JANUARY: Garnet comes from the Latin word for grain because of it's 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. Garnets are a 7-7.5 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

FEBRUARY: 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. The amethyst is a 7 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

MARCH: Aquamarine is the Latin for "Water of the Sea. Its color ranges from light blue to blue-green, and comes from iron. There are aquamarine deposits on all continents, the most important ones are in Brazil. It is mined from pegmatite and coarse-grained granite, and is more frequently transparent than emeralds. The aquamarine is a 7.5-8 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

APRIL: Diamond is the only stone to be a 10 on the Mohs' hardness scale. The name diamond refers to its hardness. There are diamond deposits in many parts of the world, with most occurring in Africa and Siberia.

MAY: Emerald's name is derived from Greek meaning "green stone." Its color varies from emerald green, light green, yellow green to dark green, the most important deposits being found in Columbia in or near pegmatite veins. Emeralds are formed by rising magma and metamorphism, and are a 7-8 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

JUNE: have two stones to call it's own Alexandrite and Pearl. The alexandrite was the traditional birthstone for June, but due to its scarcity, 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 and is an 8.5 on the Mohs' hardness scale. Pearl is the more common birthstone for June. Mollusks, or more specifically, oysters produce pearls. Depending upon the type of mollusk and the condition of surrounding water, pearl color 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, mostly all pearls sold retail are cultured pearls, or pearls that have been placed into oysters by man in oyster farms

JULY: Ruby's name comes from the Latin word rubeus, which means red. The color is 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 on the Mohs' hardness scale--a 9. They also share the same crystal system, corundum. The most important deposits of rubies are found in upper Burma, near Magok.

AUGUST: Peridot's name according to mineralogy is olivine. The color of peridot varies from olive green, to yellow, to brownish green. Most of the important deposits are in the Red Sea on the volcanic island of St. John. Peridot is 6.5-7 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

SEPTEMBER: Sapphire (Greek for blue) used to be applied to various stones, but today, with the exception of red, all varied colored corundum's, gems with a particular crystal system, and 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. Along with rubies sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

OCTOBER: Opal's name is derived from an Indian word for "stone." The special characteristic of opal is its 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 only a 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs' hardness scale, so they are very sensitive to pressure and knocks as well as being affected by acids and alkalis. The most significant quantities of opals today are found all over Australia.

NOVEMBER: Topaz's name is probably derived the name of an island in the Red Sea, now Zebirget, and formerly Topazs. The traditional color 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 pegmatite's or secondary placers. In today's mining industry, the most important suppliers for topaz are Brazil, Sri Lanka, Burma and Russia. They are an 8 on the Mohs' hardness scale.

DECEMBER: Persian Turquoise and Blue Topaz are it's two birthstones. Turquoise is the most common birthstone. The name turquoise means "Turkish stone": Persian Turquoise because the trade routes that brought it to Europe used to come via Turkey. The color of turquoise ranges from sky blue, blue-green to apple green. A pure, blue color for turquoise is rare, since most pieces contain turquoise matrix, or veins (sandstone) or black (jasper or psilomelane). 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. Turquoise is a 5-6 on the Mohs' hardness scale.