For those who are getting older first…A look at people born in January

It’s been a crazy 2010. The best description I can probably give last year was strange as it was a year marked by change and survival making me, personally, excitedly looking forward to the next year. As a new positive step towards 2011, I (and all of us here at Artune), will endeavor to post more and interact more with all of you. I know, I know, we’ve all said it before. But we really do mean it this time.

For the first post of January, we thought it would be nice to examine people born in this month. They’re the first to add another notch in their ages so let’s see where they can be firsts too.

According to Dr. Louis Turi, most people born in January need to also be first in life as in age. They are strongly motivated to succeed, gain a position of power, striving for respect and accomplishment in whatever their chosen career. Hmm, classic examples of these would be January-born Oprah, Muhammad Ali, Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon), Michael Schumacher, among others.

What stone are you? – Birthdays and Birthstones part 2

birthstone jewelry

We decided to post the lists below and let you decide which one you’d like to follow:

Ayurveda is loosely translated as ‘the science of life’, an ancient art of healing that has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Originating from India, its main purpose is to bring your body in to balance. They believed wearing your birthstone would help bring your body and health into balance from the individual characteristics of the gemstones.

AYURVEDIC		Believed Characteristics
January	Garnet	healing, strength, and protection
February	Amethyst	brings peace and calm
March	Bloodstone	diminishes fears, bad tempers, and anger
April	Diamond	enhance a person’s level of clarity, balance, and abundance
May	Agate	improves memory and concentration, increases stamina and encourages honesty.
June	Pearl	associated with purity, wisdom and loyalty
July	Ruby	strength, vitality, and courage.
August	Sapphire	Brings physical and emotional balance
September	Moonstone	bring good luck, ensure everlasting love and passion, bring calmness and awareness in meditation or to a wearer
October	Opal	enhances insight and dispels fear
November	Topaz	symbolic of love and fidelity
December	Ruby	strength, vitality, and courage.

The Mystical Birthstone list, is believed to originate from Tibet:

MYSTICAL	STONE
January	Emerald
February	Bloodstone
March	Jade
April	Opal
May	Sapphire
June	Moonstone
July	Ruby
August	Diamond
September	Agate
October	Jasper
November	Pearl
December	Onyx

And lastly, the Zodiac Birthstone. The Zodiac signs in astrology are usually used to predict personality, relationship and business aspects. Each sign is said to be governed over by a planet and is representative of where the sun was in the sky during your birth. The gemstones are said to be ruled by the planetary guide for each sign:

ZODIAC SIGN	Birth Dates	STONE	RULING PLANET
Aquarius	Jan 20 – Feb 18	Amethyst	Uranus
Pisces	Feb 19 – Mar 20	Aquamarine	Neptune
Aries	Mar 21 – Apr 19	Diamond	Mars
Taurus	Apr 20 – May 20	Emerald	Venus
Gemini	May 21 – June 20	Pearl	Mercury
Cancer	June 21 – Jul 22	Ruby	Moon
Leo	Jul 23 – Aug 23	Peridot	The Sun
Virgo	Aug 24 – Sept 22	Sapphire	Mercury
Libra	Sept 23 – Oct 23	Opal	Venus
Scorpio	Oct 24 – Nov 21	Topaz	Pluto
Sagittarius	Nov 22 – Dec 21	Turquoise	Jupiter
Capricorn	Dec 22 – Jan 21	Garnet	Saturn

What stone are you? – Birthdays and Birthstones

Everybody loves birthstones. Everyone loves celebrating milestones with precious gems that remind you of how unique and special you are.

But not everyone knows that there are actually several birthstone list. The Modern Birthstone list is the most widely known, distributed by the Jewelers of America. Its older version is referred to as the traditional birthstones. And the alternative list – the Mystical version popularized only recently but has been around since 1000 years ago and originating from Tibet. But there is also what we know as the Ayurvedic list from India and the birthstones by Zodiac.

We will tell you the stone for each list. Let’s start with the traditional list, shall we? This is probably the list everyone would be familiar with.

The traditional birthstones are what society has largely held to represent each month. As such, several “traditional” lists of birthstone propagated over time. The most popular have been:

January – Garnet
February – Amethyst
March –Bloodstone, Jasper
April – Diamond, Sapphire
May – Emerald, Agate
June – Alexandrite, Pearl
July – Ruby, Onyx
August – Sardonyx, Carnelian
September – Sapphire, Peridot
October – Tourmaline, Aquamarine
November – Topaz, Citrine
December –Ruby, Zircon

There were even poems, disputed to be of Gregorian origin, that Tiffany & Co published in 1870 penned by an “unknown author” detailing each stone for month and the qualities they represent. Most countries who follow the Gregorian calendar follow this birthstone list. One such example:

By her who in January was born
No gem save garnets shall be worn
They will ensure her constancy
True friendship and fidelity.

The February born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear.

By her who in March was born
No gem save bloodstone shall be worn
They will ensure her constancy
True friendship and fidelity.

She who from April dates her years,
diamonds shall wear,
lest bitter tears
For vain repentance flow.

Who first beholds the light of day
In spring’s sweet, flower month of May
And wears an emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and a loving wife.

By her who in June was born
No gem save pearls shall be worn
They will ensure her constancy
True friendship and fidelity.

The gleaming ruby should adorn,
All those who in July are born,
For thus they’ll be exempt and free,
From lover’s doubts and anxiety.

Wear a peridot or for thee,
No conjugal fidelity,
The August born without this stone,
`Tis said, must live unloved; alone.

A maiden born when autumn leaves
Are rustling in September’s breeze,
A sapphire on her brow should bind;
To bring her joy and peace of mind.

October’s child is born for woe,
And life’s vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.

Who first comes to this world below
In dreary November’s fog and snow,
Should prize the topaz amber hue,
Emblem of friends and lovers true.

If cold December gave you birth
The month of snow and ice and mirth
Place on your hand a turquoise blue;
Success will bless whate’er you do.

In 1912, the Jewelers of America (then known as the American National Association of Jewelers) officially adopted a birthstone list now known as the “Modern Birthstones.” Currently, this is the most used birthstone reference in America.

January – Garnet
February – Amethyst
March – Aquamarine
April – Diamond
May – Emerald
June – Moonstone, Pearl
July – Ruby
August – Peridot
September – Sapphire
October – Tourmaline, Opal
November – Citrine, Topaz
December – Blue Topaz, Turquoise.

Next post, the Mystical, Ayurvedic, and Zodiac Birthstone lists…

Do you want to know a secret? – The secret of Poison Rings

Peridot and Garnet Cabochon Poison Rings

As most know, poison rings have a type of container usually hidden under a bezel or a gemstone. This container could actually be used to hold poison or another substance. Such discreet – not to mention fashionable – means of hiding such fatal liquids has inspired countless stories of assassins and jealous spouses having the ultimate revenge.

But the secret of poison rings is that it has never really been documented to be used to actually poison people. These rings came from India and the Far East by way of the Holy Relic trade in the Middle ages. And really, the containers were used as containers. People treated them as lockets – used to hold either a lock of hair or a hand painted picture of their lover or some other loved one. In a time when robbery was prevalent, these rings provided the ultimate safe for your cherished keepsakes.

It might be interesting to note that there is actually only one documented death by use of a poison ring. Demosthenes was a famous Greek statesman and orator who was trying to evade capture by seeking sanctuary in the island of Caluria. As he was about to be arrested, he committed suicide (according to one of the accounts) by way of a fast-acting poison hidden “in a hollow ring, which he wore by his arm.” [Plutarch’s Lives]

The poison ring though, went through a dark re-invention during the Elizabethan Age when people started to design them in the shape of coffins to commemorate deaths. Usually, the front of the coffin would display a crest or design that represented the dead person and were given out to the mourners.

In any case, throughout its infamous (and mostly fictional) reputation in history, the poison ring is still what it was before – a discreet and fashionable way of holding one’s secrets.

Welcome to our Jewelry Assistant!!

A big hello and welcome to our Artune customers and Jewelry enthusiasts alike!

We are launching this blog mainly to be able to spread jewelry tips and information. We know how everyone likes to know the background of stones, its properties and where it comes from and where it is mined. So we thought a blog would be the easiest way to provide that information.

We would be extremely happy for this to be an interactive blog. We’ll welcome comments and inquiries that you’d like to post with us and we will answer them as best as we can. Have a question about your birthstone? Or maybe you’d like to know the history of poison rings? Ask and post away and we’ll be happy to do the research for you and post our answers!