Free traditional & alternative birthstone guide

Most historians attribute the idea of birthstones to the book of Exodus in the Bible with stones standing for the twelve tribes of Israel. Later on, these twelve stood for the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Years later in the 18th Century, Polish gemstone traders assigned gemstones to the months of one’s birth. 

Humans have been drawn to gemstones, some believing they impart certain properties to those that possess them. Here is a list of traditional birthstones and alternatives from other cultures and some of the metaphysical properties associated. It is not a complete list, nor shows all the attributes, but has been gathered from dozens of sources.