Unit 11 FIND OUT YOUR BIRTHSTONE.docx

Unit 11 FIND OUT YOUR BIRTHSTONE.docx

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Unit11FINDOUTYOURBIRTHSTONE

Unit11FINDOUTYOURBIRTHSTONE

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Mansdesiretoowngemstonesisasoldashistoryitself.Oneofthefascinationsisthebeliefthataspecialstonewasdedicatedtoeachmonthoftheyearandwasendowedwithaparticularvirtueforthoseborninthatmonth.Eachofthetraditionalbirthstonesiscoveredinthisbrochure.Ifyouwantmoreinformation,orwouldliketoseejewelrysetinyourbirthstones,visityourjeweler.

Sinceancienttimes,coloredgemstoneshavebeenthoughttopossesscertainmagicalpowersortheabilitytoendowthewearerwithcertainattributes.

Becauseofthesemagicalpowers,theywereextensivelyusedasatalismansandamulets,aspredictorsofthefuture,astherapeuticaids,andasessentialelementsofmanyreligiouspractices.

Thefollowinglistofbirthstones,whichistheonecommonlyusedtoday,wasadoptedin1912bytheAmericanNationalAssociationofJewelers,whichlaterevolvedintoJewelersofAmerica.

MonthBirthstone

Month

Birthstone

Month

Birthstone

January

Garnet

July

Ruby

February

Amethyst

August

Peridot

March

Aquamarine

September

Sapphire

April

Diamond

October

Opal

May

Emerald

November

Topaz

June

Pearl

December

BlueZircon

TheFollowinglistofbirthstonesincludesthefascinatingfactsandfolkloreattributedtoeachbirthstone.

January-Garnet

GarnetistheacceptedbirthstoneforthemonthofJanuary.Itisalsotheacceptedanniversarygemstoneforthesecondyearofmarriage.

Garnetisaremarkablegeminthatitcomesinallcolorsexceptblueanditsredrangefromraspberrytobloodred.Itsgreenmayrivalthatoftheemerald.Italsooccursinarangeofshadesofyellow,orangeandbrown.Youwillbefascinatedbytheselectionofcoloravailable.Garnetsofferenoughvarietyinappearancetosuiteverytaste,aswellasanoutstandingpricerange（especiallyforlargersizes）tosuiteverypocketbook.

LegendholdsthatNoahhungalargegarnetinthearkforillumination.Itreportedlyalsogivesitswearerguidanceinthenight,protectionfromnightmares,andaccordingtotheEgyptians,isanantidoteforsnakebiteandfoodpoisoning.Itwasalsothoughttohaveaspecialaffinitywiththeblood.

Aswithallgemstones,careshouldbetakentoprotectitfromscratchesandsharpblows,andavoidextremetemperaturechanges.

GarnetsarefoundintheU.S.,Africa,SriLanka,Madagascar,Brazil,Australia,andIndia.

February-Amethyst

AmethystistherecognizedbirthstoneforFebruaryandtheacceptedanniversarygemstoneforthesixthyearofmarriage.

Amethystisavarietyofquartz,andcomesinpalelilactonearlyblackpurpleshades.Ideally,itisadeepmediumpurplewithrose-coloredflashesthatgiveamethystitsbeautyandfire.

Becauseofitsabundance,itisreadilyavailableinallsizesandshapes.Itisdurableandcanbeworneveryday.CoupledwiththefolklegendoftheGreeksthatitwillpreventintoxicationwhenworn,itbecomesamostdesirablegem!

Amethystwassaidtohaveasoberingaffectonthewearer-notonlythosewhoimbibedbutonthoseover-excitedbylove'spassionaswell.Ithassymbolizedpeace,protectionandtranquillity.Somesayitwillpreventbaldnessandimprovethecomplexion,whileprotectingfromtreasonanddeceit.Becauseroyaltyhasalwaysadoredthecolorpurple,amethystsaboundintheornamentsofancientGreeksandEgyptians,andinBritishCrownJewels.

Aswithallgemstones,careshouldbetakentoprotectitfromscratchesandsharpglows.

Aspartofthefinishingprocess,amethystoccasionallyisheatedtolightenitscolor.

ItisfoundmainlyinBrazil,UruguayandZambia.

March-Aquamarine

AquamarineisthetraditionalbirthstoneforMarch.Itisalsotheacceptedanniversarygemforthe19thyearofmarriage.

Theidealcolorofaquamarineisarefreshingseablue,nottopaleortogreen.Ifyouarelookingforabig,durablegemstone,aquaisreadilyavailableinlargersizesandistrulydramaticwhencutinrectangularorovalshapes.Itisamemberoftheimportantberylfamily,whichalsoincludesemerald.

Inancienttimes,thestonewassaidtoaidseafarers;thusitisanexcellentgiftsuggestionforsailorsoronewhotakesfrequentcruises!

Todreamofaquamarinesignifiesthemakingofnewfriends;towearaquamarineearringsbringsloveandaffection.Itisuniversalsymbolofyouth,hopeandhealth.

Aspartofthenormalfinishingprocess,mostaquamarinesareheatedtoremovetracesofyellowandpermanentlyintensifythebluecolor.

Tomaintainthebrillianceofthisbeautifulgemstone,itshouldbeimmersedinjewelrycleanerorinlukewarmsoapywaterandcleanedwithasmallbristlebrush.Donotuseahomeultrasonicmachine.Aswithallgemstones,careshouldbetakentoprotectitfromscratchesandsharpblows.

AquamarineisfoundmainlyinBrazil,NigeriaandZambia.

April-Diamond

Traditionally,thediamondistheacceptedbirthstoneforthemonthofApril.And,besidesbeingthemostpopulargemstoneforengagementrings,istheacceptedgemforthe10thand60thyearsofmarriage.

Thename"diamond"comesfromtheGreekword"adamas"meaningunconquerable--suggestingtheeternityoflove.Infact,diamondshavebeenthetraditionalsymboloflovesinceancientGreece.Discoveredabout2,500yearsagoinIndia,theancientsbelievedtheyweresplintersfromthestars,perhapscrystallizedlighteningorhardeneddewdrops.

Althoughdiamondsareassociatedwithbeingacolorlessstone,theyareoccasionallyfoundwithastrongbrightcolor--green,red,pink,blue,canaryyellowandamber.These"fancy"colordiamondsarehighlyprized.

Occasionally,toimproveappearance,diamondsarelaser-drilledandsometimes,aforeignsubstanceisusedtofillsurfacecavitiesorfractures.Diamondsmayalsobeirradiatedand/orheatedtoinduce'fancy'colors.

Eventhoughitisthemostdurableofgemstones,careshouldbetakentoprotectadiamondfromsharpblows.Householdchemicalsmaydiscolororpitthemounting.Toclean,youmayusejewelrycleaner,lukewarmsoapywaterandasmallbristlebrush,soakinahalfandhalfsolutionofcoldwaterandammoniaforhalfanhour,orahomeultrasonicmachinewithitsrecommendedcleaner.

May-Emerald

EmeraldistheacceptedbirthstoneforthemonthofMay.Itisalsotheanniversarygemstoneforthe20thand35thyearsofmarriage.

Emeraldisoneofthemosthighlyprizedofallthegems.ThenamecomesfromtheGreek"smaragdos"whichmeansgreenstone.Themostprizedispuregreenorslightlybluish-green.

Emeraldsareoftencharacterizedbyagardenofincludedcrystalstrappedwithin.Undermagnification,youwillseeallsortsoflovelypatternsresemblingfoliageinagarden.Aflawless,clearemeraldisveryrareandisusuallyfoundinonlysmallsizes.Smalltomediumsizedstonesareoftenfacetedinthe'Step"orEmeraldcut.Thegemisalsolovelywhencutintoacabochonordomeshape.Sometimesemeraldsareevencarved.

Accordingtolegend,thewearingofemeraldnotonlycuredawiderangeofailments,includinglowIQ,pooreyesightandinfertility,butalsoenabledthewearertopredictthefuture.

Aspartofthenormalfashioningprocess,mostemeraldsareimmersedincolorlessoiltofillminutevoids,andoccasionallyareenhancedwithdyeand/orcoloredoil.

Care,shouldbetakentoprotectitfromscratches,sharpblows,householdchemicals,andextremetemperaturechanges.Donotuseahomeultrasonicmachine.

EmeraldsarefoundmainlyinColombia,Brazil,ZambiaandZimbabwe.

June-Pearl

Pearlinthe"official"birthstoneofthemonthofJune,itisalsotheacceptedanniversarygemstoneforthe3rdand30thyearsofmarriage.

Apearlistheproductofanoyster'sdefensemechanism.Whenaforeignirritantisintroducedeitherbyman（cultured）ornaturally,theoysterimmediatelysurroundsitwithlayersofasubstancecallednacre.Thisformstheexquisitegemstoneknownaspearl.

Pearlscomeinawiderangeofcolors.Theyshouldberelativelyfreefromskinblemishes.Themoreperfectlyroundtheshapethebetter.Thehigherthelusteror"orient"is,themorevaluablethespecimen.Thelargerthepearlis,thegreaterthevalue.

Besidesthepopularroundshape,therearestylishmabe（largehemisphericalculturedpearls）,freshwater（elongatedininterestingshapesandcolors）,andSouthSea（largeculturedpearls10mmandupfromAustralia'sandIndonesia'swaters）,tonameafew.

Theyhavebeenrecognizedastheemblemofmodesty,chastity,andpurity.Theyhavecometosymbolizeahappymarriage.

Differentshadesofcolorsmaybeachievedthroughbleaching,dyeing,chemicalscombinedwithheat,orirradiation.

Avoidhouseholdchemicals,cosmetics,hairspraysandperfumes.Don'tuseultrasoniccleaners.Washwithmildsoapandwaterandstoreinaprotectivechamoispouchortissuepaper.

July-Ruby

RubyisacceptedbirthstoneforJuly.Itisalsotheacceptedanniversarygemstoneforthe15thand40thyear.

Rubyisknownasthe"LordoftheGems"becauseofitsrarityandbeauty.DeliveredfromtheLatinword"ruber",itsimplymeansred.

Ruby,likesapphire,isavarietyofcorundumandonlyexistsasatrueredincolor.Thefinestcolorisavivid,almostpurespectralredwithaveryfaintundertoneofblue,asseeninBurmeserubies,whichareconsideredthefinest.

Thehighestqualityrubiesweresaidtoprotecttheirownersfromallkindsofmisfortune.Afinerubyassuredtheownerhewouldliveinharmonywithhisneighbors.Itwouldprotecthisstatureinlife,hishomeandland.Itsprotectivepowerswereintensifiedwhensetinjewelry,andwornontheleftside.Manybelievedrubiespossessedaninnerflame,whichburnedeternally.

Aspartofthecu