Your guide to birthstones

Birthstone Star Necklaces featuring amethyst for February and turquoise for December.

Humans have always been enchanted by gemstones — Biblical legend says that the Devil tried tempting Eve by turning flowers in the Garden of Eden into jewels. We’ve been so hypnotized by them that we’ve ascribed specific powers to different stones, wearing them as protective talismans. The same is true for birthstones, stones associated with specific months and said to become even more powerful when worn during your birth month.

To channel a birthstone’s power, or even just wear a little piece of sparkling magic, check out this handy chart:

I love a good chart.

Looking for options? Here’s the full list with some alternatives, too:

• January: Garnet

• February: Amethyst

• March: Aquamarine, bloodstone, jade

• April: Diamond, crystal quartz

• May: Emerald

• June: Pearl, moonstone, alexandrite

• July: Ruby

• August: Peridot, spinel, sardonyx

• September: Sapphire

• October: Opal, tourmaline

• November: Citrine, topaz

• December: Turquoise, blue zircon or topaz, tanzanite

Wear your favorite, or wear someone else’s (like your children or your spouse’s) as a way to keep them close even when they’re far away.

Finding joy

The new Halcott Necklace featuring oyster turquoise.

We’re so deep into this pandemic that it’s hard keeping track of time. Days feel so similar without dinner dates, birthday celebrations, and trips to new places.

Right now I’m leaning hard into surrounding myself with the things that make me happy in order to counter-balance all the not knowing. It’s why our house has has 3 times as many plants as it did in February, why I’m burning candles and incense non-stop, and why all I want are bright, fun colors.

Left: Collage Studs in an oyster turquoise and teal quartz combo; Right: a close up of oyster turquoise

Back before things turned upside down, I discovered a stone called oyster turquoise. I’d never seen it before and instantly fell in love with its cheery color combo, totally unique pattern, and bits of glimmering copper throughout. I’m so glad I decided to get more, because I just finished a new family of jewelry featuring this special stone, and it’s exactly what my soul is craving right now.

We’re all finding ways to cope — for me, it’s too many plants and everything oyster turquoise. I hope you’re finding your own ways to bring joy into your days.

Cleopatra's Emeralds

Left: Still from Cleopatra (1963), 20th Century Fox/Photofest; Right: Emerald specimen, photo by Klaus-Peter Kelber.

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I’ve always been fascinated by powerful women in history, and Cleopatra has to be top 3 on that list. She took Egypt from her younger brother and made herself queen; she had affairs with some of the most famous men in history (Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, no big deal); and she had an impressive collection of gems and jewels. (It’s entirely possible she was reincarnated as Elizabeth Taylor!)

But one of the stones most synonymous with Cleopatra is the emerald. She figured out way before anyone else that in order to command fear and respect, she had to look look the part of an impressive, heaven-sent ruler.  And she did that by owning all the gems and constantly showing them off. 

She scooped up all of Egypt’s mines for herself, using emeralds as her royal calling card, wearing and giving them as diplomatic gifts. The Roman author Lucanus wrote that her home was littered with emerald-encrusted objects, and that she adorned herself with so many that he wondered how she didn’t “faint beneath the weight of gems and gold” (#goals). She had so many that during her time, when you thought of Egypt you simultaneously thought of emeralds. 

If you’re feeling as inspired as I am by this queen of Egypt, I highly recommend watching Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (buckle up, though, it’s a 4 hour movie). Or, dive into more gemstone lore with Victoria Finlay’s “Jewels: A Secret History” where a lot of this incredible information came from. 

The Romantic Rose Cut

Left: Untitled Andy Warhol illustration; Right: Rose quartz and black spinel rose cut stones.

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Gemstones have been enchanting people for thousands of years, and starting in the 16th century people figured out that by cutting and faceting them, you could bring out even more of their beauty. (Have you seen rough diamonds before they’ve been cut? God bless whoever first thought, “Hey, we might have something here.”)

One of the earliest cuts developed was the rose cut, named for the tight, spiraling petals of a rose bud before it blooms. (Once I heard that I was done for.) Triangular facets all over the top of the stone mimic petals, and each one catches the light and sparkles, even on dark or opaque stones.

Rose cut illustration, via Erstwhile Jewelry’s “History of Diamond Cutting”

The rose cut is also more of an old school, antique cut; when cutting technology advanced, you could get more facets and therefore more sparkle out of stones. While newer stone cuts are beautiful, I have a soft spot for the earlier cut, especially when it’s set in a more modern design. I love using them in my own jewelry, and have big plans to use them even more in the not-too-distant future. 

Now that you know its romantic inspiration, have you fallen under the spell of the rose cut, too?