January's birthstone is Garnet. Ancient warriors believed that garnets brought victory. The  Crusaders used them as protection against wounds and accidents during their journeys.

February's birthstone is Amethyst. It's said that the signet ring worn by Cleopatra was an Amethyst, engraved with the figure of Mithras, a Persian diety symbolizing the Divine idea, Source of light and life.

March's birthstone is Aquamarine and Bloodstone. The name Aquamarine was derived by the Romans, "aqua"  meaning water and "mare" meaning sea, because it looked like sea water. The second birthstone for March is Bloodstone. It's a favored material for carving religious subjects, particularly the crucifixion. One particularly famous carving was done by the Italian Matteo del Nassaro around 1525.

April's birthstone is Diamond. Diamonds are a wonder of nature their cold sparkling fire has held us spell-bound for centuries, inspiring rich passionate myths of romance, intrigue, power, greed,and magic. Ancient Hindus, finding diamonds washed out of the ground after thunderstorms, believed they were created by bolts of lighting. In our place and time, the diamond is a symbol of enduring love, and often grace engagement rings.

 May's birthstone is Emerald. Several famous historical artifacts were made of emeralds. Among them was the Crown of Andes, said to be worn by the last Inca king of Peru who was taken prisoner by Conquistador Pizzaro in 1532. The crown was said to be set with 453 emeralds, collectively weighing 10oz (1523 carats). In the 1940's, the crown was sold to , then broken up by, an American syndicate. Many of its stones are probably in the jewelry collections of wealthy Americans today.