by Justin Osborne
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
Across most of the world, people know about the concept of birthstones. The modern list assigns a birthstone to each month of the Roman calendar.
A lot of people believe that it is lucky for them to wear the gemstone that corresponds with their birth month.
But there’s another list of birthstones that few people are aware of. It’s the list of birthstones related to the astrological calendar of the zodiac.
What is the zodiac?
Astrology is believed to date back to the times of the Bible’s Old Testament. It referenced the 12 tribes of Israel that lived during the time of the Book of Exodus. Astrology was additionally used as a time-telling mechanism. It indicated when one period concluded, and another began.
Prior to the rule of the Roman Empire, such as the times during the Book of Exodus, the calendar was determined by astrology. The astrological calendar was divided into 12 signs, with the names based on the appearance of different constellations of stars in the sky.
Modern astrology
Wendy Curran, a Ph.D. student working as a resume writer for Assignment Man and My assignment help review has something to share about modern astrology.
She says that astrologists who study the subject can make predictions about what the future holds for people in each star sign. They write their predictions as horoscopes. The content of horoscopes is often affected by planetary alignment in the universe.
The birthstones of the zodiac
Below is a list of each of the 12 birthstones for the 12 signs of the zodiac, and the etymology of their names. This list is by no means definitive, as there are often disputes about the correct birthstone for each zodiac sign. This list is based on the preponderance of evidence published by astrologers.
Aquarius (January 21 – February 18) The Water Bearer
The garnet is a red gemstone. Its name comes from the Latin word ‘garanatus’, which means seed-like. This refers to its color, which is likened to the color of the seeds of a pomegranate. Alternatives to the garnet include the aquamarine, amethyst, or bloodstone.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20) The Fish
The amethyst is a purple quartz stone. It derives its name from the Greek word ‘ametusthos’. Translated, it means ‘not intoxicated’, which in today’s times would be referred to as sober. The Ancient Greeks and Romans would wear amethyst to prevent intoxication and overindulgence. Alternatives to the amethyst include the moonstone, bloodstone, aquamarine, or jade.
Aries (March 21 – April 20) The Ram
A bloodstone is a form of cryptocrystalline quartz. Its green color comes from chlorite particles it contains. The stone contains red speckles, which is where it got its name from. The red spots are formed by iron oxide, which the Greeks referred to as ‘hematite’. Alternatives to the bloodstone include the diamond and opal.
Taurus (April 21 – May 21) The Bull
The sapphire is a well-known blue gemstone, which gets its name comes from two words that mean ‘blue’. They are the Latin word ‘saphirus’ and the Greek word ‘sapheiros’. There is also a belief that the word sapphire is closely linked to the planet Saturn. In some languages, sapphire translates to mean ‘dear to the planet Saturn’. Alternatives to the sapphire include the emerald.
Gemini (May 22 – June 21) The Twins
Agate contains a series of bands that are formed over thousands of years by layers of mineral deposits. The agate stone comes in different shades. It was named by the Greek naturalist Theophrastus, who found it on the banks of the River Achates. Alternatives to agate include Alexandrite and the amethyst.
Cancer (June 22 – July 22) The Crab
The emerald is a precious stone, easy to distinguish because of its stunning green hue. The name is believed to come from a Persian word that the Greeks translated as ‘smaragdus’, which means ‘green stone’. Alternatives to the emerald include the pearl, ruby, and moonstone.
Leo (July 23 – August 23) The Lion
The word onyx comes from Greek and translates to ‘claw’ or ‘fingernail’, which relates to part of its color. The stone itself is usually dark, but it contains a set of veins that are similar in color to the human fingernail. Alternatives to onyx include the diamond, peridot, sardonyx, ruby, and jade.
Virgo (August 24 – September 22) The Virgin
The word cornelian somehow evolved into carnelian in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word ‘cornum’, which means cornel cherry. Another Latin root word related to cornelian is ‘caro’, which translates to flesh. Both root words refer to red, the color of the carnelian. Alternatives to carnelian include the sapphire, sardonyx, zircon, and agate.
Libra (September 23 – October 23) The Scales
The chrysolite, or peridot, is a rare semi-precious stone, which is olive green in color owing to the deposits of iron it contains. Its etymology is uncertain, although the popular school of thought is that it comes from a classic Latin word that translates to a form of opal. Alternatives to peridot include the sapphire, opal, and jasper.
Scorpio (October 24 – November 22) The Scorpion
Beryl is more than just a woman’s name! It is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate. In its purest form, it is transparent. However, most beryl is marked by the presence of impurities, which tint the stone to shades of green, blue, red, and yellow. Alternatives to beryl include the pearl, citrine, opal, and topaz.
Sagittarius (November 23 – December 21) The Archer
Citrine is a form of quartz. It is semi-transparent, with a yellowish tint that ranges from pale to almost brown. The name is believed to come from the French word ‘citron’, which means lemon. It is also frequently compared to the bold brightness of the sun. Alternatives to citrine include the topaz, turquoise, and onyx.
Capricorn (December 22 – January 20) The Goat
The ruby is one of the world’s most opulent precious stones. Its warm red tones are symbolic of love and passion to many. So valuable are rubies that they are used as a comparison to something priceless in the saying ‘more precious than rubies’. The word ruby is derived from the Latin word ‘ruber’, which means red. Alternatives to the ruby include the amethyst, garnet, and emerald.
The birthstones of each zodiac sign range from relatively common to rare. The price range will also be different.
Conclusion
This list of birthstones will undoubtedly set the cat among the pigeons when it’s time to go shopping for jewelry to acknowledge your birthstone. You can now choose whether you stick to the birthstone from your month of birth or the birthstone from your zodiac sign. Of course, the best approach would be to insist on both, just to cover all your bases and maximize your good fortune!
About the writer: Justin Osborne is a writer at Brill Assignment and writing service, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing and blogging with other people on different blogs and forums. Currently, he is working as a content marketer at bestdissertation.com reviews and dissertation uk.
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