Birthstones Chart from Harris Michael Jewelry

Birthstones from Harris Michael Jewelry: A thoughtful way to show your family they are loved.January:GarnetNearly everyone thinks of garnet as a red gem, but in fact this family of gemstones is available in all colors except blue. Garnets offer enough variety in appearance to suit every taste.February:AmethystAmethyst is a variety of quartz, ideally deep medium purple with rose-colored flashes, however, itg ranges from pale lilac to nearly black purple.March: Aquamarine The ideal color of aquamarine is a refreshing sea blue. If you are looking for a big, durable gemstone, aqua is readily available in larger sizes and is truly dramatic when cut in regular or oval shapes.April:DiamondEven though the diamond is the hardest gemstone known to man, it is the simplest in composition: it is common carbon. The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth.May:EmeraldThe emerald is known as the Queen of Gems, and the Gem of Queens. The most prized is pure green or slightly bluish green. Emeralds are often characterized by a garden of included crystals trapped within them.June:PearlA pearl is the product of an oyster's defense mechanism: when a foreign irritant is introduced naturally or by man (cultured), the oyster immediately surrounds it with layers of substance called nacre. This forms the exquisite gemstone known as pearl.July: RubyRubies were thought to contain a glowing spark struck from the planet Mars. Ancient lore held that the ruby was capable of curing illness and reconciling lovers' quarrels.August: PeridotPeridot is sometimes referred to as an Everning Emerald, because under artificial light the stone glows as a brilliant green. Choice peridot is transparent and its color varies from yellow green to brilliant light green.September: SapphireSapphire, a variety of corundum, comes in all colors except red, with the most popular being deep blue. Rare orange, pink, and lavender varieties, along with rich velvety blue, are the most expensive.October: OpalThere are more than a dozen varieties of fiery and iridescent opals. In fact, its trememdous color spectrum is the major reason for the opal's mysterious attractiveness. The most popular have a white body color with flashes of many colors.November: CitrineCitrine is a variety of quartz; colors range from pale yellow to yellowish-brown and Madeira red. The most popular fashion colors are the vivid yellows and oranges. It is often mistaken for yellow or golden topaz.December: Blue TopazMost people think of topaz as a transparent golden yellow gemstone. However, this gemstone also occurs colorless as well as orange-yellow, red, blue and pink. The name topaz is derived from the Greek word meaning to shine and also implies fire.