Birthstone Guide: For each month

Shop Garnet Jewelry	Garnet	Named after its resemblance of a pomegranate seed Found in Egyptian jewelry from 3100 B.C. Garnet comes in all colors, but the birthstone is a burgundy red	Brings friendship, sincerity, health & loyalty Protects during travel Symbol of faith, eternity & truth
Shop Amethyst Jewelry	Amethyst	A purple quartz with a rich history Ancient Greeks and Romans believed the birthstone prevented drunkenness English royalty wore in the Middle Ages Leonard da Vinci thought it dissipated evil thoughts and quickened intelligence	Keeps wearers even-tempered and level-headed Brings peace of mind, calm, serenity & tranquility Drives away worries
Shop Aquamarine Jewelry	Aquamarine	Latin for aqua (water) and marina (the sea) Lore says this birthstone is mermaid treasure Usually light green-blue to blue-green color. Deeper color more typical in larger gems Made of beryl and related to emeralds	Believed to protect sailors and provide a safe voyage Symbol of health, youth & hope Cools tempers and calms emotions Sharpens the mind
Shop Diamond Jewelry	Diamond	Name stems from "Adama," Greek for "unconquerable" Were worn to protect fighters in battle Ancient Greeks thought the birthstone was fragments of fallen stars or tears of the gods Graded on cut, color, clarity and carat weight Valued for fire and brilliance Learn more in the diamond guide	Represents fearlessness & invincibility Emblem of love and eternity Helps wearer see things clearly and honestly
Shop Emerald Jewelry	Emerald	Mined as early as 330 B.C. in Egypt Made of beryl and related to aquamarine The great Cleopatra collected emeralds Inclusions make this brittle gem one of the most difficult to cut	Symbol of life, fertility, rebirth & youth Said to bring joy, love & fortune
Shop Pearl Jewelry	Pearl	Organically grown in mollusks Only gemstone that does not need polishing Favorite gem of the Roman Empire Considered tears of the gods in ancient Persian mythology Natural pearls were so rare, that only the wealthy could afford them Culturing made this birthstone affordable to all Learn more in the pearl guide	A symbol of purity and innocence for centuries Emblem for modesty, peace, beauty & nobility
Shop Ruby Jewelry	Ruby	Fiery red birthstone Made of corundum and related to sapphires If the red color is not deep enough, it will be classified as a sapphire fancy	Brings passion and blocks misfortune Given as a symbol of success, devotion & integrity Known as the stone of love Protects and gives strength
Shop Peridot Jewelry	Peridot	Birthstones brought from the deep earth through volcano eruptions Believed to be the tears of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes Several color choices, including yellowish-green, lime & olive green	Brings friendship, success & peace Chases away depression, fear, envy & nightmares
Shop Sapphire Jewelry	Sapphire	Made of corundum Most popular and valuable color is deep blue Fancies come in orange, green, purple, yellow & pink Red corundum are rubies, not sapphires	Clears the mind Promotes relaxation and truth In the Medieval Ages, the birthstone was associated with heaven Protects loved ones from harm, envy & sickness
Shop Opal Jewelry	Opal	Derived from Greek word "Opallos," which means "to see a change (of color)" Ancient Romans named it "Queen of the Gems" due to its unique and colorful rainbow flashes Can be many colors, with white being the most common and black the most valuable. It can range from semi-transparent to opaque. Made of hardened non-crystalline silica gel A soft birthstone that must be handled with care	Symbol of purity, hope & fidelity Gives confidence and health Sharpens the mind Said to lose its power once the owner dies People in the Middle Ages wore opal rings to avoid plague
Shop Citrine Jewelry	Citrine	French word for "lemon" A quartz with abundant sources Color can range from light yellow to brown-orange, but most prized is a yellow-orange	The "healing quartz" Creates vitality Supports mental clarity, success, confidence & hope Makes wearers lighthearted and relaxed Gives authority and power
Shop Blue Topaz Jewelry	Blue Topaz	Topaz is naturally colorless. The blue color is due to either natural or man-made heat Sky, Swiss and London are the color names from lightest to darkest The birthstone is the hardest silicate mineral Made of aluminum and fluorine	Symbolizes love and fidelity when given as a gift Thought to have cooling properties Provides patience and pleasantness

Medicinal Gemstones

For eons, gemstones have held the mystique of having magical powers bordering on the supernatural. They have long thought to be a link to the planets, the sun, and the stars, possessing a power able to heal or prevent illnesses and eliminate or lessen other health problems. Gemstones are believed to collect their powers from the earth while they were forming within the heat and pressure of volcanic action. Therefore, many people believe these earthly powers can be harnessed for healthful reasons. For example, the light that reflects through a gemstone crystal is placed on vital nerve points on the body to facilitate healing. This use of gemstones and minerals for healing is called lithotherapy, and this field is gaining more respect in today's medical world.
For stones used today for healing purposes, symbolic and mystical sign are engraved into the stones as was once done in ancient times. The shape of the stone can be very important according to aficionados, such as long pendulum crystals with a pronounced tip, or a rounded stone that is kept in the pocket or held in the hand.
Abbes Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) chronicled the healing powers of gemstones in her book Physica. Today there is a resurrection of interest in what is known as the Hildegard medicine. According to her view, gemstones are formed through the powerful combination of water and fire; therefore, they hold powers corresponding to these phenomena. She also believed that each stone had a certain, divine blessing from God. For example, she said the following about sapphire: "Who is dull and would like to be clever, should, in a sober state, frequently lick with the tongue on a sapphire, because the gemstone's warmth and power, combined with the saliva's moisture, will expel the harmful juices that affect the intellect. Thus, the man will attain a good intellect."
Here are the most common stones and minerals with a description of their healing properties they are thought to possess:
Agate - All agates strengthen the effect of other stones.
Agate, Botswana - Eases depression, promotes joy, dispels lethargy, increases practicality
Agate, Fire - Restores emotional balance and harmony, increases practicality, subdues sexual conflict.
Agate, Moss - Eases depression, restores emotional and mental balance.
Agate, Picture - Decreases apathy, sharpens mental clarity
Alexandrite - Brings happiness, increase self-esteem.
Amber - Eases stress, facilitates expression, dispels nervous tension.
Apatite - Eases stress, facilitates expression, dispels nervous tension.
Aquamarine - Diminishes disorientation, facilitates expression, curbs unnatural fear, and sharpens mental clarity.
Aventurine - Eases stress, restores emotional balance, promotes independence, and sharpens mental clarity.
Azurite - Improves decision-making, eases depression, heightens dreams, promotes mental balance, sharpens mental clarity, increases mental discipline and sensitivity.
Azurite/Malachite - Dispels stress, overcomes lack of discipline, heightens dreams, restores emotional balance, extends patience.
Beryl - Relieves stress, overcomes laziness, strengthens mental balance, increases mental clarity and mental discipline, and protects the wearer.
Bloodstone - Encourages caution, courage, promotes mental balance and clarity, strengthens mental discipline, aids in self-actualization.
Chalcedony - Soothes depression, heightens dreams, promotes goodwill, dispels irritability, brings joy and happiness, supports mental balance, increases mental clarity, and reduces negativity and nightmares.
Chrysocolla - Relives stress, restores emotional balance, assuages guilt, promotes maturity, and dissipates nervous tension.
Chrysolite - Exposes delusion, fights depression, supports emotional and mental balance, aids in discovering past life experience.
Chrysoprase - Encourages caution, improves flexibility, inhibits greed and hysteria, promotes imagination, sharpens perception and mental clarity, and aids in recall of past life experiences.
Coral - Eases depression, restores emotional balance, improves expressiveness, strengthens mental clarity, rights mental imbalances, and banishes nightmares.
Diamond - Dispels stress, guards against envy, relieves insecurity, improves clarity, and increases self-esteem.
Chrome Diopside - Relieves insecurity, strengthens self-esteem.
Emerald - Restores emotional balance, aids working closely with others,facilitates expression.
Fluorite, Garnet - Diminishes stress, promotes imagination, guards against nightmares, improves elf esteem.
Hematite - Improves self-esteem.
Ivory - Eases frustration
Jade - Brings peace and calm, intensifies expressive ability.
Jasper - Reduces stress, promotes endurance.
Jet - Reduces stress, relieves depression, adds excitability, fights manic-depressive behavior.
Lapis Lazuli - Improves expression, eases stress, and dispels depression.
Lazulite - Strengthens courage.
Loadstone - Promotes expression, relieves insomnia.
Malachite - Dispels stress, heightens expression.
Moonstone - Resists mental imbalance, improves intuition and receptivity.
Onyx - Relieves stress, fights depression, and soothes fear.
Obsidian - Wards off negativity and over sensitivity.
Opal - Promotes creativity, love, and joy, resists emotional imbalance.
Pearl - Brings peace, reduces over sensitivity.
Peridot - Extends patience, sharpens clarity, and calms nerves.
Pyrite - Eases stress and frustration dispels depression and anxiety.
Rhodochrosite - Promotes self-love and acceptance, strengthens self-identity.
Quartz, Amethyst - Refreshes intuition and creativity, strengthens courage, guards against excess.
Quartz, Blue - Improves creativity, has a calming influence.
Quartz, Citrine - Reinforces self-confidence, the will and creativity.
Rose Quartz - Increases confidence, heightens personal expression, creativity, and comfort.
Smoky Quartz - Improves creativity, enhances joy, balances emotions.
Quartz, White - Promotes healing, works as an energizer.
Ruby - Reinforces confidence, increases flexibility, vitality, and leadership skills.
Sapphire - Works as a mood elevator, improves communication, dispels stress.
Sodalite - Fosters harmony, courage, and communication.
Star Sapphire - Enriches communication.
Tiger's Eye - Gets rid of unwanted emotion, balances material and physical needs.
Topaz - Enhances creativity, relaxes, and balances emotions.
Tourmaline, Black - Energizes.
Tourmaline, Blue - Improves communication.
Tourmaline, Green - Develops feelings of love and compassion, renews creativity.
Tourmaline, Pink - Sharpens insight and perception, strengthens creativity.
Tourmaline, Watermelon - Stimulates other tourmalines.
Turquoise - Builds strength, provides protection, helps communication.

Gem Price per Carat

Gem Price per Carat
Most gemstones are priced according to weight. The exceptions are somecarvings and cabochons, which may be sold by the piece rather than by the carat, since the work required to produce them exceeds the cost of the material. But for the vast majority of gemstones, the price is computed on a per carat basis. One gemstone carat is 200 mg. Don't confuse carat, a measure of weight, with karat, a measure of gold purity.
The price per carat of different gemstones can vary enormously, literally from $1 a carat to tens of thousands. Many factors influence the price per carat. Here is a concise summary of the 10 factors that determine gem prices:

1. Gem Variety

Some gemstone varieties -- such as sapphire, ruby,emerald, tsavorite garnet, tanzanite, spinel andalexandrite -- command a premium price in the market, due to their superior gemstone characteristics and rarity. Other varieties, such as many types of quartz, are abundant in many locations around the world, and prices are much lower. But while the gem variety sets a general price range for a stone, the characteristics of the specific gem also have a major effect on the price per carat.

2. Color

In colored gemstones it is color that is the single most important determinant of value. Ideal colors vary by gem variety of course, but generally the colors that are most highly regarded are intense, vivid and pure. Gems that are too light or too dark are usually less desirable than those of medium tones. Thus a rich cornflower blue color in sapphire is more valuable than an inky blue-black or a pale blue.

3. Clarity

A gemstone that is perfectly clean, with no visible inclusions, will be priced higher. In general, the cleaner the stone, the better it's brilliance. So while it is true that the higher the clarity grade, the higher the value of the gem, inclusions that don't interfere with the brilliance and sparkle of a gem will not affect its value significantly. Note also that some gems, such as emerald, always have inclusions.

4. Cut and Polish

Gemstones should be cut with proper proportions to maximize the light that is returned to the eye. But gem cutters or lapidaries often have to make compromises when cutting a particular piece of material. If the gem color is quite light, cutting a deeper stone will provide a richer color. Conversely, a dark tone can be lightened by making a shallower cut. But in every case, the facets should meet cleanly and the surface should be well polished with no scratches.

5. Size

For some gemstone varieties, such as quartz, the price per carat is fairly constant as the weight of the stone increases. But in the case of many rarer gems, price does not increase in a linear way as the weight increases. Indeed for some gems, such as diamonds, the price per carat can increase exponentially as the carat size increases. According to this formula, a 1 carat stone may cost $1,000 while a 2 carat stone may cost $4,000. Though the formula is rarely so exact, good quality sapphires and rubies in larger sizes do tend to have a much higher per carat price.
Not only are larger stones more expensive, but gems cut in stock sizes -- what are known in the trade as calibrated sizes -- also tend to be more expensive. This is because more material has to be removed to achieve the calibrated size.

6. Shape 

Some shapes tend to be priced higher than others, in part because of demand and in part because of material issues in cutting the specific shape. In general, round gems tend to command a premium in the market. Rounds are much less common than ovals, since ovals are usually cut to preserve as much weight of the raw material as possible. Cutting a round gem normally requires a greater loss of the rough stone, and for very expensive materials like sapphire, ruby, alexandrite and others, this can have a significant effect on price.

7. Treatment

Gem treatments such as heating, fracture-filling, irradation and diffusion significantly improve the appearance of many gemstones, and these treatments are now routine for many commercial-grade stones. A treated stone is always less expensive than a similar untreated stone. But most of the stones that are routinely treated -- such as ruby and sapphire -- are now very rare in untreated form, and the untreated stones fetch a market price out of the reach of most consumers. If you prefer to buy an untreated stone, you do have many choices. A number of popular gems, such as tourmaline, spinel,amethyst and garnet are almost never treated.

8. Origin

Strictly speaking, a fine natural gem is a fine gem, regardless of its country or region of origin. The reality of the market is that certain gem varieties from locations such as Burma, Kashmir, Sri Lanka and Brazil, command a premium price in the market. It is difficult to say whether this premium is justified, especially with so many fine gems coming from Africa.

9. Fashion

Some gems, such as blue sapphire, are always in fashion. But some gems become fashionable for short periods, with resulting price increases. Recently we've seen andesine labradorite and diaspore in the spotlight, and strong interest in rutilated quartz. Some very fine gems, such as natural spinel, actually have lower than expected prices because limited supply means that the gems are not promoted heavily in the market.

10. Supply Chain

The gem trade is a business and everyone in the supply chain -- from the mine to the jewelry retailer -- is trying to turn a profit. Gemstones can pass through many hands on the way from the mine to the consumer, and the more brokers and distributors that handle the product, the higher the final price will be. So in fact the same gemstone may carry a price that varies by as much as 200%, depending on who you buy it from.