and Aurora color changing.

Amethyst is February’s birthstone and the gem for the sixth and 17th wedding anniversaries. It was believed to prevent intoxication. Amethystos means “not drunk” in ancient Greek. Quartz, the mineral family for Amethyst, may be the oldest gemstone known to man dating back to 20,000 BC. This beautiful purple gemstone can range in hues from lilac to deep royal purple and can exist in very large specimens. Today the four major global sources for Amethyst are Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Zambia.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and the gem of the 19th wedding anniversary. It is believed to bring hope, health, harmony, and happiness to its wearer. It reawakens love, kindles friendships, and elevates the spirit. “Aquamarine” is derived from two Latin words: aqua meaning “water” and marina meaning “of the sea.”

Diamond is April’s birthstone and traditionally used for an engagement. Diamonds are the hardest material on earth, 58 times harder than anything else in nature. Diamonds existed three billion years ago and are the only gemstone found in nature with just one chemical element – carbon. D (colorless) through Z (light color) diamonds are most widely used in jewelry, but diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. This precious stone is seen as a symbol of power, strength, durability, innocence, and luck. Today they are mainly found in South Africa, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia.

Emerald is the birthstone for May and the gem of the 20th, 35th & 55th wedding anniversaries. Emeralds are often associated with magic and mystery. They are said to promote a calm and peaceful spirit. Columbia yields some of the finest emeralds in the world and is responsible for mining over 50% of all emerald production worldwide. The other two top countries are Brazil and Zambia.

Pearl is traditional for June as well as the originator – Alexandrite. Often described by gem aficionados as “emerald by day, ruby by night,” Alexandrite is the very rare color variety of the mineral Chrysoberyl. Pearls are the lustrous iridescent version of gemstones, unique all to themselves. They are made up of finely plated crystalline layers called “nacre” and can come from salt water or freshwater, oysters or mollusks, and in many shapes and colors. They are also designated for the 3rd and 30th wedding anniversaries.

Ruby is the birthstone for July and the gem for the 15th and 40th anniversaries. The most renowned rubies are from Myanmar, the Himalayas, and northern Vietnam. They are typically formed in layers of marble. Red is the color of our most intense emotions—love and anger, passion and fury. It’s associated with objects of power and desire—like fast cars and red roses. Early cultures treasured rubies for their similarity to the redness of blood and believed they held the power of life. Ruby is the red version of Corundum, all other colors of Corundum are called Sapphires.

Peridot is the birthstone for August and the gem of the 15th wedding anniversary. The ancient Egyptians mined peridot on the Red Sea Island of Zabargad, the source for many large fine peridots in the world’s museums. The Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Today this gem is still prized for its restful yellowish green hues and long history. Its yellow-green color is dependent on the iron content within the structure of the gem.

Sapphire is the gemstone for September and the gem of the 5th and 45th anniversaries. Sapphire is a member of the mineral species Corundum, which comes in virtually every color of the rainbow, blue being the most common. Sapphire has been associated with Royalty and Romance. In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens were convinced that blue sapphires protected owners from envy & harm. Sapphires have the highest hardness (durability) of all the colored gemstones and exist in every size, color, and price point.

October is Opal as well as Tourmaline. Opal is the world's most popular phenomenal gem. Many cultures have credited Opals with supernatural origins and powers. They contain up to 20% water trapped in its silica structure. Tourmalines are a group of minerals that share the same crystal structure but have slightly different chemical and physical properties so they exist in a wide variety of exciting colors. In fact, tourmaline has one of the widest color ranges of any gem species and occurs in various shades of almost every hue.

Citrine has been a popular gemstone since ancient times and has shared a history of mistaken identities with the other November birthstone, Imperial Topaz. As a result, people thought Citrine had the same powers as Topaz, the ability to soothe tempers and calm the wearer. Its name was derived from the Latin word Citrus and this Quartz can have hues ranging from soft yellow to a dark-orange brown called Madeira.

December has many associated birthstones. The old traditional ones were Turquoise and blue Zircon, and were replaced by blue Topaz over the last forty years. Blue Zircon was a particular favorite in Victorian times when fine gems were often featured in English estate jewelry dating from the 1880s. Zircon found in Australia is the oldest mineral on earth, 4.4 billion years old. They throw light faster than a diamond.