Each month of the year has a birthstone that represents it, some even have three, December is one of those months. The three stones that represent December are Tanzanite, Turquoise and Zircon. Each of these stones is a beautiful shade of blue, showing off the wintery tones of December well.

Tanzanite- The History

Tanzanite can only be found in one part of the world which is in the name of the gem, Tanzania. Tanzanite is one of the rarest gemstones in the market and was first found in 1967. When the first mine was opened to retrieve the beautiful gem, it was originally thought to be sapphires and was later confirmed as a Tanzanite. The tanzanite gemstone can display an array of different colours due to pleochroism and therefore needs to be cut in a specific way to show the violet and blue tones rather than the undesired brown tones.

The stone is that rare that it is only found in a few square metres of mines around Mount Kilimanjaro. A study from 2012 suggested that Tanzanite’s mines will deplete in the next 30 years, so get hold of one whilst you can!

Turquoise- The History

This gemstone is well known for its colour, which is of course in the name. The stone is found in places that rainwater dissolves the element copper into the soil. The use of this stone dates back as far as ancient times and is often associated with the ancient tombs of Egypt. As the gem dates back so far and has been mined for many centuries, many of the mines have depleted. There are still some areas in the U.S where the gem is being mined.

The stone is now commonly found in places such as Arizona, which is the biggest distributor, Nevada, New Mexico and California.

Zircon- The History

Zircon is often confused with synthetic cubic Zirconia due to both being used as a diamond simulant, which is essentially a synthetic diamond. This gemstone comes in a variety of different colours. Zircon is the oldest mineral known on earth dating back as far as 4.4 billion years. It is known that Zircon has a specific chemical make up that has helped it last so long. It does, however, contain the radioactive element uranium, which over time does change the chemical structure of the stone.

The blue variety is the most popular nowadays. The stone was remarkably popular during the Victorian era, the cloudy appearance was commonly worn as mourning jewellery.

Birthstone for Decemeber: Jewellery

Chamilia December Birthstone Jewels

If you are born in the month of December or know someone that is, then this will make a fantastic gift for their birthday. This charm shows of the rich blue hues of the month of December and will give a charm bracelet a personal touch.