For this week’s “Did you know?” we’re going to explore the origin of birthstones. I’d like to preface this with an emphatic statement that I am in NO way a biblical or Judaic scholar and this is a topic that is widely debated to this day. It’s incredibly confusing and there are buckets of sources who agree on virtually nothing.
Some 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.
In the Hebrew Bible version, a different gemstone is listed for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are, in the 1st row, carnelian, chrysolite (peridot), and emerald; in the 2nd row, turquoise, sapphire, and amethyst; in the 3rd row, jacinth (red zircon), agate, and crystal; in the 4th row, beryl (aquamarine), lapis lazuli, and jasper.
In the Christian Bible version they are in the 1st row, Sardius(Carnelian), Topaz, Carbuncle (Garnet); in the 2nd row, Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond, 3rd row is Ligure (Lapis Lazuli), Agate, Amethyst, and 4th row is Beryl (Aquamarine) Onyx, and Jasper. As you can see about half of them are the same, even if they are in different locations on the breastplate.
There is also the list of foundation stones given in Revelation 21. These are said to correspond to the 12 zodiac signs.
The first century Jewish historian Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate (signifying the tribes of Israel, as described in the Book of Exodus), the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
George Frederick Kunz argues that Josephus saw the breastplate of the Second Temple, not the one described in Exodus. St. Jerome, referencing Josephus, said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19–20) would be appropriate for Christians to use
In the eighth and ninth century, religious treatises associating a particular stone with an apostle were written, so that "their name would be inscribed on the Foundation Stones, and his virtue. Practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month. The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old, though modern authorities differ on dates. Kunz places the custom in eighteenth century Poland, while the Gemological Institute of America starts it in Germany in the 1560s
In 1912, in an effort to standardize birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewelers (now called Jewelers of America) met in Kansas and officially adopted a list. The Jewelry Industry Council of America updated the list in 1952 by adding Alexandrite for June, citrine for November and pink tourmaline for October. They also replaced December's lapis with zircon and switched the primary/alternative gems for March. The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a December birthstone in 2002. In 2016, the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America added spinel as an additional birthstone for August. In 1937 Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths created their own standardized list of birthstones. Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
We have all of these stones available and will be happy to help you wear them in whichever fashion you prefer.
Some 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.
In the Hebrew Bible version, a different gemstone is listed for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are, in the 1st row, carnelian, chrysolite (peridot), and emerald; in the 2nd row, turquoise, sapphire, and amethyst; in the 3rd row, jacinth (red zircon), agate, and crystal; in the 4th row, beryl (aquamarine), lapis lazuli, and jasper.
In the Christian Bible version they are in the 1st row, Sardius(Carnelian), Topaz, Carbuncle (Garnet); in the 2nd row, Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond, 3rd row is Ligure (Lapis Lazuli), Agate, Amethyst, and 4th row is Beryl (Aquamarine) Onyx, and Jasper. As you can see about half of them are the same, even if they are in different locations on the breastplate.
There is also the list of foundation stones given in Revelation 21. These are said to correspond to the 12 zodiac signs.
The first century Jewish historian Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate (signifying the tribes of Israel, as described in the Book of Exodus), the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
George Frederick Kunz argues that Josephus saw the breastplate of the Second Temple, not the one described in Exodus. St. Jerome, referencing Josephus, said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19–20) would be appropriate for Christians to use
In the eighth and ninth century, religious treatises associating a particular stone with an apostle were written, so that "their name would be inscribed on the Foundation Stones, and his virtue. Practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month. The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old, though modern authorities differ on dates. Kunz places the custom in eighteenth century Poland, while the Gemological Institute of America starts it in Germany in the 1560s
In 1912, in an effort to standardize birthstones, the (American) National Association of Jewelers (now called Jewelers of America) met in Kansas and officially adopted a list. The Jewelry Industry Council of America updated the list in 1952 by adding Alexandrite for June, citrine for November and pink tourmaline for October. They also replaced December's lapis with zircon and switched the primary/alternative gems for March. The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a December birthstone in 2002. In 2016, the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America added spinel as an additional birthstone for August. In 1937 Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths created their own standardized list of birthstones. Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
We have all of these stones available and will be happy to help you wear them in whichever fashion you prefer.