Birthstones

BIRTHSTONES

Birthstones have always been one of the most popular category sought after by jewelry designers, gemstone enthusiasts, and more. Not only are birthstones beautiful and unique, their backstory is unique as well.

Origin of Birthstones

The birthstone tradition began with people wearing all 12 stones at one time as referenced in the Book of Exodus. In the text, High priest Aaron wore a special religious breastplate with 12 stones, each chipped off of the Throne of God, signifying the 12 tribes of Israel. The 12 stones actually represented in the text remains a mystery and, because of this, modern day iterations of the 12 birthstones are categorized by color and not necessarily by stone type.

The birthstone custom evolved into people owning all 12 birthstones, but only wearing one stone at a time. People most commonly wore the stone associated with the current month because it was thought to have heightened metaphysical properties during that time.

Connecting metaphysical properties to particular stone types became more widely known by trade between the east and west regions. Such metaphysical attributes can be found in Hindu texts and traditions, where the 12 Zodiac signs make connections between gemstones, deities, and astrology. In modern tradition, it was Scholar Flavius Josephus who first recognized that the 12 stones in the religious breastplate resembled the 12 Zodiac signs. By the 16th century people would wear jewelry with just their own birthstone, which is the tradition that we hold today.

The modern list of birthstones and birth months was written in 1912 by the National Associated of Jewelers and was then modified in 1952 by the Jewelry Industry Council of America.

Shopping for Birthstones

Offering birthstone strands is a great alternative to their fine jewelry counterparts, which most people often think as birthstone jewelry. But we are here to inspire creativity and motivate designers to make pieces that they and their customers can cherish. Dakota Stones has new line of birthstones that capture the essence of fine jewelry with brilliantly faceted strands, high quality stones, and pieces that can easily be crafted into something meaningful.

Having access to a full birthstone line is something that many of you have been requesting for a long time. It’s taken us a while, but we’re happy to be able to offer a consistent line of birthstones! We simplified the navigation and curated our top products for each month.

SHOP ALL BIRTHSTONES