Sterling Silver Butterfly Huggie Earrings in CZ December Simulated Birthstone (December)

Birthstone jewelry is very popular today and dates back to ancient history. Throughout the ages people have had the strong desire to adorn themselves with items not only of beauty, but also meaning and birthstone jewelry is just one example. These meanings can manifest themselves in any number of ways including personal meaning, belief that birthstones posses medicinal affects or several others. When searching for a piece of birthstone jewelry, it can be helpful and interesting to understand the history behind birthstone jewelry, the beliefs that some hold surrounding it and the modern trends of today's impressions. Traditionally, a birthstone is associated with each month of the year. For example, the birthstone for January is a garnet, while lucky babies born in April get a diamond as their birthstone. The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the biblical times of the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The Zodiac Birthstones have evolved over hundreds of years as astrologers have assigned gems of certain colors to the twelve signs of the zodiac to help people influence the planets in their favor. The current list dates back to 1912 when the Jewelers of America developed a list of birthstones in an effort to settle on a standardized list of birthstones, with only one addition - the Tanzanite was added to December. There are numerous legends and myths about birthstone healing powers and their therapeutic influence. According to these legends, wearing a gemstone during its assigned month heightened its healing powers. For the full effect, individuals needed to own all twelve and alternate them monthly.