The hardest substance produced by nature has been widely used since the beginning of the times. But, did you know that it wasn’t until the 19th century when diamonds became valuable? European women started wearing them at their social events, increasing their popularity in the jewelry industry. Here’s ten facts you probably didn’t know about diamonds!

Peridot is a mystical gemstone with a captivating history! Not only is this stone considered by Ancient Egyptians as, “The Stone of the Sun”, but it is the National Gem of Egypt!

It is widely known how fond of Emeralds Cleopatra was, but unbeknownst back then, Emeralds were often confused with Peridots. In fact, people believe the Emerald mine she owned, was Peridot!

For all those born in this lovely month of May, we bring to you the Emerald! So sit down and let’s learn about your awesome Precious Birthstone. Did you know, it wasn’t always called an Emerald? Emerald comes from an ancient Persian word, which then transitioned into the Greek, Smaragdus. Through the centuries it has gone from esmaurde, esmralde, and in the 16th century to esmeralde.

This beautiful gemstone is ancient, even mentioned in the world's oldest book, Papyrus Prisse. "But good words are more difficult to find than the Emerald, for it is by slaves that it is discovered among the rocks." Although this book is 4500 years old, this is from a passage of writing 1000 years earlier!

Happy Birthday April babies! This is truly a time for love and celebration, because your birthstone is...drum roll please...the Diamond! Everybody know this is the most precious and therefore expensive of birthstones, but clearly, you’re worth it. The name of your stone comes from the late Latin name, Diamas, which derived from the Latin name, Adamas, which itself originated from the Greek term meaning invincible, and untamed.

In Sanskrit, the Diamond is called Vajra, which means lightning. In Hindu mythology this was the weapon used by Indra, the King of Gods. There is no denying that this Gem is fierce. Early uses for it were as a tool to carve into metal, and refract light, while others used it as a talisman of protection or ingested it for its healing properties. These healing properties are a myth however so do not try this at home. Many others recognized it’s beauty, and chose to adorn themselves with it.

Happy Birthday if you are born in March! Did you know that the name of the March Birthstone; Aquamarine, comes from two Latin Words, "Aqua" and "Marina", meaning “Water of the Sea”? The name is reminiscent of the beautiful shades of Blue that this Gemstone holds, light to dark and ever moving like the sea. Your Gemstone contains many extraordinary properties, utilized throughout history! The ancient philosopher Pliny was just one of many who praised Aquamarines’ name. Multiple uses were applied using Aquamarine to cure eye diseases, as well poisoning. In the 1300’s it became very popular with Royalty, who were constantly in danger of being poisoned.

Warriors also wore this Gemstone for protection in battles, while sailors wore Aquamarine to help guide them through the open seas. The Aquamarine is said to have powers of clarity, which is why it has been used in Crystal Balls since the Middle Ages. Queen Elizabeth I even used one with her advisor John Dee to help find her perfect date for her coronation.

So where does this wonder Gem come from? A modern day Geologist will tell you from the mines of Brazil, as well as Angola, Kenya, central Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Ural Mountains in Russia, Tanzania, Colorado / USA, and Zambia. However, if we asked one of our ancestors, you would be told to search for a mermaid's treasure box, not only this, but also the mermaids make them from their own tears before they treasure them.

To all you New Year babies out there, congratulations! Your birthstone is the Garnet. While Garnet comes in a myriad of colors, the most popular of Garnet colors is the deep red.

The name Garnet derives from the word, “gernet”. Not fluent in 14th century Middle English? It means dark red, and comes from the Latin word, “granatum”, meaning seed. This is due to the red garnets resembling pomegranate seeds! In fact, during the Victorian era, Garnets were made popular for their small red cluster jewelry resembling pomegranate.

Turquoise is the traditional birthstone of December, and the chosen stone for the 11th anniversary gift. A fascinating history follows this ancient stone. Follow me through time and space when we learn more about the Birthstone of the month December.

Born in November? You literally are lucky - Citrine, one of your birthstones, is said to be the gemstone of the fortunate, as many people consider its energy as "bright"! In ancient times, Citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts.

Today, Citrine (French for “lemon”) is known as the merchant’s stone and is associated with success and prosperity, but it is also known as the “healing quartz” for its ability to comfort, soothe and calm. It can release negative feelings, spark imagination and manifest fresh beginnings. From my experience, people with frequent back pain seek to wear Citrine on them, probably based on a word of mouth advice from friends, which many times seems to come from the fact that the Citrine is considered a solar plexus chakra stone. Citrine's nickname as the "Merchant / Success Stone" also has a deep meaning to many - you will find a Citrine as a staple lucky charm in many cash registers of the world.

Two birthstones are assigned to the month of October, the fiery Opal and the colorful Tourmaline, which we will examine further in the following lines. To me, the Tourmaline stands for joy. Why? Well, it is available in a full rainbow of hues (look at this piece for example), in fact sometimes comes with all the colors of the rainbow combined in one piece. This property made the ancient Egyptians believe, that while traveling to the earth’s surface, these gemstones passed over a rainbow causing them to absorb all the colors of the rainbow in the process. The origin of this gemstones name is just as chaotic and lovable as its color scheme...

Sapphire - a precious stone associated with royalty and romance for centuries, shone brighter than a Diamond back in 1981, when Prince Charles gave a blue Sapphire engagement ring to Lady Diana Spencer in front of an estimated global TV audience of 750 million people. Her Sapphire ring helped link modern events with the rich history and countless fairy tales surrounding Sapphires.

Tradition holds that the tablets containing the Ten Commandments were composed of Sapphire, so strong that a hammer swung against them would be smashed to pieces. The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant Sapphire and its reflection colored the sky. Many other cultures have believed that Sapphires imparted healing and calming properties.

Historically, Sapphire symbolizes nobility, truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. It is an excellent choice for an engagement ring. It is also the the official gemstone ...

The birthstone of the month August, Peridot, comes in such a cheery, bright shade of green, it is no wonder that it has been symbolic of happiness, loyalty, and friendship. It has an interesting history throughout ancient cultures, including everything from preventing "terrors of the night" to being strung on donkey's hair and tied around the left arm to ward off evil.

Ancient Egyptians even believed that peridot disappeared in sunlight and glowed at night, so it was mined in darkness. Today, the majority of the world's production of peridot is mined on the San Carlos reservation in Arizona . . . but we are not sure whether it's mined during the day or night ;-) .

Cleopatra’s Favorite Gemstone: The ancient Egyptians treasured and valued green gemstones. It is believed that at that point in time, it was hard for the uneducated eye to tell the difference between the two beautiful green stones, Emerald and Peridot, so they occasionally mistook one for the other. Cleopatra however was said to favor the Peridot.

Long before Diamonds challenged our birthstone of the month in their role as the most prestigious gemstone, Ruby has been considered the unprecedented king of gems. For centuries, Rubies have graced the kings and emperors of the world and thus became widely associated with powerful words such as courage, power, love and passion. Ruby made for the perfect status symbol, for only the wealthiest leaders were able to show off a medium-dark vivid red stone (preferably with a slightly blue hue), as it was and is a very rare find.

Nowadays, the gemologist will refer to Rubies that appear too light or that have too much purple or orange in them as "fancy-colored", while the darker hues are many times referred to as "Burmese Ruby", reflecting the light in a beautiful "pigeon blood" color. The famous Mogok Valley mines in Myanmar are the origin for these associations. Rubies are said to ensure health, wisdom, wealth and success in love. Ruby is a stone that is considered in crystal healing to be very protective of home, worldly possession, children, as well as psychic protection. It is also said to protect against unhappiness and lightning.

As the perfect gift idea for those born in May, precious Emerald stones are a great choice for May babies. Green is the color of Spring and has long symbolized love and rebirth. As the gem of Venus, it is considered to aid in fertility. Due to Emerald’s nurturing qualities a pair of Emerald earrings or a necklace with Emerald gems would be a lovely gift to any mother, even expectant ones. The history of emeralds can be traced back to antiquity, worn by royalty in Babylon and Egypt. Tools dating back to 1300 B.C., during the reign of Rameses II, have been found in Egyptian emerald mines. Queen Cleopatra’s emeralds were believed to originate from mines in Southern Egypt, near the Red Sea. When the conquistadors first arrived in South America from Spain, they saw indigenous rulers wearing emeralds. They stole large quantities of emeralds from the Peruvians during the invasion, but the source of the emeralds was not discovered. In 1537 the Spaniards found the location of an important emerald mine in Chivor / Colombia.

To this day, the most famous emerald mine in Muzo / Colombia is said to produce the world’s best emeralds. Through the ages, many myths were associated...

Congratulations, if you are born in April! This obviously has many benefits: Spring is here, the circle of life begins anew, baby birds are chirping, you might even be able to celebrate your day with a bbq-party! As if that wasn't enough to love the month of April, your birthstone happens to be the Diamond! So make sure your loved ones know how much you love jewelry as such, and read on to gather some intel about the history and facts of your birthstone. You don't wanna be caught acting like you don't care about this important issue when the calls are coming in asking for a wish list!

Aquamarine...(*sigh*) what a gorgeous gemstone. How lucky am I, that it happens to be mine, too?! Its bright cheerful color reminds me of a spring day that is somewhat mild, rather cold really but then it feels so warm once you open yourself to it. In my opinion, March born might feel closer to their birthstone than many others: Being pisces and feeling connected to Aquamarine sounds as natural as it feels, and yes I do love the water just to round this up ;-) Click "read more" to experience this beautiful gemstone with me.

Sapphire (Greek for "blue") to this day is still envisioned by most as the ultimate blue gemstone. Since Ancient times the Blue Sapphire represented a promise of honesty, loyalty, purity and trust. To keep with this tradition Sapphires are one of the most popular engagement gemstones today. Fun Fact (always good for