The current choice of a birthstone for March is a quamarine. Fine crystals that are large enough to produce a faceted gem of over 20 carats are rare. The causes of amethyst’s shades of pale violet to rich purple are radiation and the inclusion of iron impurities and trace elements.Īs a rule, amethyst crystals are short and stubby, and occur in large numbers, often filling a large vug a hollow petrified tree section, or lining the inside of a geode. Pure quartz is colorless, as exemplified by Herkimer diamonds. Amethyst belongs to a mineral family that can compete with garnet for diversity of color: quartz. Februaryįrom the 15th century to the present, amethyst has been the preferred birthstone for February. The most common members are red almandine, an iron-aluminum silicate red pyrope, a magnesium aluminum silicate orange-yellow spessartine, a manganese aluminum silicate the yellow or green varieties of andradite, a calcium-iron silicate predominately green grossular, a calcium-aluminum silicate and rare, bright-green uvarovite, a calcium chromium silicate. Since the term “garnet” actually refers to a group of nesosilicate gems, those born in this month can choose from a rainbow of colors. With a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7.5, it can be faceted into beautiful gemstones that wear well in jewelry. Garnet has been the birthstone for January since the 15th century, at least. Alternative lists also exist and who’s to say you can’t choose your own? January January's birthstone by month is garnet. The Jewelers of America established a list of birthstones in 1912 that remains the standard today. The 12 zodiac gems formed the basis of the modern, Western birthstone list. What are the birthstones by month? What is your birthstone? For as long as humans have been fascinated with precious gems, they have assigned special significance to them.

December birthstone aquamarine