But, the concept of birthstone marketing has its critics. Many shoppers, gift recipients, and jewelers enjoy the idea of birthstones jewelry. The niece will likely be happy with her birthstone gift. The 'birthstone idea' helped the salesperson make a sale and helped the shopper select a personalized gift. The shopper quickly finds an amethyst jewelry set consisting of a ring, a pendant necklace, and a pair of earrings. Upon learning that the niece was born in February, the salesperson shows the shopper to a nice display of amethyst jewelry. The salesperson asks the birthdate of the niece. Here is how that might happen.Ī shopper is looking for a gift for a niece and is having difficulty finding 'the perfect item'. Birthstones serve as both a purchasing and marketing aid. Image copyright iStockphoto / MadKruben.īirthstones facilitate the purchase and sale of many jewelry items. Shown above is a gold ring with a large amethyst cabochon. They are often engraved with the names of the children or with a special message.Īmethyst Ring: Birthstone jewelry is very popular in the United States and other countries.

Mother’s rings are sometimes purchased by a mother but they are often a gift to the mother from her husband or from her children. A “Mother’s Ring” is a woman’s ring that is set with the birthstones of her children. Mothers often wear rings, pendants, or pins that contain their children's birthstone(s). Some students select their birthstone as the center stone of their high school or college class ring. These sets are popular birthday and graduation gifts. Three-piece sets that include a birthstone ring, pendant, and pair of earrings are sold in many stores. The first jewelry item that many children receive is often a birthstone ring, earrings, or pendant. In the United States alone, consumers buy millions of dollars' worth of birthstone jewelry every month. Wearing and gifting birthstone jewelry is a long-standing custom in many countries. Mother's Birthstone Ring: A Mother's Ring displaying a lab-grown birthstone for each of her children. August Birthstones: Peridot, Spinel, and Sardonyx Others are happy with the great appearance and lower price of lab-created gems. Many people are happy to pay the higher price for natural gems because they treasure gems that formed naturally within the Earth. If you spend time studying them, you might note that the synthetic gems usually have better clarity and better color than natural gems of similar price. Many of them will likely be synthetic or lab-grown ruby.

Today, if you go to a mall jewelry store such as Zales or Kay Jewelers, you will encounter a case with a large assortment of ruby jewelry items for sale. Lab-grown rubies have been in the United States jewelry market since the early 1900s. Lab-grown ruby is very common in jewelry stores in the United States. Natural rubies have historically been expensive gems, but recent discoveries in Africa bring many attractive natural rubies into the market at affordable prices. The most desirable and valuable colors are pure red and slightly purplish red. Rubies range in color from orangy-red, to red, to slightly purplish-red. Healing Crystals by Cassandra Eason.Ruby is the birthstone for the month of July and the world's most popular red gem. Gems in Myth, Legend, and Lore by Bruce G. Gemstones of the World by Walter Schumann. International Colored Gemstone Association The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by G.F. It symbolizes the ocean, sleep, the sky, and twilight it is pacifying and calming and is associated with healing, peace, psychism, patience and happiness.īack to birthstone index back to birthstone colorsīack to birthstone index back to gemstones index Birthstone Months and Signs see Blue Gemstones Another page with additional pictures of blue gemstones.īlue is the color of the element of Water. Think of a blue gem stone and you probably think of blue sapphires or lapis lazuli which are listed as birthstones on several charts (see below).

Light blue birth stone