Alternative Birthstones & Alternative Birthstone Lists
On our portal we have arguably the most extensive list of birthstones available on the net, making sure we provide our readers with the best choice possible. Our main lists of birthstones include 4 of them: by month, by guardian angel, by special apostle and by zodiac.
In this article we would like to discuss 6 extra alternative birthstone lists that would give our readers more information and an even better choice.
The first alternative birthstone list is arguably the most ancient one. It is based on one of the earliest versions of Aaron’s breastplate gems interpretation. As you know, a large number if not the majority of all birthstone lists are based on the gemstones set into the breast plate of biblical High Priest and prophet Aaron, who lived in the 14th century BC. Each stone has a name and description with both being wide open for interpretation. No gem is more difficult to identify than the 5th stone of the breastplate called ‘Leshem’. Most commentators agree that it is either yellow-brown agate or most likely amber.
The second alternative birthstones list we would like to present is the one according to Hindu tradition, which has thousands of years of documented relations between people and gemstones. They would often class major gemstones like rubies and diamonds into castes. Gem stories are embroidered into Hindu epos and mysticism.
In our list below, serpent-stone was normally a bone of an animal, and the gold Siva-linga is most likely gold as precious metal.
The third alternative list of birthstones is the least official and simply symbolic. George Frederick Kunz, a renowned American mineralogist and curator of Museum of Natural History, compiled this list about 100 years ago in an attempt to promote the use of birthstones found in the United States. By the way, gemstone kunzite is named after Kunz.
| Month | High Priest Birthstones | Hindu Birthstones | USA Birthstones |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Red Jasper | Serpent-stone | Rhodolite Garnet |
| February | Serpentine | Moonstone | Amethyst |
| March | Amazonite | The gold Siva-linga | Californite |
| April | Almandine Garnet | Diamond | Sapphire |
| May | Lapis Lazuli | Emerald | Green Tourmaline |
| June | Onyx | Pearl | Moss Agate |
| July | Amber | Sapphire | Turquoise |
| August | Banded Agate | Ruby | Golden Beryl |
| September | Amethyst | Zircon | Kunzite |
| October | Yellow Jasper | Coral | Aquamarine |
| November | Malachite | Cat's eye | Topaz |
| December | Jade | Topaz | Rubellite |
The forth version of the alternative birthstones belongs to the Jewish tradition. This is a very important list because the majority of birthstones by month lists are based on the gems mentioned in the Book of Exodus. The story told in Exodus is central in Judaism, and also resonates with other non-Jewish stories like early American pioneers leaving Europe because of prosecution.
Roman or Italian chart of birthstones will be number five. Gemstones were popular in the Roman Empire and were widely used for decorative, mystical or medicinal purposes. Pliny, philosopher and navy commander of the Roman Empire, is considered to be one of the main authors of his time who described birth gems stories and virtues.
The last alternative birthstones chart we would like to mention was composed according to the Polish tradition. Why Polish list of birth rocks? Well, not just because I like pierogi. Poland, along with Germany, was the first territory in Europe to adopt the tradition of wearing gems as birthstones.
| Month | Jewish Birthstones | Roman Birthstones | Polish Birthstones |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Garnet | Garnet |
| February | Amethyst | Amethyst | Amethyst |
| March | Jasper | Bloodstone | Bloodstone |
| April | Sapphire | Sapphire | Diamond |
| May | Agate | Agate | Emerald |
| June | Emerald | Emerald | Agate |
| July | Onyx | Onyx | Ruby |
| August | Carnelian | Carnelian | Sardonyx |
| September | Chrysolite | Sardonyx | Sardonyx |
| October | Aquamarine | Aquamarine | Aquamarine |
| November | Topaz | Topaz | Topaz |
| December | Ruby | Ruby | Turquoise |
All in all, alternative birthstone lists provide a great addition to the main ones while expanding the choice and promoting a wide variety of gemstones.
