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Birthstones and Zodiac Signs (Astrological Signs)

A birthstone is a gemstone that represents a person’s period of birth that is usually the month or zodiac sign. There is a particular gemstone, or birthstone, associated with the month of birth. But did you know that our Western Zodiac Signs have also been linked to semi-precious stones?

Each Zodiac (Astrological) Sign has several possible connected birthstones. And every gemstone is associated with several Zodiac Signs. That’s why stones are often referred to as “having an affinity with” rather than being specific to a particular birth month or Astrological Sign.

History of Birthstones

The Jewish historian Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate (described in the Book of Exodus), the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the Zodiac.

It became a tradition for Christians to wear all twelve stones, recalling the breastplate. As time went on, people started rotating through their collection and wearing one stone on its own, based on which one was believed to have heightened powers at that time. This eventually evolved to associating particular gemstones with birth months.

Besides, many different ancient cultures revered gemstones and connected them to their calendar systems.

Eastern cultures recognized a similar range of gemstones associated with birth. However, rather than associating a gem with a birth month, gemstones were associated with celestial bodies. Astrology was employed to determine the gemstones most closely associated with and beneficial to a particular individual. For example, in Hinduism, there were nine gemstones related to the Navagraha (divine forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon), known in Sanskrit as Navaratna (nine gems). At birth, an astrological chart was calculated. Specific stones were recommended to be worn on the body to ward off potential problems based on these forces’ place in the sky at the exact location and birth time.