Early civilizations in both India and Babylon
as far back as 3000 BC attributed rare and beautiful
gemstones with magical properties. The early gem
buyers sought advice from astrologers first, in
hopes that they could influence the forces that
were identified with the planets in their favor.
There was no formal classification of gemstones,
a gem was assigned each sign of the zodiac based
on a color system. Color was thought to unleash
the power attributed to the stone.The Indian and
Babylonian systems both linked the ruling planets
with their corresponding gems. Giving rise to the
zodiac type system that we use today.
in his writings, proclaimed a connection between
the twelve stones in the High Priest's breastplate,
the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs
of the zodiac. It was not until the 18th century
in Poland, that there is any documentation of people
actually wearing birth stones or zodiac stones.
People wore or carried gem stones at first, for
their therapeutic and medicinal properties.
These properties were then associated with characteristics
of the zodiac, making them talismans for those born
in the same months.
Birth stones, as we know them today, is a
list of stones that was first assembled in 1912
by the American National Association of Jewelers.
This list has historical merit, but substitutions
have been made, based on relative availability.