GARNET

Color: the versatile garnet comes in a virtual rainbow of colors, including pink, red, purple, orange, yellow, violet, green, colorless, occasionally black, brown and many shades of red and green. The most common color of garnets is reddish brown. Bohemian Garnet is deep red gemstone, Russian

Month: January

Source: largest supply of garnets comes from the continent of Africa.

Trivia: In December 1996, a student in Central Australia discovered what is thought to be the largest single garnet ever found - measuring nearly one hundred feet across!

AMETHYST

Color: it comes in deep purple, light lilac, lavender and mauve.

Month: February.

Source: Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Uruguay, Africa and Europe. Benefit: is perhaps the most useful all-purpose healing crystal. Therapists say that the amethyst has a sobering and cleansing effect and is also esteemed as a stone of friendship.

Trivia: Amethyst is the perfect gem to be given on the 4th, 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries.

AQUAMARINE

Color: all the shades of light blue and often mixed with a hint of green.

Month: March.

Source: Brazil is the chief source of producing the world famous Aquamarines.

Benefits: brings compassion, trust, and marital harmony.

Trivia: Since ancient times, it has been regarded as the sailors' lucky stone. Its name is derived from the Latin 'aqua' (water) and 'mare' (sea).

DIAMOND

Color: The traditional color associated with the Diamond is white, or colorless.

Month: April.

Source: Australia, Ghana, Zaire, Russia, USA and Brazil.

Benefits: The traditional metaphysical properties for the April birthstone Diamond are balance, clarity and abundance.

Trivia: it is the ultimate gemstone, having few weaknesses and many strengths. It is well known that a Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, but few people realize that Diamond is four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum.

EMERALD

Color: The proper name for the emerald is beryl, but there are different colors of beryl. Emerald green is the name of the color, as well as that of the stone.

Month: May.

Source: The best beryl comes from Colombia and Brazil. Emeralds can also be found in India, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.

Benefits: Emerald is used by healers to help heal the heart; it is a stone of great harmony, wisdom and love.

Trivia: The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'.

PEARL

Color: White

Month: June.

Source: Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mannar, the South Pacific, the Gulf of California, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast of Mexico, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Benefits: loyalty, faithfulness and friendship, modesty, chastity and purity.

Trivia: the queen of all gems, it is known to enhance personal integrity.

RUBY

Color: Red, which is the color of love.

Month: July.

Source: Burma, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand, Vietnam, Kenya and Afghanistan.

Benefits: a ring set with a precious ruby bears witness to that passionate, unbridled love that people can feel for each other.

Trivia: the king of the gemstones. In the fascinating world of gemstones, the ruby is the undisputed ruler.

PERIDOT

Color: vivid green with just a slight hint of gold.

Month: August.

Source: the most beautiful Peridots come from the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However Myanmar, China, USA, Africa and Australia are also large producers.

Benefits: it is said to heal the heart, lend strength and help make dreams come true!

Trivia: it is famed for its brilliant color and durability.

SAPPHIRE

Color: mainly blue sapphires are popular across the globe, but the pink, yellow, green, blue and white sapphires look equally charming.

Month: September.

Source: the best are mined in Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Benefits: Sapphires also have healing powers and are very effective in curing eye diseases. They also stand for loyalty and honesty in a relationship.

Trivia: Sapphires in recent times have started giving the ever-popular diamond engagement ring stiff competition. A trend that was initiated by Prince Charles when he slipped a sapphire engagement ring on Princess Diana’s fingers.

OPAL

Color: overall it has colorless feel with hints of white, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green, gray, brown, and black as its base colors.

Month: October.

Source: Australia is the popular country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.

Benefits: Opals are like human emotions: you always experience them different and anew.

Trivia: The name Opal was probably derived from Sanskrit “upala“, meaning ”valuable stone“. This was probably the root for the Greek term “opallios”, which translates as “color change”. It is the gemstone for the 14th and 18th marriage anniversaries.

CITRINE

Color: yellow-to-golden, and a member of the quartz mineral group. Like many gemstones, dark citrine is worth more than paler yellow, even if the lighter stone is completely flawless.

Month: November.

Source: Bolivia, several African countries and parts of the Soviet Union.

Benefits: used by healers to increase self esteem, protect from negative energy from someone else's abuse, open the mind to new thoughts, promote clarity of thought, help connect with the spirit, aids creativity and motivates writers.

Trivia: ancient cultures believed that placing a citrine on the forehead of an elder would increase his psychic power. It is also called "Merchants Stone". If you are in any type of sales, just put a citrine in the cash drawer and watch what happens!

TOPAZ

Color: it comes in all the hues of blue: sky blue; electric blue; greenish blue; and bright blue.

Month: December.

Source: Brazil, India, Srilanka, and Nigeria.

Benefits: glandular health, regulates heart rhythm, and reduces inflammations such as arthritis.

Trivia: the color of Blue Topaz is said to aid in meditation, discernment, and forgiveness. Its calm blue quality is said to help wearers release their anger, especially from old hurts, fostering forgiveness and reconciliation that leads to a calmer, fuller life.