Precious stones and gemstones have fascinated mankind since the dawn of time. The beauty and permanence of coloured stones are real puzzles. Often discovered by chance as they magically appeared on the surface of the Earth, our ancestors, long before us, made them into amulets and talismans supposed to influence the course of our lives.  They are still attributed healing and energetic powers even today, even though this cannot be scientifically proven. But what is the origin of birthstones?

The biblical story tells that Moses' brother, the high priest Aaron, the great protector of the Ark of the Covenant, possessed a breastplate of 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of the future Israel. Topaz, sapphire, emerald, diamond, etc.; all these coloured stones were for the first time associated with a specific symbol and number; the 12. Flavius Josephus, a Roman historiographer from Jerusalem in 1^er century AD, was the first to establish links between the twelve stones of the pectoral and the signs of the zodiac. Saint-Jérôme, one of the fathers of the Latin Church, also mentions it in his writings dated 5^e century. According to them, the wearing of these stones at specific times would have a therapeutic effect.

Highly controversial, the official entry into force in 1752 of the Gregorian calendar (of Pope Gregory XIII) to replace the Julian calendar (of Julius Caesar) gave rise to the creation of the concept of the birthstones for the 12 months of the year. It's the same concept we know today. For example, the month of January belongs to the red garnet. Aquamarine is the stone of the month of March. The sapphire, blue in color, corresponds to the month of September. Sometimes, two stones are associated with the same month, such as June and October. This table was defined in 1912 by the National Association of Jewellers of America and has not changed since then despite some attempts.  Very fashionable, lithotherapy associates virtues to each of these stones.

The practice of wearing one's own birthstone dates back to the 18th century.^e century in Europe, precisely in Poland with the arrival of Jewish gemstone traders who promoted them to boost their sales.  "Anything that helps retailers sell more jewellery is a good thing," according to the National Jewellers Association. It is now commonplace for jewellers to respond to demand by offering all kinds of jewellery from various month of the year.

Whether it is for a baptism, a wedding or an anniversary, year after year, jewellers Flamme en rose notice that requests for jewellery with birthstones custom-made creations are constantly on the rise. "More and more people are coming to meet us to create jewellery with gems they own and that have a great meaning for them," according to Michèle Côté, chief designer and co-owner of the jewellery store specializing in the custom design. "We also encourage people to purchase colored gemstones created in laboratories as it is an eco-friendly option causing less damage to our planet." She advises to arrange a meeting for any creative project.