Since the beginning of time, wooing the opposite sex for procreation has been paramount in the minds of all humans. It could be said that all art was developed for this reason. If not all of art, at the very least it can be said that the development of jewelry grew of the need for new of wooing a potential mate.
Man has used colored stones for protection as well as healing the sick for at least 10,000 years. Talismans and amulets have also been used to predict the future. One major fascination regarding birthstones is the belief that colored gemstones possess certain mystical powers or the ability to endow the wearer with certain attributes.
Many people believe the Breastplate of Aaron is the origin of natal stones, or what we like to call birthstones. Instructions for creating the Breastplate can be found in Exodus 28, 15-30. These guidelines call for the stones of the Twelve Tribes of Israel to be laid out in four rows of three stones each. The stones used correspond to the zodiac signs of the day.
Over the years each civilization has had its own variation on birthstones. the official list from the American National Association of Jewelers, Jewelers of America is called The Modern Birthstone List. Aside from the addition of Tanzinite in 2002, these birthstones have been widely accepted as the standard since 1912. In the United States, this is the list that is most commonly used.
