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Antique jewelry glossary
Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.
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Antique jewelry:
precious stones and their adjudgements
Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions mingled with Pagan legends led to the association of certain stones with different months, astrological signs, Tribes of Israel and Apostles but also with healing powers for social, physological, metaphysical and even medical conditions.
Not that we necessarily promote or believe such claims, but we think they make for interesting conversation. We also would like to emphasize that buying a precious stone for any of such reasons is one's own responsibility and Adin can not be held accountable if the obtained result is not as desired.
Birthstones or monthstones
A birthstone or month stone is a gemstone designated by custom, religious tradition, and superstition as being related to the month or day of one's birth.
In the 18th century the relationship of stones with months was popularized but it was based mainly on the colours of the stones. Owing to the fact that several stones have the same colours, confusion resulted, so that in 1937 the National Association of Goldsmiths of Great Britain established a uniform list (with some alternatives for the more costly stones).
Birthstones list for:
British Commonwealth and United States
January birthstone
February birthstone
March birthstones
- aquamarine and its alternative jasper (or bloodstone)
- our jewelry with aquamarine and our jewelry with jasper / bloodstone
- characteristics attributed to people born in March
April birthstones
- diamond and its alternative rock crystal
- our jewelry with diamond and our jewelry with rock crystal
- characteristics attributed to people born in April
May birthstones
- emerald and its alternative chrysoprase
- our jewelry with emerald and our jewelry with chrysoprase
- characteristics attributed to people born in May
June birthstones
- pearl and its alternative moonstone
- our jewelry with pearl and our jewelry with moonstone
- characteristics attributed to people born in June
July birthstones
- ruby and its alternatives carnelian and onyx
- our jewelry with ruby, our jewelry with cornelian and our jewelry with onyx
- characteristics attributed to people born in July
August birthstones
- peridot and its alternative sardonyx
- our jewelry with peridot and our jewelry with sardonyx
- characteristics attributed to people born in August
September birthstones
- sapphire and its alternative lapis lazuli
- our jewelry with sapphire and our jewelry with lapis lazuli
- characteristics attributed to people born in September
October birthstones
- opal and its alternative tourmaline
- our jewelry with opal and our jewelry with tourmaline
- characteristics attributed to people born in October
November birthstones
- topaz and its alternative citrine
- our jewelry with topaz and our jewelry with citrine
- characteristics attributed to people born in November
December birthstone
Birthstones list for:
the European Continent
January birthstone
February birthstone
March birthstones
- aquamarine and its alternative jasper (or bloodstone)
- our jewelry with aquamarine and our jewelry with jasper / bloodstone
- characteristics attributed to people born in March
April birthstones
May birthstones
June birthstones
- moonstone and its alternative opal
- our jewelry with moonstone and our jewelry with opal
- characteristics attributed to people born in June
July birthstones
August birthstones
- peridot and its alternative sardonyx
- our jewelry with peridot and our jewelry with sardonyx
- characteristics attributed to people born in August
September birthstones
October birthstones
- opal and its alternative tourmaline
- our jewelry with opal and our jewelry with tourmaline
- characteristics attributed to people born in October
November birthstones
- topaz and its alternative citrine
- our jewelry with topaz and our jewelry with citrine
- characteristics attributed to people born in November
December birthstone
Birthday stones
While this word has also been used as synonym of birthstone or month stone, there is a separate list of assignment according to the day of the week of the recipient's birth.
A person's birthday is usually recorded according to the time zone of the place of birth. Thus people born in Samoa at 11:30 PM will record their birthdate as one day before UTC and those born in the Line Islands will record their birthdate one day after UTC. They will apparently be born two days apart, while some of the apparently older ones may be younger in hours.
Those who live in different time zones from their birth often exclusively celebrate their birthdays at the local time zone. In addition, the intervention of Daylight Saving Time can result in a case where a baby born second being recorded as having been born up to an hour before their predecessor (but the time the clock is changed back is such that the second of twins does not have an earlier birthday).
Monday birthday stone
- pearl
- our jewelry with pearl (the only organic gem)
Tuesday birthday stone
Wednesday birthday stone
Thursday birthday stone
Friday birthday stone
Saturday birthday stone
Sunday birthday stone
Zodiac stones
The history of Astrology encompasses a great span of human history and many cultures. The belief in a connection between the cosmos and terrestrial matters has also played an important part in human history.
Capricorn (the Goat)
- December 22 to January 20
- ruby and moonstone
- our jewelry with ruby and our jewelry with moonstone
Aquarius (the Water Bearer)
- January 21 to February 19
- garnet and sapphire
- our jewelry with garnet and our jewelry with sapphire
Pisces (the Fish)
- February 20 to March 20
- amethyst and chrysolite
- our jewelry with amethyst, our jewelry with chrysolite
Aries (the Ram)
- March 21 to April 20
- jasper (also called bloodstone) and diamond
- our jewelry with jasper / bloodstone, our jewelry with diamond
Taurus (the Bull)
- April 21 to May 21
- sapphire and moss agate
- our jewelry with sapphire, our jewelry with moss agate
Gemini (the Twins)
- May 22 to June 21
- agate and beryl
- our jewelry with agate, our jewelry with beryl
Cancer (the Crab)
- June 22 to July 22
- emerald
- our jewelry with emerald
Leo (the Lion)
- July 23 to August 23
- onyx and ruby
- our jewelry with onyx, our jewelry with ruby, our jewelry with diamond
Virgo (the Virgin)
- August 24 to September 23
- carnelian and opal
- our jewelry with carnelian, our jewelry with opal
Libra (the Scales)
- September 24 to October 23
- chrysolite and opal
- our jewelry with chrysolite, our jewelry with opal
Scorpio (the Scorpion)
- October 24 to November 22
- aquamarine and topaz
- our jewelry with aquamarine, our jewelry with topaz
Sagittarius (the Archer)
- November 23 to December 21
- turquoise and carbuncle
- our jewelry with turquoise, our jewelry with carbuncle
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
The Israelites is the English name for the nation of Israel who were the dominant cultural and ethnic group living in the southern Levant in Biblical times between (1273 and 423 BCE), composing the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah after 797 BCE. According to the Tanakh, they were divided in twelve tribes, each descending from one of the twelve sons and grandsons of Jacob. Modern Jews share this common descent.
The Israelites were traditionally divided into family lines each called a shevet or mateh in Hebrew meaning literally a staff or rod. The term is conventionally translated as "tribe" in English although the divisions were not small isolated distinct ethnic groups in the modern sense of the term.
Levi
Zebulon
Gad
Benjamin
- jasper (also called bloodstone)
- our jewelry with jasper / bloodstone
Simeon
Issachar
Naphtali
Joseph
Rueben
Judah
Dan
Asher
More info on the Twelve tribes of Israel
The Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles (Greek: "apostolos" or "someone sent out", e.g. with a message or as a delegate) were, according to the Synoptic Gospels (i.e., the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke) and Christian tradition, disciples (followers) whom Jesus of Nazareth had chosen, named, and trained in order to send them on a specific mission. After the Apostle Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, the remaining Apostles under the leadership of Simon Peter filled the vacancy by electing by lot Matthias, a companion of theirs ever since they themselves had followed Jesus, so that by the time of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost they actually numbered twelve again.
Peter
- jasper (also called bloodstone)
- our jewelry with jasper / bloodstone
Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James the Less
Jude
Simon
Judas
More info on the Twelve Apostles
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