January : Garnet

Ranging from colorless to black, its most common color is a deep red. But garnets can be found in every shade, including lime green and mandarin orange. The popular rhodolite garnet, ranges from pink to purplish red in color. It is believed to give its wearer guidance in the night and protection from nightmares. Legend has it that Noah hung a large garnet in the ark for illumination. Garnet was once believed to cure depression.

Sources: typically found in United States, Africa, Brazil, India and Sri Lanka.

February : Amethyst

A transparent quartz that ranges from pale lilac to deep purple, the most valuable color. Amethyst symbolizes peace, protection and tranquility. The Greeks believed that it prevented intoxication when worn. It was also said to calm the romantic passions of an over-excited lover.

Sources: Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Zambia, Namibia and other African countries.

March : Aquamarine

Ranges in color from light blue to blue-green and dark blue. It is a member of the beryl family, which also includes emerald. In ancient times, the aquamarine was believed to aid those at sea, and wearing aquamarine earrings brought love and affection. It is a universal symbol of hope, health and youth.

Sources: Brazil, Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique.

April : Diamond

Diamonds have been the traditional symbol of love since ancient Greece. The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas" meaning unconquerable - suggesting the eternity of love, and the durability of this gemstone. Discovered 2,500 years ago in India, diamonds are always thought of as colorless, but they can be found in colors - bright-green, red, pink, blue, canary yellow and amber. Known as "fancies," they are rare and highly prized.

May : Emerald

The name comes from the Greek "smaragdos" meaning green stone. The most desired and rare emerald is pure grass-green in color, flawless and clear. Emeralds often have a "jardin" (French for garden) of beautiful foliage patterns within the gem, due to included crystals. Want to smarten up, get an emerald. These stones are legendary for curing low I.Q., as well as poor eyesight and infertility.

Sources: Colombia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, India and other countries.

June : Alexandrite/Pearl

This gem is a result of the oyster's natural defense system. When a foreign irritant is introduced, the oyster surrounds it with a substance called "nacre," which creates the pearl. Most pearls are cultivated at oyster farms (cultured pearls mainly in Japan), as natural pearls are very rare. The most prized of these gems are relatively blemish-free, perfectly round and large in size. But pearls, which represent modesty, chastity and purity, come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes.

Sources: Japan, China, Australia and other countries.

Alternate birthstone: Moonstone resembles some pearls.

July : Ruby

Known as the "Lord of the Gems" because of its rarity and beauty, the ruby is a variety of corundum (as is the sapphire) and only exists as a true red in color. In fact, its name comes from the Latin word "ruber" meaning red. Rubies are said to protect their owners from misfortune, and to protect his home, land and stature in life. Its protective powers are supposedly intensified when set in jewelry, and worn on the left side.

Sources: The finest rubies come from Myanmar (formerly Burma). They're also found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Vietnam, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

August : Peridot

This gem is only found in green, ranging from light yellow-green to soda bottle green (think 7-Up). The preferred color for Peridot is a clear-lime. According to legend, Peridots protect the wearer from terrors of the night when set in gold, and were believed to intensify the effects of medicine when drunk from a cup made of the gems. Pirates considered the stones powerful amulets against evil.

Sources: mined mainly by Native Americans at the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, but Pakistan and China are catching up to the U.S. in production of this gem.

September : Sapphire

A member of the corundum family, sapphires come in pink, green, orange, and yellow, but the most popular color is deep-blue. Beautiful and durable, blue sapphires are used as an alternative to diamonds in engagement rings. Married couples believed that if its luster dimmed, a spouse had been unfaithful. In ancient times, sorcerers and priests thought the gem helped them foretell the future.

Sources: India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Africa and Brazil.

October : Opal

The beauty of opal is its ability to deflect light and display colors. White and milky opals show diffused color against a light background, making them the most affordable type of opal. Crystal opal displays brilliant flashes of color and layers of color within the transparent stone. The most valuable black opal, ranging in body color from black to dark gray, will show vivid red, bright green and purple. Opal was believed to help eyesight and render its wearer invisible if needed! Throughout the ages it has symbolized hope, innocence and purity.

Sources: Australia and Brazil. Fire opal (transparent, colorless to red) is found in Mexico and the U.S. Black opal is found only in Australia.

Alternate birthstone: Tourmaline, a gem that can be found in almost every color.

November : Topaz/Citrine

Although, a transparent golden-yellow is the color most often associated with topaz, this gemstone can be found in light-green, blue, orange-yellow, white (colorless), and sherry-brown. Pink and the orange-red "Imperial" topaz are rare. The legends and lore of topaz go back thousands of years: believed to ward off illness and sudden death, cure asthma, improve eyesight, restore sanity and even change color in the presence of poison.

Sources: Brazil, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Russia.

Alternate birthstone: Citrine is more available, less expensive and appears in many of the same colors as topaz.

December : Turquoise/Blue Topaz

Ranging from sky blue to blue green to apple green. Persia (Iran) has been a main source of turquoise for centuries, producing the most-valued clear, blue stones. Amongst the many properties assigned to turquoise by ancient cultures were protection from evil and promotion of prosperity.

Sources: Mexico, other important turquoise deposits are in Tibet, China, New Mexico and Arizona.

Alternate birthstone: Blue topaz is often used.