By Yaĝé EnigmusIn addition to the birthstones that most people in western markets are familiar with, birthstone lists also exist based on the signs of the Greek and Chinese zodiacs.
When choosing birthstones as gifts or for gemstone jewellery, zodiac signs are a great avenue for personalizing the meaning behind a stone and sending a message with added nuance.
Titus Flavius Josephus, a 1st century historian living in Jerusalem, was the first to draw a connection between the twelve stones in the high priest’s breastplate of ancient Jerusalem, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the Greco-Roman zodiac.
After Josephus’ work had been adapted into birthstone lists for the twelve months, a list pairing stones with the zodiac was eventually developed.
Whether or not this list was important to ancient Mediterraneans is unclear, as no documentation exists detailing how individuals used them before the 18th century, when the practice of wearing a single stone based on one’s birth month became more commonplace.
Below is a version of the birthstone list for the Greco-Roman zodiac based on contemporary understanding: Greek Zodiac SignBirthstoneAquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb 18)Carbuncle (Red Garnet)Pisces (Feb. 19 - Mar.