July’s birthstone is ruby. Given that July is a month dedicated to Julius Caesar—a dictator who died in a pool of his own blood–the red gemstone seems somehow appropriate. But then, July has always been a month for red hot passions, whether murderous rages or ardent love affairs. In that respect, with its own internal fire, ruby is the ideal birthstone for the hottest month of the year.

Because ruby represents such fiery human passions, it’s a common alternative to diamond for engagement rings. This might also be because ruby is the red variety of corundum, an extremely durable mineral that scores a 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, second only to diamonds. As a birthstone it rates highly because of this hardness and also because it doesn’t require special care.

Whereas diamonds and most other translucent gemstones are valued primarily for their clarity, color is the most important factor for rubies. This is because it’s nearly impossible to find a flawless ruby. Inclusions are the main way that experts can tell genuine rubies apart from synthetics or simulated rubies. So while rubies range from orange to purple, the richer the red, the more costly they are.

In truth, there is something of a special glow to the reddest of the red rubies. Since ancient times, ruby admirers have commented on the stone’s ability to cast fiery light. Chinese Emperors claimed they could light up banquet halls with rubies alone. These stories are certainly exaggerated, but may have originated from an actual scientific property of rubies called fluorescence. Under certain conditions, a ruby absorbs blue light, goes into an excited state, and emits radiation on the red end of the spectrum. This quality led scientists to choose rubies for the creation of the first lasers.

But before July’s birthstone was put to use in modern technology, ruby beaded jewelry was prized purely for its symbolic qualities. For thousands of years, rubies have been one of the most sought after gems on earth, and one of the rarest. Ruby was one of the twelve gemstones on the breastplate of Aaron in the bible and has always represented fire and blood. Moreover, royals believed that if held by its rightful owner, ruby beaded jewelry would change color to warn of danger. Most famously, Katherine of Aragon is said to have foreseen her fall from political grace when her ruby darkened.

Ancient Indians called ruby the “king of gemstones” and when a large ruby was found, a diplomatic envoy was sent to officially greet the stone as if it were a demi-god. Ruby beaded jewelry was also prized by warriors who thought it stimulated their courage and willingness to die for a cause they passionately believed in.

As you can see, rubies have never been associated with any of the soft and lofty emotions that other gemstones bring to mind. Ruby is not meant for cool tempers and tender sentiments. It is a July birthstone, after all, meant to be worn by moody Cancers and fiery Leos. Intensely red and passionately beautiful, July’s birthstone continues to blaze its way through history as one of our most cherished treasures.

Links:

Wikipedia on Rubies

International Colored Gemstone Organization on Rubies

There are two October birthstones: opals and pink tourmaline. But while opals are more famous and certainly have their charm, pink tourmaline’s spooky qualities make it the perfect birthstone for the month in which we revel in ghost stories and the supernatural.

You see, pink tourmaline shares a unique quality with all tourmaline gemstones—it’s pyroelectric and piezoelectric. That means that when heated or put under pressure, tourmaline gemstones take on an electric charge and can actually pull things towards them. If you vigorously rub and warm up your pink tourmaline birthstone jewelry, it can “magically” attract nearby bits of paper and dust. It might even make the hairs on your arm stand on end!

But spooky action at a distance isn’t the only haunting quality of this October birthstone. Tourmaline jewelry can also appear to be different colors when viewed from different angles. The scientific explanation for this is pleochroism, an optical phenomenon in which light wavelengths are absorbed and bent in different degrees as they pass through the crystal. The mundane result, however, is that a set of birthstone jewelry is mystical and ever changing. Is it any wonder that tourmaline gemstones have been considered magical since ancient times?

Amongst gemstones, tourmaline is available in the widest variety of colors. The Egyptians even told a tale that tourmaline passed over a rainbow on its journey to earth and called it the gemstone of the rainbow.

There are even varieties of color in pink tourmaline itself. One of the most popular varieties is called “watermelon tourmaline.” Watermelon tourmaline is green on the outside, giving way to a slight white rind, and then a brilliant pink or red interior. When October’s birthstone displays three colors, as it does with watermelon tourmaline, it’s known as multicolored tourmaline. If it displays only two colors, then it’s known as bicolored tourmaline.

Because tourmaline gemstones come in every color under the sun, special names have been invented to distinguish them. For example, blue tourmaline is known as indigolite and green tourmaline is known as verdelite, so when shopping for your October Birthstone, keep in mind that pink tourmaline also has another name: rubellite. (For jewelers and gemstone enthusiasts, a true rubellite is a variety that does not change colors depending on the light source or viewing angle, but pink tourmaline might be sold as rubellite anyway.)

Tourmaline is the official mineral of Maine. It’s quarried there and in a variety of other locations all around the world, so October’s birthstone is available in almost all price ranges. It can even be irradiated to give it a more intense color.

Tourmaline ranges between 7-7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale; that makes it ideal for birthstone jewelry, which must both be durable and wear well. (October’s other birthstone, opal, is not as hard as tourmaline, and can become brittle and break easily. Also, whereas pink tourmaline can be faceted for more traditional jewelry settings, opals are best polished and smooth.)

Remember too that if transparent rubellite or multicolored watermelon tourmaline is not your style, you can even find October’s birthstone in a cat’s eye pattern. And if that’s not perfect for the month that celebrates Halloween, what is?

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