Birthstones and the Zodiac
Many and various powers have been ascribed by man to gems; powers curative, talismanic, and supernatural (the word lithomancy meaning divination by stones); some gems could be made prophetic, others revealed the past; in the realm of medicine some were prophylactic and most of them were believed to be potent remedies. The latter superstition is hard to kill in the slow dissemination of science, and survives to-day, even in civilised and Christian countries. Some gems were believed to possess the virtue of procuring the favour of the wise or great for their owners, some were supposed to invest their possessors with wisdom, strength, or courage, and some were shields against danger, disease, and death. Gems were connected with astrology, and exerted an influence for good or for evil through the planetary influence of certain days. White stones, the diamond excepted, were to be worn on Monday; Tuesday—the day of Mars—was elected for garnets, rubies, and other red stones; Thursday was for amethysts; Friday—the day of Venus—owned the emerald; Saturday—Saturn's day—claimed the diamond; while the topaz and yellow gems were appropriate to Sunday.
Particular gems were influential during certain months, and, under the proper astrological control, were supposed to have a mystical influence over the twelve parts of the human anatomy. The potency of a gem worn with regard to this belief was increased if the natal day of the wearer corresponded with its particular sign, and when worn as a birth or month stone was supposed to attract propitious influences and ward off evil. Gems to which were ascribed zodiacal control, and their periods of influence, follow:
Garnet, Aquarius; January 21st to February 21st. Amethyst, Pisces; February 21st to March 21st. Bloodstone, Aries; March 21st to April 20th. Sapphire, Taurus; April 20th to May 21st. Agate, Gemini; May 21st to June 21st. Emerald, Cancer; June 21st to July 22d. Onyx, Leo; July 22d to August 22d. Carnelian, Virgo; August 22d to September 22d. Chrysolite, Libra; September 22d to October 23d. Aquamarine, Scorpio; October 23d to November 21st. Topaz, Saggitarius; November 21st to December 21st. Ruby, Capricorn; December 21st to January 21st.
An idea somewhat similar was that of the Jewish cabalists, which accorded to twelve gem stones, when each was engraved with an anagram of the name of God, a mystical influence with, and a prohetical relation to, the twelve angels, as follows: ruby, Malchediel; topaz, Asmodel; carbuncle (garnet), Ambriel; emerald, Muriel; sapphire, Herchel; diamond, Humatiel; jacinth, Zuriel; agate, Barbiel; amethyst, Adnachiel; beryl, Humiel; onyx, Gabriel; jasper, Barchiel.
The Twelve Apostles were symbolically represented by precious stones: St. Peter, jasper; St. Andrew, sapphire; St. James, chalcedony; St. John, emerald; St. Philip, sardonyx; St. Matthew, amethyst; St. Thomas, beryl; St. Thaddeus, chrysoprase; St. James the Less, topaz; St. Simeon, hyacinth; St. Matthias, chrysolite; St. Bartholomew, carnelian.
While there are variations, the generally accepted list of "birthstones" is:
January, garnet; February, amethyst; March, bloodstone; April, sapphire; May, emerald; June, agate; July, ruby; August, sardonyx; September, chrysolite; October, opal; November, topaz; December, turquoise.