Behind the Jewelry

September Birthstone

Traditionally, a birthstone is associated with each month of the year. For example, the birthstone for January is a garnet, while lucky babies born in April get a diamond as their birthstone.

The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The current list dates back to 1912 with only one addition since then – the tanzanite was added to December.

There are numerous legends and myths about birthstone healing powers and their therapeutic influence. According to these legends, wearing a gemstone during its assigned month heightened its healing powers. For the full effect, individuals needed to own all twelve and alternate them monthly.

Sapphire

Sapphire, the September birthstone, has been popular since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm. Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize heaven, while commoners thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings. Blue sapphires range from very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as various shades of pure blue. The most prized colors are a medium to medium dark blue or slightly violetish blue. Sapphire is a variety of the gem species corundum and occurs in all colors of the rainbow. Pink, purple, green, orange, or yellow corundum are known by their color (pink sapphire, green sapphire). Ruby is the red variety of corundum.

Healing properties of the Sapphire - The gemstone of creative expression and inner peace and meditation, the Sapphire also aids in personal expression and the alleviation of pain.

Happy Birthday Virgo

Virgo - the Virgin

8/23 - 9/22

Basic Traits:

Virgo's have keen minds, and are delightful to talk with, often convincing others of outlandish tales with ease and charm. Virgo's are inquisitive and are very skilled at drawing information from people. This trait also makes them naturally intuitive. Combine this with their remarkable memories, and we see an advanced, analytical personality. However the Virgo needs balance in their lives otherwise they may become short-tempered, impatient and self-serving. Virgo's are excellent teammates in work and social activities. They work well with others, although they freely express their opinions (even when unwarranted).

The Deeper Meaning:

Every sign rules a part of the body, Virgo the intestines. This provides a vital clue as to the function of Virgo within the whole of humanity. Think of what the intestines do. They take in energy in the form of food, and break it down into its constituent parts. Then they analyze the components and see how they can be made to be useful. Perhaps some will be combined with others, some will be stored for later use, and some will be eliminated as being useless. Virgo takes in substance and discriminates between what is useful and what isn't, and works with it so that it may be more useful still, and thus be of service to humanity. That's the key to it all - service.

Following Leo in the zodiac, Virgo can often enact or bring to fruition what Leo organizes or decides. Virgo usually prefers to exercise a supporting role rather than a managerial one.

Consider the sign opposite, Pisces, which symbolises the waters of life from which we came. Pisceans may have no boundaries, no form, and may feel at home with chaos. As a general rule, Virgo hates chaos, but may be strongly drawn to it! This may raise compatibility issues in love relationships. The challenge for Virgo is to create order out of chaos so that it can be serviceable, but at the same time realising part of its desire to order an unruly world may arise out of fear. Not all of human reality, not all of experience, can be reduced to neat little packages. If it could, much of the wealth and miracle of mystical experience would be lost.

The ease or otherwise with which Virgo fulfills its goal may be shown by other planets in the birth chart. Suppose you have the Moon in Sagittarius for instance. To feel safe (which is what the Moon in us wants) you would need a sense that life is bigger than everyday experience, that there is a religious or philosophical framework within which life makes sense, and you may be moved to travel a lot to enrich your experience. But this might rest uneasily if you have Sun in Virgo which might regard such experiences as a waste of time and of no practical use. So a tussle is set up within you, and you have to learn to hon our all aspects of your nature.

August Birthstone

Peridot

Peridot is said to host magical powers and healing properties to protect against nightmares and to bring the wearer power, influence, and a wonderful year. As peridot is a gemstone that forms deep inside the Earth and brought to the surface by volcanoes, in Hawaii, peridot symbolizes the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes. Today, most of the peridot supply comes from Arizona; other sources are China, Myanmar, and Pakistan. This gemstone comes in several color variations ranging from yellowish green to brown, but most consumers are attracted to the bright lime greens and olive greens. Peridot, in smaller sizes, often is used in beaded necklaces and bracelets.

Healing powers of the Peridot - Healing stress in relationships, lessening anger and jealousy, and slowing aging, the Peridot promotes abundance and prosperity.

Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a form of onyx and is recognized by its layers of reddish brown and white banding. It was popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans who carried into battle talismans of sardonyx engraved with images of heroes such as Mars or Hercules, believing that this would bring courage and victory. Because of its attractive banding, sardonyx has long been used to fashion cameos (carved raised figures) and intaglios (the reverse of cameos).

This gemstone is found throughout the world. The most attractive specimens are found in India, but material also is mined in Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, and in the United States.

Happy Birthday Leo

Leo - the Lion

7/23 - 8/22

Basic Traits:

The zodiac signs and meanings of Leo is about expanse, power and exuberance. Leo's are natural born leaders, and they will let you know it as they have a tendency to be high-minded and vocal about their opinions. That's okay, because if you observe, the Leo is usually correct in his/her statements. Leo's have a savvy way of analyzing a situation and executing swift judgment with a beneficial outcome. It comes from being a leader. They are brave, intuitive, and also head-strong and willful. Beneath their dynamic persona lies a generous, loving, sensitive nature that they do not easily share with others. They might be a bit bossy, but those who know them understand this comes from a source need to do good, not (usually) from an inflated ego.

The Deeper Meaning:

Leo emphasized in your birth chart indicates your task is to be as the Sun in the solar system. Consider what the Sun does. It holds everything in place with its magnetism and gravity. It gives out warmth and light to all. It is reliable - it rises in the morning and sets in the evening. Everything benefits from its radiance. Leos, at their best, radiate warmth wherever they go, in such a way as to enhance the lives of those with whom they associate. This they do simply by being themselves rather than as the result of a conscious intention. The reputation that Leos have for being self-centered or egotistical has some reason for its existence, but at their best, Leos know that the appreciation of others is worthless unless it is a response to a genuine warmth exuding from them.

Following the sign of Cancer in the zodiac, Leo signifies the move away from home and family to be an individual in one's own right. This could be an issue for you if your birth chart has any planets in Cancer, as when you are affirming your right to live your own life, you may feel the retrogressive pull of family responsibilities (real or imagined), and perhaps actual pressure may be applied by your family of origin which may not like anyone stepping out of line. Compatibility in love relationships may be an issue here.
However, provided the break is made and one's individuality is allowed to shine, Leos are often drawn towards positions of responsibility as, being like the Sun at the center of things, they are able to have a good overall picture.

Your chart as a whole will provide clues as to what might stand in the way of the Leo quest. For instance, many planets in earth signs (like Virgo) might indicate that you feel held back by mundane matters when what you really want to do is to be fired with imagination and lead. As already indicated, planets in Cancer could also be an issue.

July Birthstone

Ruby

There’s no better way to demonstrate your love than by giving a ruby in celebration of a July birthday. Rubies arouse the senses, stir the imagination, and are said to guarantee health, wisdom, wealth and success in love. Ruby is a variety of the gems species corundum. It is harder than any natural gemstone except diamond, which means a ruby is durable enough for everyday wear. Fine-quality ruby is extremely rare, and the color of the gem is most important to its value. The most prized color is a medium or medium dark vivid red or slightly purplish red. If the gem is too light or has too much purple or orange, it will be called a fancy-color sapphire.

Healing properties of the Ruby - Aiding the emotions is the Ruby's calling card. Also known to increase integrity, devotion, and happiness.

Happy Birthday Cancer

Cancer - the Crab

6/22 - 7/22

Basic Traits:

Cancers love home-life, family and domestic settings. They are traditionalists, and enjoy operating on a fundamental level. They love history, and are fascinated with the beginnings of things (heraldry, ancestry, etc.). The moon is their ruler, so they can be a bit of a contradiction and sometimes moody. However, they are conservative, so they'll be apt to hide their moods from others altogether. They have a reputation for being fickle, but they'll tell you that isn't true, and it's not. Cancers make loyal, sympathetic friends. However Cancers need alone time, and when they retreat, let them do so on their terms.

The Deeper Meaning:

The sign of Cancer witnesses to the importance of a sense of belonging in human life. It is, more than any other, the sign of home and family, but, fortunately in view of the conditions of modern life, not necessarily home and family in a literal sense. The Cancer emphasis in your birth chart shows what you are striving for, whether consciously or not, is a sense that, whatever your circumstances, there is a place on earth, or an experience, or a group of people, or an interest, which can give you a sense of belonging, where you can feel at home and that you are a member of a family.

The sign of Cancer also witnesses to the importance of roots, or origins, of considering the present in relation to the past. Many people feel they can ignore the past, yet feel something is lacking from their lives. Cancers enrich the present by honoring its links to history.

Since Cancers have a need to feel they belong, they can be very reluctant to let go of or move on from situations that give them a sense of emotional security, and sometimes it is necessary to move on. Cancer is ruled by the Moon, and to have the Sun in the Moon's sign can indicate a reluctance to leave the realm of Mother, childhood home and family in order to undertake the solar task of becoming an individual in one's own right. This task is symbolized by the move from Cancer to the next sign Leo, which is ruled by the Sun.

Cancer is a water sign, and the psychological opposite is air, the thinking function. If you chart is lacking in planets in air, you are likely to find it difficult to view emotionally complex situations in which you may find yourself with any detachment. This can lead to compatibility issues in love relationships. You may be described as 'over-emotional' by people whose charts are dominated by the element of air - and maybe you see them as too detached! Suppose you have the Moon in Aquarius - an air sign - to complement your Cancer emphasis. You may be instinctively drawn to an ideal (an air phenomenon) that conflicts with your need to belong, and you have to perform an inner negotiation to honor both parts of your own nature.

June Birthstone

Pearl

Historically, pearls have been used as an adornment for centuries. They were one of the favorite gem materials of the Roman Empire; later in Tudor England, the 1500s were known as the pearl age. Pearls are unique as they are the only gems from living sea creatures and require no faceting or polishing to reveal their natural beauty. In the early 1900s, the first successful commercial culturing of round saltwater pearls began. Since the 1920s, cultured pearls have almost completely replaced natural pearls in the market.

Healing powers of the Pearl - Known for its calming properties, the Pearl is said to aid purity, charity, integrity, truth, and loyalty in its wearer.

Alexandrite

A relatively modern gem, Alexandrite, was first discovered in Russia in 1831 during the reign of its namesake, Czar Alexander II, and is an extremely rare chrysoberyl with chameleon-like qualities. Its color is a lovely green in both daylight and fluorescent light; it changes color to a purplish red in incandescent light. Due to its rarity, some jewelers stock synthetic versions of this enchanting gemstone. (Synthetic gemstones are man-made alternatives to the natural material, possessing the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as the natural gemstone.)

Moonstone

The third birthstone for June is the Moonstone. It was given its name by the Roman natural historian Pliny, who wrote that moonstone's appearance altered with the phases of the moon — a belief that held until well after the sixteenth century. A phenomenal gemstone, moonstones show a floating play of light (called adularescence) and sometimes show either a multirayed star or a cat's eye. Considered a sacred stone in India, moonstones often are displayed on a background of yellow (a sacred color) and are believed to encapsulate within the stone a spirit whose purpose is to bring good fortune. Part of the family of minerals called feldspar, moonstone occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks and comes in a variety of colors such as green, blue, peach, and champagne.

The most prized moonstones are from Sri Lanka; India, Australia, the United States, Mayanmar, and Madagascar are also sources.