Birthstone Jewelry - The Perfect Gifts For Women

What do you give the woman in your life?

Unless she specifically requests for one, a vacuum cleaner or a new set of pot and pans, no matter how much they cost, might well disappoint her. Practical though they may be, household gifts lack that special touch. You know the look on her face when she opens a gift she really loves. One that gives her that unexpected thrill?

You are more likely to get a genuinely thrilled response from her if you give her jewelry than if you were to give her a new apron or a new cupboard.

What if she already has everything?

All women love shiny things. Precious jewelry that catches her eye would certainly get her vote. It could be an absolutely gorgeous necklace that sets off her favorite dress beautifully. Or it could be a pair of stunning shoulder duster earrings that highlight her slender neck. Or it could be a cuff bracelet that makes a simple sheath dress look amazing.

When it comes to a birthday gift, nothing beats birthstone jewelry for her.

Birthstone jewelry is any kind of jewelry that is set with the gemstone of her birth month.

Who invented birthstone jewelry in the first place?

There are lots of theories as to the origins of birthstones.

One common belief is that these 12 birthstones originated from the breastplate worn by the high priest of the Jews. Each gemstone representing one tribe of Israel and later, representing one month of the year.

These 12 gemstones are beryl, topaz,ruby, turquoise, lapis lazuli, emerald, jacinth,agate, amethyst, crysolite,onyx and jasper.

Astrologers associated the gemstones with each zodiac sign. As each zodiac month overlaps largely with the calendar month, the monthly birthstone list can be derived from the zodiac birthstone.

The Tibetans, in ancient Tibet, had their own birthstone list. That list of mystical birthstones is more than a thousand years old.

Even the Indians have their Ayurverdic birthstone list, based on that branch of medicine originating from India.

Eventually, in 1912, a modern birthstone list was compiled by the National Association of Jewelers in Kansas with a specific gemstone associated with each month of the year. This is the list accepted in U.S.

According to this modern birthstone list, the birthstone for January is garnet. For february, the gemstone is amethyst. March calls for aquamarine, April's gemstone is the diamond. May's birthstone is Emerald. For June, the birthstone is Pearl. Ruby is the july birthstone while peridot is August's birthstone. September calls for Sapphire. October's birthstone is Opal. November calls for Citrine and the December birthstone is Turquoise.

Throughout history, mankind has been fascinated with gemstones. Their color, beauty and rarity cause men to prize them. So much so that many stories and superstitions surround the various gemstones.

Lore or not. Gemstones are beautiful and that alone makes them wonderful gifts for women. The way they enhance the wearer's looks, like the icing on the cake make birthstone jewelry wonderful jewelry gifts for women.

The great thing about birthstones is that they make great personalized gifts for women. After all, that gemstone is chosen based on her birth month. When you want to get a woman jewelry and aren't too sure which gemstone to get, you could use any of these lists as a guide.

Yes, diamonds are a girls best friend and no woman would protest if you give her diamonds. But if you want to get her something more affordable, you could go for one of the more affordable gemstones for her month.