January Birthstone

The birthstone for January is the garnet. The word is derived from the Latin word 'granatum' which means pomegranate and though most garnets are blood red like the fruit, there are other colours that you will find as well. For ages, traditional medicine thought that garnets were good for the blood and could protect you against getting hurt if you wore them. There are a number of garnet birthstone engagement rings that you can buy. If you would like to design your own engagement ring, you can do so, combining garnets with diamonds perhaps.

Garnets add a touch of rich red colour to engagement rings and they tell the world that you are January born. It's a great conversation piece to have your birthstone as well in the engagement ring. Today, you'll find a range of exquisitely-designed garnet jewellery and you might want to add that to your collection of jewellery to match your engagement ring. Wearing your month birthstone is said to bring you luck as well as give you protection so even if you don't really believe in it, it might be nice to have a special stone that is yours to wear.

February Birthstone

If you are February born, you have a birthstone all your very own and that is the amethyst. While an amethyst that is of a high quality is usually a purple colour, you'll find that many amethysts go all the way from lilac to pink as well. It was once a stone that was worn by royalty and today, it is associated with St. Valentine so it is great to gift it to someone on Valentine's Day as well. The name comes from the word 'amethystos' in Latin which means 'sober' so wearing this stone, according to the Greeks of old was supposed to prevent people from getting drunk. The Egyptians too, revered it as a gemstone.

When amethysts are used in engagement rings, they give the rings a rich, royal colour. They go well with diamonds and you could design a ring that combines the dazzle of the diamond to the purple glow of the amethyst to perfection. There was a time when the amethyst was rare and therefore considered precious. However, with huge deposits being discovered in certain parts of the world, the gem has lost a lot of its old value. It still looks very rich and attractive in a ring.

March Birthstone

If you were born in March, your birthstone is the beautiful blue-green aquamarine. The name says it all - it means the water of the sea and like the colour of the oceans, it can go from green to blue. The more the blue content in the stones, the higher the value. It has been used by men as jewellery for ages and it is also said to possess healing and protective powers especially where the liver and throat are concerned. This colour can look stunning against the skin and maybe best set in white gold or platinum punctuated with diamonds to make it dazzle.

Aquamarine stones in engagement rings can be a colourful addition and they really do look like you have captured bits of the ocean and set it in a ring design. You can experiment with metals or a mix of metals, with setting and with combinations - they really look great with diamonds - and come up with a design that is extraordinary. Or you can browse through the many designs that are available on the Internet today - just make sure that you go to a reputed jeweller who is registered and who will sell you certified diamonds.

April Birthstone

What better stone to have on your engagement ring than the diamond - and if you are April born, that is what your stone is. So you are the lucky one in the zodiac - you can have just diamonds if you want to wear the protection of your birthstone as well on your engagement ring. Most of the popular diamonds are white or colourless but you do get diamonds in most colours - including black. Today, these coloured diamonds are also doing well on the popularity charts. It is one of the hardest of all precious stones and that is perhaps why it is used in the engagement ring - after all, together with the wedding ring, the engagement ring goes through a lot over many years.

If you want diamonds on your engagement rings, you are like almost every other woman or couple on the planet. Somehow diamonds are what comes to mind when it is an engagement ring so even of your birthstone is another stone, it always is a good idea to combine it with diamonds in a design. The stone derives its name from the Greek word 'adamas' or 'unalterable' - and that it is, hard as it is. The diamond stands for eternity, money and love.

May Birthstone

If your birthday falls in the month of May, your birthstone is the emerald. A favourite of jewellery collectors all over the world, this stone can go from the palest to the deepest green. They have gone into making some of the most exquisite jewellery over generations and a favourite combination for jewellery are diamonds, emeralds and pearls. However, emeralds must be looked after and set well because if they are subjected to knocks, they could crack.

Emeralds in engagement rings especially when they are teamed with diamonds can make a stunning piece of jewellery. They belong to the beryl family of minerals and the word has come down from the Greek word 'smaragdus' which came from a Sanskrit word meaning 'green'. These stones are also judged on the 4 Cs like diamonds and it is said to protect those born in the month of May. There are a number of fabulous emeralds to be found in the Crown Jewels collection. Emeralds go all the way back to the ancient civilisations and can be found in Egyptian ruins as well as many others around the world. They were used as ornamentation even for men.

June Birthstone

The birthstone for June is not really a stone but something that is produced inside a shell fish. The pearl is round and has a luminous sheen about it and is prized all over the world. Today, most of the pearls that are available are farmed or cultured though in times gone by, they harvested the natural pearls that occurred in the wild and with each passing decade, pearl divers had to go deeper and deeper to find molluscs with pearls inside them. How does a pearl grow? A small grain of sand or impurity can irritate the insides of these shelled creatures and they secrete a protective substance called nacre which builds up around this. This substance is luminescent like the insides of the shell and can come in many colours.

Pearls in engagement rings might not be that popular but you can, as a June-born make it unique. Designs that feature pearls and diamonds can be great and the brilliance of one goes well with the soft sheen of the other. Pearls have been used by people for jewellery for hundreds of years and today the wonderful thing is that anyone can afford these great looking precious gems.

July Birthstone

The birthstone for those born in July is the ruby and this is such a regal stone. They are a clear red and in fact the name comes from the Latin 'ruber' which means 'red'. Maybe because of their colour, they have been associated with the heart and the blood and they were said to protect against any heart diseases as well as excessive bleeding. Rubies are also said to bring with them wisdom and creativity.

When rubies are used in engagement rings, they are usually set with diamonds because the two stones complement each other very well indeed. Rubies and diamonds can be used in a channel setting or the rubies can be used to surround a huge round diamond - or the other way around. Many of the world's famous jewellery sets feature rubies and diamonds used together in intricate and exquisite designs. Remember that the colour of the ruby determines its price - the brighter the colour, the more expensive it will be. Rubies have always been revered in the Eastern countries and there are records of ruby trade centuries ago. They were even used to adorn men's armour.

August Birthstone

The birthstone for those born in August is the peridot and it has often been mistaken for an emerald. The difference between the two however, is that the peridot has a tinge of yellow in it while the emerald doesn't - its colour ranges from light green to very dark green when it could have a touch of blue. They were very popular during the Victorian era and there were intricate jewellery pieces which featured amethysts, peridots and pearls. It isn't as hard as most of the other gems so you should watch out for rough handling which could cause cracks. Peridots are among the less expensive gem stones so you will find that most people can afford them.

If you want to put your birthstone peridots into engagement rings, make sure that the settings are very secure because it isn't too hard. Today you can get large flawless peridots and they are reasonably priced. They were found in ancient Egyptian jewellery and many people from way back them used them as protection against evil spirits. It is said to usher in peace and love when it is worn. You could try combining them with diamonds for a unique, classy design.

September Birthstone

Come September and the birthstone is sapphire - and the blue just blows you away. Sapphires can go from light blue to the deepest blue that looks black almost. This is a wonderful stone that goes so well with diamonds - the dazzle of the diamond and the sparkle of the sapphire. It comes from the Latin 'sapphirus' which means 'blue'. These stones have been prized possessions and have been set in jewellery pieces of royalty and the rich and famous for centuries. Heirlooms with diamonds and sapphires abound.

If you want to have sapphires in engagement rings, you can design a stunning and sensational ring especially if you were to combine it with diamonds. The blue and brilliance go together so well and you can design something that shows off the wonderful characteristics of both these stones. Both can figure as the centre stone surrounded by the other. According to folklore, the sapphire is great protection against snakes. It also calms a person down and removes anger and hatred. The sapphire has been called the prettiest gem stone of all and when you gaze into its clear blue beauty, we are quite sure you will agree!

October Birthstone

The birthstone for the month of October is the opal and you'll find them in shades from white to bright blues. Whatever the colour of the opal, they have a core - and it seems like there is a fire burning in its centre. In the olden days, the ancients believed that the opal encapsulated every goodness from all the other stones because if you looked deep, you could see every colour there inside. So it was a harbinger of good fortune. However, during the Victorian era, the opal started getting a bad name in England and it was soon being touted as a gem that brought evil in its wake. In some parts of Europe, the fiery core was thought to be the evil eye and so people avoided this gem. The name comes from the Latin word 'opalus' which means 'precious stone'.

Thankfully these superstitions have died down and if you are October-born, you can have opals on your engagement rings. You should combine them with diamonds for the best effect and design a ring that smoulders and dazzles at the same time. Just remember that the opal has a moisture content which makes it a soft stone which can crack easily. There are many famous opals all over the world, some in museums and some in private collections.

November Birthstone

If you were born in November, your birthstone is topaz - specifically, yellow topaz because topaz comes in other colours too. The actual, pure topaz is transparent and colourless but when there are impurities present, it shows up as colours. The yellow topaz symbolises friendship. The name is from the Greek word 'topazios' which means 'yellow stone'. Care must be taken not to expose this stone to sunlight for too long because its colour could fade.

If you want your gemstone topaz in your engagement rings, you could design something unique and different with just these stones or better still, teaming them with diamonds. For thousands of years, topaz has been a precious stone that is said to drive away darkness and sadness. According to the Romans, topaz was the gem stone of Jupiter and was therefore highly revered. Way back in Biblical times, this gem is mentioned as the stone that was the foundation of one of the twelve gates to the Holy City. Topaz is also supposed to make men virile and handsome. So wearing it on your engagement ring might be a good thing - if all its powers are true, it might make for a great life.

December Birthstone

This blue-green opaque stone is the birthstone for all born in the month of December. The turquoise is a rare stone but today you can find it all over the place because it can very easily be imitated. This is the stone that is supposed to bring a great deal of good fortune and there were several turquoise pieces of jewellery unearthed from the ruins that dated back to the time of the pyramids. They were also used a lot by the Native American Indians to make charms and they were popular with the Aztecs as well. One does not know if the word originated from the French word for Turkish or the word for 'dark blue stone'.

If you want turquoise on your engagement rings, you should find a good jeweller who will sell you the real thing - and not take you for a ride. You could try teaming it up with diamonds - they make a great combination. Make sure that you get a hard stone - the rich colour and the strength are what the stones are evaluated on. The stone can be sensitive to certain solvents so make sure you treat your turquoise right if you want it to last for a long time.