By Lulu Bell
 Birthstones are precious, often colorful gemstones that have traditionally symbolized the months of the year, as well as various other qualities. There are several traditions of birthstone categorization, but most systems have one or two stones associated with each month of the year. Historically, the birthstone tradition goes back at least two millennia to the first century A.D., when birthstones were first widely given as birthday gifts. Throughout history, they have been thought to bring good fortune and luck to the recipient.
Because the various traditions of birthstones are often in conflict with one another, a jewelry buyer is essentially free to buy any birthstone for any occasion. For example, the Ayurvedic birthstone tradition associates sapphire with August, while the Modern tradition associates the same stone with September. Plus, birthdays don't even have to be taken into account; instead, birthstone gifts can be chosen based upon the gift recipient's favorite colors.
Or, let's say you're shopping for a birthstone gift for your grown sister; it's conceivable to buy the stone representing her birthday, or you can buy the stone representing her husband's birthday, |
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