April - Turquoise

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years. The word turquoise is derived from the French word either for Turkish (Turquis) or dark-blue stone (pierre turquin). This maybe because turquoise was traded at Turkish bazaars to Venetian merchants who brought it to Europe. In many cultures of the Old and New Worlds, this gemstone has been esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, a bringer of good fortune. In nature, it occurs in the whole range of hues from sky blue to grey-green, and mostly found in places where there is a high concentration of copper in the soil. While turquoise has been found in a region known as Persia in Iran for over two thousand years, it is also found in the Southwestern part of the United States and is frequently used in Indian jewelry. The wearing of turquoise makes one feel happy and cheerful.

March - Aquamarine

Aquamarine gets its name because of its seawater color, hues of light to intense blues. The coloring agent for this semi-precious stone is iron. It is closely related to the gem emerald. Aquamarine in its light blue arouses feelings of sympathy, trust, harmony and friendship. During the Middle Ages, it was thought that aquamarine could magically overcome the effects of poison. Ancient sailors traveled with aquamarine crystals, believing that they would ensure a safe voyage, and guarantee a safe return. In the United States, aquamarine can be found in Wyoming and central Colorado. It can also be found in large quantities in Brazil, Colombia, Zambia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya.

February - Amethyst

Amethyst holds a magical appeal that’s proven to be timeless and even protects its wearer from seduction. Amethyst is rich in hues of purple, from very light to very dark. While purple can be the chosen color of royalty, its appeal unwavering popularity even for healing purposes. While amethyst is the most valued of the quartz group, its name means “not drunken” in the Greek and therefore, is worn because of its protective against drunkenness. The most important deposits of amethyst are found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Uruguay, as well as the United States (Arizona).

January - Garnet

When most people think of garnet, think of those magnificent deep-red gemstones found in antique jewelry. But garnet goes beyond being deep-red gemstones and antique jewelry. Its full spectrum of rich colors can make it the perfect accent to lampwork bead jewelry that becomes wearable art, making the perfect statement. There is a broad diversity of colors from the green of summer grass, the gold of freshly harvested wheat, the orange of fiery hot steel, the pink of a delicate rosebud – garnet has is all. Garnet can be found in many areas of the world. Some of the most magnificent sources include Africa, Australia, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Russia, Sri Lanka and the United States.