Who chose the birth stones?
Ava Arnold
Updated on January 19, 2026
Experts believe that birthstones can be traced back to the Bible. In Exodus 28, Moses sets forth directions for making special garments for Aaron, the High Priest of the Hebrews. Specifically, the breastplate was to contain twelve precious gemstones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Who decided what the birthstones are?
The modern birthstone list was formulated by an organization known as 'The Jewelers of America' in 1912. Despite its controversy and being criticized for moving and dropping some of the original gems, today it is most often seen as the definitive chart of astrological birthstones.How did birthstones get assigned?
While some sources such as 1st Century Roman-Jewish historian Josephus tell us birthstones originated on the breastplate of Aaron, with each representing the 12 months of the year and accruing 12 signs of the zodiac, others say the breastplate's stones signified each of the 12 tribes of Israel.What is the story behind birthstones?
The idea of birthstones dates back to ancient times when the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Persians and Indians all assigned different gemstones to each month of the year. According to the stories behind birthstones, legend has it that wearing a gemstone during its assigned month boosts its healing and therapeutic powers.Is the birthstone real?
Birthstones can also have a semi-precious variant. Genuine birthstones are the natural gemstones associated with a birth month. In my listings a named gemstone means just that. As they are natural stones, the colors can vary from one to the next, and if they have inclusions in the stone or not.History Of Birthstones | Jill Maurer
Are birthstones a real thing?
A birthstone is a gemstone that represents a person's period of birth that is usually the month or zodiac sign. Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace.What is the rarest birthstone?
The Rarest BirthstonesFor example, April's diamond, though pricey, is less rare than rubies, emeralds, and alexandrite. While on the topic of alexandrite, this is currently the rarest gemstone on the birthstone list and can come at quite a cost. Black opals are also incredibly rare.