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July 
Ruby
The birthstone for July is Ruby which comes from the latin word "Ruber" which means red.It is the red variety
of the corundum family. It was believed that the wearer of a Ruby was blessed wuth health ,wisdom and outstanding
success in affairs of the heart. Rubies are routinely heated to eliminate purple and brown overtones and to improve
clarity. The hardness of Ruby is 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness and it is the designated stone for the 40 th wedding
anniversary.
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The birthstone for August is peridot which gets its name from the Arabic word "Faridat" which means "Gem".
The Egyptians used peridot as a gem as early as 1500 b.c. and it was considered the "Gem of the Sea". It was
worn by many to ward offf evil spirits. Peridot has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Moh's scale of hardness and it
is the designated stone for the 3rd wedding anniversary.
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September 
Sapphire
The
Birthstone for September is Sapphire, a variety of the mineral
species Corundum. In ancient times Sapphire
was known as "the
Gem of the heavens". Persians believed the earth rested on an
enormous Sapphire and the
sky reflected its beautifull
color. Sapphires occur in all colors excpet for red wich is Ruby
and are frequently
heat treated to enhance color and reduce
cloudiness. Major sources include Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and
Australia.
Sapphire has a hardness of 9 on the moh's scale of hardness and
the blue Sapphire is the designated
stone for the 15th
wedding anniversary.
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October 
Opal
& Tourmaline The Birthstones
for October are Opal and Pink Tourmaline. Opaltakes its name from the latin
word "Upala" meaning "precious stone".The Romans believed Opal was the
symbol of hope and purity. The Arabs believed
Opals fell from the heavens
in flashes of lightning and thus acquired their marvelous play of color.
Opals are especially fragile and should be treated with care. Major sources
for Opal are Australia, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Opal has a
hardness of 4.5 - 6 on the Moh's scale of hardness and it is the designated
stone for the 13th wedding anniversary.The other "faceted " Birthstone for October is Tourmaline which takes
its name from
the ancient word "Turmali" which means "mixed precious stones".
Tourmaline occurs in all colors with pink
and green being very popular.
Major sources for Tourmaline include Brazil, Africa and the United States.
It has
a hardness of 7-7.5 on the Moh's scale of hardness.
Green Tourmaline is the designated stone for the 10th wedding anniversary
and Pink for the17th wedding .
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November
Topaz
The
Birthstone for November is Topaz which gets its name from the island Topazios
(now called Zabargad)
in the Red Sea. Topazios is a Greek word for " meaning to guess".
The ancient Greeks believed Topaz bestowed
strength to its wearer. It was also believed to assure beauty,fidelity
and long life.Topaz occurs in many colors
including yellow, orange and brown. Some yellow and brown Topaz are
heated to produce pink or red. All blue
Topaz is irradiated or heated to attain its blue color.Major sources
include Brazil, Pakistan and the United States.
Topaz has a hardness of 8 on the Moh's scale of hardness. Blue Topaz
is the designated stone for the 4th wedding
anniversary with Imperial Topaz for the 23rd wedding anniversary.
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December
Blue Zircon
The Birthstone for
December is Blue Zircon.In the middle ages Zircon was worn to promote riches,
honor and
wisdom. It was also believed to
ward off plagues and evil spirits. Zircon occurs in a variety of colors
with blue
being the most popular.They are
brown stones that have been heat treated. Major sources include Sri Lanka,
Kampuchea, Burma,Thailand and Australia.
Zircon has a hardness of 6-6.5 on the Moh's scale of hardness and
Zircon is the designated stone for
the 7th wedding anniversary.
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Whatever the month you see,
its always special to be linked with a gem...
And you can wear them all according to your
taste...
With great pleasure always....
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Peridot