August Birthstones - Something New, Something Old
The modern birthstone for August has always been the yellowish-green peridot....that is until now. The Jewelers of America established the modern birthstone list back in 1912 and has only added new gems to the list twice before. It was updated in 1952 to add alexandrite (June), citrine (November), tourmaline (October) and zircon (December) and again in 2002 when tanzanite was added as a birthstone for December. Due to popular demand, this month they are adding one more: Spinel, a glassy gem that comes in colors ranging from red, pink, purple, orange, grey, blue and black. A little about these two gems... PERIDOT: Small crystals of Peridot are formed in fiery lava ,deep within the mantle of the earth and are brought the the...