Birthstones, Anniversary Gifts, Religious Significance and Metaphysical Properties
Birthstones
Month and meaning
January : Garnet ( constancy)
February : Amethyst ( sincerity )
March : Bloodstone, Aquamarine ( courage)
April : Diamond ( innocence )
May: Emerald ( love, success )
June : Pearl, Moonstone or Alexandrite ( health and longevity)
July : Ruby ( contentment )
August : Sardonyx, Peridot (married happiness )
September : Sapphire ( clear thinking )
October : Opal, Tourmaline ( hope )
November : Topaz ( fidelity )
December : Turquoise, Zircon ( prosperity )
Anniversaries
Traditional and Modern Gifts
1st – Paper ( Clocks ) 2nd – Cotton ( China )
3rd – Leather ( Crystal, Glass )
4th – Linen, Silk ( Electrical Appliances )
5th – Wood ( Silverware )
6th – Iron ( Wood )
7th – Wool, Copper , ( Desk Sets, Pen -Pencil Sets )
8th – Bronze ( Linen, Laces )
9th – Pottery, China ( Leather )
10th – Tin, Aluminum ( Diamond Jewelry )
11th – Steel ( Fashion Jewelry, Accessories )
12th – Silk ( Pearls, Colored Gems )
13th – Lace ( Textiles, Furs ) 14th – Ivory ( Gold Jewelry )
15th – Crystal ( Watches )
20th – China ( Platinum )
25th – Silver ( Sterling Silver )
30th – Pearl ( Diamond )
35th – Coral ( Jade )
40th – Ruby ( Ruby )
45th – Sapphire ( Sapphire )
50th – Gold ( Gold )
55th – Emerald ( Emerald )
60th – Diamond ( Diamond )
In Exodus 28:17-21, specific gemstones were associated with each of the twelve tribes of Israel. People of Jewish heritage may choose their birthstones based on their tribal names.
| Tribe | Gemstone |
| Reuben | Carnelian |
| Simeon | Peridot |
| Levi | Emerald |
| Judah | Garnet |
| Issachar | Lapis lazuli |
| Zebulun | Rock crystal |
| Joseph | Zircon* |
| Benjamin | Agate |
| Dan | Amethyst |
| Naphtali | Citrine |
| Gad | Onyx |
| Assher | Jasper |
Specific gemstones were also associated with the twelve guardian angels and the twelve apostles.
| Month | Angel | Gemstone | Apostle | Gemstone |
| January | Gabriel | Onyx | Simon Peter | Jasper |
| February | Barchiel | Jasper | Andrew | Ruby |
| March | Malchediel | Ruby | James/John | Emerald |
| April | Ashmodei | Topaz | Philip | Carnelian |
| May | Amriel | Ruby | Bartholomew | Peridot |
| June | Muriel | Emerald | Thomas | Aquamarine |
| July | Verchiel | Sapphire | Matthew | Topaz |
| August | Hamatiel | Diamond | James | Sardonyx |
| September | Tsuriel | Zircon | Thaddeus | Chrysoprase |
| October | Bariel | Agate | Simon | Zircon* |
| November | Adnachiel | Amethyst | Matthias | Amethyst |
| December | Humiel | Aquamarine | Paul | Sapphire |
The following chart provides a brief listing of selected stones and their metaphysical properties.
| Agate | Balances ying-yang energy, stabilizes the aura. Facilitates discernment. Imparts strength and courage. Opens one to innate creative talents. (There are many forms of agate, each with specific properties.) |
| Amber | Purifies body, mind, and spirit. Balances electromagnetics of the body and allows even flow of energies. Provides a positive, soothing energy. Spiritualizes the intellect. |
| Amethyst | Sedative energy. Facilitates spirituality and contentment. Stone of stability, strength, and peace. Excellent for meditation. Enhances psychic ability. |
| Aventurine | Independence, leadership, creativity. Balances male/female energies. Aligns mental, physical, emotional, and auric bodies. |
| Aquamarine | Courage, intellect, protection. Assists spiritual awareness, actualization. |
| Azurite | Awakens psychic ability, insight, intuition. Third eye. Excellent for clearing the mind in meditation. |
| Apache Tears | Assists in the grieving process, and allows forgiveness. Breaks down the barriers that hold one back. Also good for the analytical mind. |
| Amazonite | Balancing energy, harmony, universal love. |
| Calcite | Energy amplifier, teacher. Optical Calcite is excellent for clearing and cleansing. |
| Celestite | Excellent stone for dream recall and astral travel. Hope and harmony. Communication. |
| Chrysocolla | Strength, balance. Promotes harmony and attunement to the earth. Purifies one’s environment. |
| Chrysoprase | Balances yin-yang energy. Acceptance of self and others. |
| Citrine | Positive energy – stone needs no cleansing . Dissipates negative energy. Warmth, joy, optimism. |
| Copal | Excellent for strengthening the abilities of the mind, and altered states of consciousness. Amplifies one’s energy field. |
| Diamond | Purity, perfection, abundance, inspiration. |
| Emerald | Loyalty, sensitivity, harmony, tranquility. Assists in memory retention and mental clarity. |
| Fluorite | Stability, order, discernment, concentration. Helps one to understand and maintain ideals and the perfection of the universe. |
| Garnet | Commitment, devotion, love, stability and order. Even flow of energy. |
| Gold | Spirituality, understanding, attunement to nature. Attracts positive energy. Excellent healer. |
| Hematite | Excellent for the mind. Grounding. |
| Herkimer Diamond | Awareness, attunement, clairvoyance, telepathy. Good for information retention. |
| Jade | Harmony, peace, fidelity, confidence. A wonderful dream stone. |
| Jasper | Protection, awareness, insight. Grounding. |
| Kunzite | Communication, love, peace. Protects and dissolves negativity. Excellent for meditation. |
| Kyanite | Never needs cleaning or clearing, aligns all chakras. Tranquility, communication, psychic awareness. Excellent for meditation and dream recall. |
| Labradorite | Represents the light of the universe, extra-terrestrial energy. Intuition, subconscious. Illumination. |
| Lapis Lazuli | Knowledge, wisdom, perfection, protection, creative expression. |
| Lepidolite | Honesty, stability, hope, acceptance. Assists in change and transition. Facilitates astral travel. |
| Malachite | Transformation, spiritual development. Clears the way to attain goals. Fidelity, loyalty, reasoning ability. |
| Moldavite | Clarity, eternity. Extra-terrestrial, interdimensional access. |
| Moonstone | Lunar, female energy. Emotional, intuitive. Rhythms, cycles, destiny. |
| Obsidian | Dispels negativity. Grounding, healing, protective. Helps one to clearly see one’s flaws and the changes that are necessary. |
| Onyx | Centering, self-control, intuitive guidance. Assists in the grieving process. |
| Opal | Creativity, inspiration, imagination. |
| Peridot | Healing, protective. Allows one to understand changes in one’s life, regulates life cycles. |
| Petrified Wood | Grounding, provides strength. Stone of transformation. |
| Pyrite | Shields from negative energy, good stone of protection. Enhances intellect and memory. Symbol of the sun. |
| Quartz Crystal (clear) | Universal crystal, clarity of consciousness… |
| Rhodochrosite | Love energy. Excellent stone for balance in all areas. |
| Ruby | Loving, nurturing, spirituality ,wealth, protection. |
| Rutilated Quartz | Intensifies energy of the crystal. Stimulates brain. Inspiration, clairvoyance. |
| Sapphire | Joy, peace, beauty, prosperity. |
| Selenite (Gypsum) | Clarity of consciousness, awareness, insight, good judgement. Aids in accessing past/future lives. |
| Silver | Mirror to the soul. Eloquence. Connects physical and astral bodies. In jewelry, it provides a balanced setting that retains the qualities of the stone it holds. Lunar energy. Cleansing, balancing. |
| Smoky Quartz | Dissolves negativity, grounding, balancing. Excellent for meditation. |
| Sodalite | Logic, efficiency, truthfulness. Enhances group communication. |
| Sugilite | Spiritual love, perfection, inspiration, confidence. Alleviates negative/destructive emotions. |
| Tigereye | Earthy, grounding. Represents sun and earth. Optimism, insight, personal power. |
| Topaz | Success, true love, individuality, creativity, joy. |
| Tourmaline | Inspiration, understanding, self-confidence, balancing. Electrical. |
| Tourmalinated Quartz | Strength, balancing. Combines attributes of tourmaline and quartz. |
| Turquoise | Spiritual attunement, strength, grounding. Protective – excellent for astral travel. |
| Zircon | Virtue, unification, continuity, purity. |
