Birthstones, or gems associated with a birth month, have existed for a very long time. All birthstones have a special and unique meaning behind them, as well as great historical significance. Ancient civilisations believed gemstones had the incredible ability to offer luck, wealth and strength to the wearer, and popularised them in such a way that we still associate gemstones with the months of the year. The modern associations also vary from those used in the past, as colour was the most important feature a gemstone could have. Now, we distinguish gemstones based on other attributes, meaning we discern between gems such as garnet and ruby, and sapphire and tanzanite.
Discover more about birthstone jewellery at Banks Lyon below, or take a look at our infographics for a deeper exploration of each gem.