Maud Monday #29 / Rock Facts #3

https://derpibooru.org/1498779

At the time I'm making this post, it's about 2 in the morning why do I do this to myself

Anyways, today we're gonna talk about birthstones! I'm just gonna sum up what they are real quick then talk about different types and such. See below the break!

Birthstones throughout history have been symbols, often worn as jewelry and pendants, which represent one's date of birth. Wikipedia states the history of such (I know, I'm lazy, but I need to sleep and I don't have the energy to write an essay. Sorry!)

Anyways, the American Gem Society lists the different gemstones that correspond to each month in the Gregorian calendar. Let's take a look at each gem!

A garnet.

January's birthstone is the garnet. Commonly red but found in various different colors, it represents peace, prosperity, health, and friendship. It has a considerable durability, being 6.5–7.5 on the Mohs scale, and can be found across the world. The legend of the garnet states that it can bring the aforementioned qualities to the home, even known by some as the "Gem of Faith."

An amethyst.

February is represented by the amethyst. Symbolizing peace and courage, this purple quartz is a 7 on the Mohs scale and can be found in geodes or cavities, especially in the Americas. This paragraph is relatively about as short as February is.

Aquamarine.

March-born people are associated with the aquamarine and the bloodstone. Both represent preserving or enhancing one's health. Aquamarine comes in mixtures of blue and green, and it is mostly mined in Brazil but can also be found around Africa. The bloodstone is dark-green with red iron oxide spots, and though it isn't as pretty as aquamarine, it's still valued for its symbolism.

Diamond.

April takes the diamond as its gem. Composed of carbon and being the hardest known gemstone, it is certainly one of the most well-known and sparkles with intense colors ranging all over the rainbow. I could get into blood diamonds too, but I'm afraid I don't have the time today. Instead, have the fact that diamond can only be cut with yet another diamond.

An emerald.

May has the emerald, a vibrant green birthstone said to grant foresight, fortune, and youthfulness. It and aquamarine are both variants of beryl, a six-sided mineral. Its name is derived from the Greek word smaragdus, which is both a hilarious word just to see and even more to read out, but also Greek for "green."

A moonstone.

For June, there is a choice between the pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone. Pearls symbolize purity and innocence, traditionally worn by a bride on her wedding day. They're the only gemstone produced by living creatures; mollusks put calcium carbonate around irritants that find their way inside them. Alexandrite is often described as "emerald by day, ruby by night" due to its changing colors throughout the day, and it represents concentration and learning. Moonstones were named by Pliny who saw their appearance's correlation to the light of the moon. Known as the Traveler's Stone, they are believed to protect night travelers and are used to treat insomnia and sleepwalking.

A ruby.

July's birthstone takes the form of the ruby. This red gem symbolizes passion, vitality, and energy, especially due to its brilliant red color. Ruby is a variant of corundum, given its color through the element chromium (all other gem variants are sapphire). Not only is it used for jewelry but also watchmaking and laser technology.

Spinel.

August people can choose between the peridot, sardonyx, or spinel. Peridot is the only character from Steven Universe. It has a lime green glow and is associated with prosperity and good fortune due to one of its theorized etymologies coming from the Greek word peridona, meaning "giving plenty." Sardonyx is made of sard and onyx and various amount of iron oxide; it represents courage and happiness and has been used for strength and protection historically. Spinel can be mistaken for other gemstones, resembling rubies and sapphires, and represents nothing because nobody likes spinel I guess.

Blue ruby.

For September, we have the sapphire, a symbol of wisdom, nobility, and loyalty. It often occurs as but by far isn't limited to the royal blue brand of corundum. Sapphire's name comes from the Latin and Greek words for "blue stone," though they also apply to lapis lazuli. They have a 9 on the Mohs scale, just before diamond.

Mine.

October (so me) gets the tourmaline and opal. Opal is really pretty and I'm elitist so I'm only going to talk about one of these two gemstones, so I'll talk about opal. Pliny also named this one, Pliny's cool. It originates from Australia and has been mined in countries on both sides of the Atlantic. It's considered possibly bad luck to anyone who wasn't born in October, so stAY AWAY FROM MY OPAL

Topaz.

November's birthstones are the topaz, citrine, and me staying up way too late writing this post. Topaz isn't always yellow and not all yellow gemstones are topaz, as people in history eventually figured out. Topaz is actually colorless by default, but imperfections and such can cause it to tint. It's been said to have an appeasing ability, being able to calm and cure tempers, insanity, and nightmares.

Zircon.

Finally, December is associated with tanzanite, zircon, and turquoise. Tanzanite, due to pleochroism, shows different colors from different angles. It's best suited for earrings and pendants due to its higher vulnerability to scratches. Zircon has been very helpful in radiometric dating, being actually the oldest mineral on Earth, dating back over 4.4 million years ago. Nowadays, it is considered a material that increases confidence and compassion. Turquoise comes in shades of blue (finally, a fitting name) and is a very popular gemstone. All December's stones are known for their lovely shades of blue.

Hope you enjoyed my horrid attempt at describing the birthstones of each month at... oh my God it's almost 6AM how has it come to this

uh

Hey, tell me what birthstone you would get according to this list (and which you would choose if you had one with multiple gems!) in the comments below. I think you already know what my choice was, heh.

sorry