Month	Birthstone	Description
January	Garnet	Garnet, January's birthstone, comes from the Latin word for grain because of the rounded crystals that form the garnet. Garnets are a group of differently colored gemstones with similar chemical composition and come in a variety of colors including colorless, yellow-orange, various shades of red, and green--yet most people recognize garnets to be the beautiful burgundy red.
February	Amethyst	The birthstone for February is amethyst. The Greek word amethyst probably means "not drunken" since it was once thought to have many supernatural powers and could be worn as an amulet against drunkenness. The amethyst is the most highly valued stone in the quartz group. Its color ranges from violet to pale red-violet and is found in alluvial deposits, mostly in Brazil, Uruguay and Malaysia.
March	Aquamarine	The March birthstone is aquamarine, which is Latin for "Water of the Sea." Its color ranges from light blue to blue-green, and comes from iron. There are aquamarine deposits in all continents, but the most important are in Brazil. It is mined from pegmatite and coarse-grained granite, and is more frequently transparent than emeralds.
April	Diamond	Diamond is the traditional birthstone for April and the hardest gem. The name diamond refers to its hardness, the Greek word adamas meaning "unconquerable." There are diamond deposits in many parts of the world, most occurring in Africa and Siberia.
May	Emerald	The traditional birthstone for May is emerald. The name emerald derives from Greek meaning "green stone." Its color varies from emerald green, light green, yellow green to dark green, the most important deposits are found in Columbia in or near pegmatite veins. Rising magma and metamorphism form emeralds.
June	Alexandrite/Pearl	The are two birthstones for the month of June. Alexandrite was the traditional birthstone for June, but due to its scarcity and cost, pearl has become June's common birthstone. The Alexandrite was named after Czar Alexander II and is one of the most desired gems. Its color changes with the lighting surrounding the stone, which is called its phenomena. Depending upon the light, the Alexandrite phenomena can have a greenish, reddish or purplish hue. It is mainly mined in Sri Lanka and Rhodesia. The more common birthstone for June is the pearl. Where the name pearl derives is unknown, but it perhaps comes from the Latin word perna, which is a type of shell. Mollusks, or more specifically, oysters produce pearls. Depending upon the type of mollusk and the condition of surrounding water, pearl colors can range from pink, silver, cream, golden, green, blue, gray to black. Pearls are sensitive to acids, perspiration, cosmetics and hair spray so care must be taken. Today, almost all pearls sold retail are cultured pearls, or pearls that have been placed into oysters by men in oyster farms.
July	Ruby	The name ruby comes from the Latin word rubeus, which means red. The colors of rubies are varying shades of red, the most desired color being "pigeon's blood," pure red with a hint of blue. Rubies, along with Sapphires, are the hardest gemstones after diamonds. They also share the same crystal system, corundum. The most important deposits of rubies are found in upper Burma, near Magok.
August	Peridot	August's birthstone is peridot. The commonly used name for peridot in mineralogy is olivine, due to its green color, but the meaning of the Greek derivative peridot is uncertain. The color of peridot varies from olive green, yellow green, to brownish. Most of the important deposits are in the Red Sea on the volcanic island of St. John.
September	Sapphire	The name sapphire (Greek for blue) is the birthstone for September. It used to be applied to various stones, but today, with the exception of red, all varied colored orundums, gems with a particular crystal system, are called sapphires. Thus, the color of sapphires ranges anywhere from yellow to green, but most people recognize them as being a rich blue. Sapphires are usually embedded in marble, basalt and pegmatite and are mined mainly from alluvial deposits in Australia, Burma, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
October	Opal	Opal is the birthstone for October; the name derived from an Indian word for "stone." The special characteristic of opals is their opalescence, a rainbow-like iridescence that changes with the angle of observation. Tiny spheres in the mineral cristabalite layered in siliceous jelly cause the reflection or interference appearances. Opals range in color from the common milky white opals, to the yellow fire opals, to the precious opals in green, gray, blue or black. Opals are very sensitive to pressure and knocks as well as being affected by acids and alkalies. The most significant quantities of opals today are found all over Australia.
November	Topaz	Topaz, November's birthstone, probably derived its name from the name of an island in the Red Sea, now Zebirget, and formerly Topazos. The traditional colors for topaz are yellow with a red tint, but they also come in a variety of colors including pinky red, red-brown, light blue and pale green. Deposits are associated with pegmatites or secondary placers. In today's mining industry, the most important suppliers for topaz are Brazil, Sri Lanka, Burma and Russia.
December	*Persian Turquoise*	There is a birthstone for the month of *December--Persian turquoise*. Turquoise is the most common birthstone. The color of turquoise ranges from sky blue, blue-green to apple green. A pure, blue color for turquoise is rare,but we can prepare it for you to any sizes. since most pieces contain turquoise matrix, or veins that most of them are extremely beautiful. The best qualities of turquoise are found in northeast Iran, or Persian turquoise. Since it is a sensitive gemstone, the influence of light, perspiration, oils and cosmetics as well as a loss of natural water content can bring about a negative color.