Hello December! Winter is coming.
December Birthstones are
Tanzanite & Turquoise – The “Winter Blues”
Bring Joy & Peace
Popular throughout time, the beautiful blue hues of the December stones promote healing, protection, and good luck.
All the December stones are useful against stress and promote healing of the wearer, making them especially suited to the holiday month.
Turquoise
Turquoise, the oldest known gemstone, has been admired across the globe for centuries. Since ancient times, Egyptian Pharaohs, Persians, Aztecs, Tibetan Monks, and Native Americans alike revered the “Turkish Stone”. It graced the necks of Egyptian Pharaohs and adorned everything from far-off kings and ancient warriors’ jewelry to ritual masks to weapons and the ceremonial dress and bridles of early Native Americans.
Legends and lore abound associated with turquoise granting power, protection from evil, bringing good luck, and has been attributed with healing powers, promoting the wearer’s status and wealth.
"From ancient Egyptians to Persians, Aztecs and Native Americans, kings and warriors alike admired turquoise for thousands of years. It adorned everything from jewelry to ceremonial masks to weapons and bridles—granting power and protection, particularly against falls [especially from horses]. Highly esteemed for its striking namesake color and its ancient history, turquoise's popularity remains timeless." 1
Turquoise is also the gem of the 11th wedding anniversary.
Tanzanite
As a more recently discovered stone (in 1967), Tanzanite is a one-of-a-kind gemstone, found only in one place on Earth: Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania (from whence it gets its name). With a deep and rich velvety blue with undertones of violet, Tanzanite is a distinctive color, that rose quickly in popularity since its discovery in 1970’s, not in small part because of Tiffany & Co., who famously marketed it in 1968 and became one of its main distributors around the world.
The unique blue-purple stone is associated with imagination, as it conveys dreams and rouses the wearer’s drive to push limits and seek one’s true purpose in life. Tanzanite rouses the wearer to achieve greatness in pursue of their dreams. As such it is especially useful for investigating new ways of expression, cleansing and balancing energy, especially aiding in the heart and throat chakras.
Tanzanite, with its exquisite blue-purple color, is also the gem for the 24th wedding anniversary.
Alternative December birthstones: Zircon and Blue Topaz - Both are shades of Blue, too.
When most people think of Zircon, they think of a bright sky blue, however Zircon actually comes in a variety of other earth tones, from green, to brown, and even orange. That said, the most popular colors of Zircon today (and as late as the Victorian era) are the vivid blue and bright Caribbean Sea colors, associated with the December birthstone. In the Middle Ages, Zircon was said to aid in resting, bringing prosperity, honor and wisdom to its owner.
Blue Topaz, is another the birthstone for the month of December (depending on which calendar you follow). Topaz is a stone used for increasing ability to communicate, and to express oneself in a meaningful way, in speaking and writing. Topaz is said to be a "a symbol of love and affection", and has been said to aid sweetness and disposition, which is likely why, in addition to being a birthstone, Blue Topaz is also the stone traditionally given to celebrate the 4th and 19th anniversaries of marriage.