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January
Garnet
The
birthstone for January is Garnet which gets its name from the latin
word for pomegranate,
"Granatum", because
crystals in rock resembled pomegranate seeds.The Persians considered
Garnet
a royal stone and primitive cultures believed Garnets could be
used to stop bleeding and
cure inflamation.Garnets occur
in all colors with the exception of blue.Common types of Garnets
are
Almandite, Pyrope, Rhodolite, Spessartite and Tsavorite( green
Garnet). The hardness of
Garnet is 6.5-7.5 on the Moh's
scale and it is the designated birthstone for the 2nd, 5th and
12th
wedding anniversary
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This
month's birthstone is Amethyst , a popular member of the
quartz family and very
affordable.The name comes
from the Greek word "Amethustos" which means
" Not to intoxicate".
Amethyst is also
the designated birthstone for the 1st wedding anniversary.
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March
Aquamarine
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine which comes form the latin word meaning " Sea Water ".
It is the blue to greenish blue variety of the mineral species Beryl. In the middle ages, Aquamarine
wasbelieved to help the wearer conquer all wickedness. Aquamarine is also a symbol of happiness
and everlastingyouth. Stones are commonly cut in sizes from 10 to 30 carats. Main sources of Aquamarine
include Brazil,Africa and Madagascar. It is also the designated birthstone for the 18th wedding anniversary.
Aquamarines hardness is 7 1/2 to 8 with Sulphur being 1 to 1 1/2 and Diamond being 10 on the Moh's
scale of hardness.
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The birthstone for April is Diamond which comes from the greek word meaning unconquerable, a
fitting description of the hardest gemstone known to man. Diamonds are essentially pure carbon that
have crystallized under enormous heat and pressure. In Ancient times Diamonds were thought to give
soldiers great courage and virtue. As far as color goes, Diamonds range from colorless to almost every
hue.The vast majority exhibit a slight hint of light yellow.With the exception of a few rare colors such as
blue, pink and violet, the colorless Diamond is the most valuable. The hardness of Diamond is 10 on the
Moh's scale and it is the designated birthstone for the 10th and 60th wedding anniversary.
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Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.It is another
variety of
the mineral species Beryl.The ancient
Egyptians believed the Emeralds green color stood for
fertility and rebirth and some thought
wearing Emerald would strengthen memory and ward off evil
spirits.Emeralds occurs in shades of green, ranging from light
to dark and from yellowish
to bluish green. Inclusions are acceptable in Emeralds and flawless
Emeralds are very rare.
The hardness of Emerald is
7 1/2 to 8 on the Moh's scale and it is the designated birthstone
for the 20th and 45th wedding anniversary.
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Pearls have
long been popular around the world as "Gems of the Sea". Natural Pearls
from Oysters
are
very beautiful and very expensive. The most common Type of Pearl is the
Cultured Pearl where
a grain of sand or a bead is inserted in the Oyster by man and acts
as an irritant to the Oyster. The
Oyster coats the bead with a substance called Nacre. Usually, the greater
the buildup of Nacre, the
more luster the Pearl will have. Pearls are graded for shape, color,
surface blemishes and luster. Black
Pearls are also available and quite beautiful. The south Sea of China
is a popular source for Pearls as
well as Lake Biwa in Japan where freshwater or "Rice-shaped" Pearls
are harvested. The hardness of
Pearl is 2.5 to 4 on the Moh's scale of hardness.Pearl is also designated
as the birthstone for the 30th
wedding anniversary.
Alexandrite is
the other Birthstone of the month of June and is the color change variety
of the mineral
Chrysoberyl
. Legend has it that it was first discovered in the Ural mountains of
Russia about 1830 and named
after
Alexander II, Czar of Russia. In daylight its color is usually a
slightly grayish, yellowish, or bluish green.In artificial light it changes to a brownish or purplish red color. Sources
are Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Russia. Some stones can be very expensive. There are no known enhancements
for Alexandrite and it has a
hardness of 8.5 on the Moh's scale of hardness. It is also
the designated birthstone for the 55th wedding anniversary.
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MORE
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Amethyst
Diamond
Emerald
Pearl