December Birthstone:
Tanzanite,
Zircon
or
Turquoise
Birthstones tend to be a very personal choice, even to the point that people
who don't like the color of their true birthstone will find any excuse to
claim another. For example, the true November birthstone is citrine or
golden topaz, yet many people choose blue topaz even though that lovely blue
color is the result of treatment of a golden or colorless natural topaz
crystal.
You may notice that the colors of the modern and traditional birthstones
tend to be the same, implying that (historically speaking) the traditional
color is the important consideration and blue topaz would not be an
acceptable birthstone choice for November, only golden topaz. Also, blue
sapphire is the traditional color for September. Note that sapphires come in
any color of the rainbow (except hues of red, given the name ruby), as do
tourmalines and even diamonds. Garnet, usually thought of as a red
birthstone, actually is available in a variety of colors including orange,
green, and even the lovely deep purple color of grapes. However, the wishes of the gift
recipient are, of course, paramount.
Tanzanite became an official December birthstone on October
30, 2002, in the first revision since 1912 to the birthstone list maintained
by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA).
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