Birthstones, Past and Present PART III: July, August and September

摘要

For as long as humans have been fascinated with precious gems, they have assigned special significance to them. The earliest associa-tions were with astrology; a gem was attributed to each sign of the zodiac, and credited with healing or talismanic powers. The 12 zodiac gems formed the basis of the modem, Western birthstone list. The national trade association Jewelers of America (www.jewelers.org ) established a list of birthstones in 1912 that remains the standard today. Alternative lists also exist, and who's to say you can't choose your own?