February’s Birthstone: The Romance of Amethyst
written for SWCreations by Stephanie Dray
Amethyst is February’s birthstone. Some might wonder whether amethyst’s rich violet hue is appropriate for a month associated with red roses and candy hearts. But as it happens, the legend of Saint Valentine says that he wore an amethyst ring carved in the shape of cupid. Amethyst beads, with their grape purple tints, have been associated with love, fertility and romance long before pink Hallmark Cards took February’s center stage.
In fact, before the legend of Saint Valentine and his amethyst ring, there was the legend of Cleopatra and hers. Though Egyptian pharaohs generally adorned their tombs with amethysts, Cleopatra wore hers on a spectacular ring symbolizing love, light and life. Cleopatra was thought to be the incarnation of Isis by Egyptians, and some Romans thought she was the incarnation of Venus, Goddess of Love. With her amethyst ring, Cleopatra was said to have ensorcelled not one, but two powerful Roman generals: Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Perhaps it is for this reason that Roman wives came to believe that amethyst beaded jewelry would assure their husband’s devotion.
Moreover, the story that gives February’s birthstone its name is a romantic tragedy. Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility and wine, fell in love with a maiden named Amethyst. When the maiden refused the drunken god’s affections, she was turned to quartz. But when the God saw the girl thus, he was overcome with love and sorrow. He wept upon her statue and his wine-purple tears stained the stone forever.
Thereafter, ancient people’s thought that amethyst had the power to prevent intoxication. Cups and goblets were carved from amethyst to protect against drunkenness. Amethyst’s reputation for being able to grant its wearer a clear head, promote feelings of love, and ensure devotion made it a popular stone amongst the early clergy. Amethyst beads adorned crucifixes worn by bishops and cardinals, but Catholicism wasn’t the only religion to prize February’s birthstone. Amethysts are also Buddha’s gemstone and treasured in Tibet.
Amethyst beaded jewelry can be as pale as lilac or as vibrant as lilac–versatile colors that compliment most skin tones. Moreover, February’s birthstone registers as a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which means that it’s durable. In fact, amethyst’s beauty and durability ensured that it was once amongst the most expensive gemstones, but due to large deposits found in the modern era, amethyst birthstones are now affordable on any budget. One drawback to February’s birthstone, however, is that daylight can change its color. Purple amethysts can be restored by means of radiation, but to preserve the intense royal color, it’s best not to wear amethyst beaded jewelry when sunbathing or otherwise exposed to intense light.
In modern times, February has become a month of sober reflection. We acknowledge the accomplishments of African Americans during February because it is Black History Month. We remember our great leaders on President’s Day, and we show our appreciation for the ones we love on St. Valentine’s Day. So too has amethyst become a modern symbol of clear-headedness and an open heart, which makes it an ideal birthstone for those born under the sign of Aquarius.
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What Mood are You?
written for SWCreations by Lisa A. Vella
In the 1970’s a new and interesting kind of jewelry became one of the biggest fads of the decade to hit the market. It was the first piece of jewelry that could supposedly tell what mood its wearer was in. This piece of jewelry was the mood ring—it was fun, it was fresh, and it was totally cool if you owned one! Today, mood jewelry comes in more than just the original form of mood rings. There are now necklaces, earrings, toe rings, and most recently, beads to become bracelets. Regardless of form, however, mood jewelry has an interesting history.
It is a bit uncertain as to who actually invented the mood ring. One story says that in the 1960’s a man named Marvin Wernick invented it. He had supposedly gotten the idea while watching a doctor friend of his apply a thermotropic strip to a child’s forehead during an emergency. The strip changed color according to how hot the strip became. After giving it some thought, Wernick, a jewelry designer by trade, realized that he could turn this into a fun invention for ordinary use. It wasn’t long before the mood ring came about.
Still others attribute the arrival of the mood ring to a man named Joshua Reynolds, who was also the inventor of the Thighmaster.
Apart from who invented it, it still works the same. The stone of the ring itself is either a hollow piece of glass filled with liquid thermotropic crystals, or a clear glass stone that sits on a sheet of liquid crystals. These crystals reflect different wavelengths of light based on the body temperature of the person who is wearing it. The stone then changes color according to the body temperature.
So how can you tell the mood by a person’s body temperature? People’s body temperatures tend to vary based on what mood they are in. For example, if a person feels stressed their body temperatures often drop. If that person is wearing the mood ring, it would typically be represented by the ring changing from the neutral green to black. When one is very happy, or even in love, body temperature rises, and the ring should change from the neutral green to dark blue or purple.
Whether mood jewelry actually works or not remains to be seen. There are a few different variables that can render them inaccurate. For one thing, individual companies calibrate the temperature of their rings slightly differently, so sometimes the colors are not completely universal. Another thing to keep in mind is that not everyone’s body temperature is the same in certain situations, like extreme stress or when in love. The following is a list of colors and their general meanings:
- Brown: Anxious, nervous, fearful
- Black: Stressed, tense or feeling harried
- Grey: Extremely nervous or anxious, scared
- Amber: Slightly nervous or anxious
- Green: Neutral reading, normal, not under great stress
- Blue-green: Emotionally charged, somewhat relaxed
- Blue: Relaxed, At ease, calm, lovable
- Dark Blue/Purple: Very happy, in love, passionate, romantic
Regardless of who invented it or how accurate they are, mood jewelry is still great fun to both own and wear. It is attractive, stylish and comes in many different forms. So why don’t you try it out for yourself, test out the accuracy—see what mood you are in! After all, that is part of the fun of owning mood jewelry.