Welcome back to the second part of our look at alternative birthstones for people who don't like the colour of their traditional birthstone.  There are alternatives for each month based on 15th century central European religion, stones for the guardian angel of each month, as well as stones for the day of the week.  Some of our designs feature more than one stone, so in collections like Rainbow Cocktail, Tutti Frutti and Kaleidoscope you may be able to combine birthstones from several sources of significance in one piece.  We also do bespoke orders, so if you like one of our designs that's not available with your preferred stone we can make one to order for you.  Remind yourself of the day of the week stones in part 1.

 

We pick up the trail with June, and is associated with pearls, but this wasn't always the case.  June used to be represented by turquoise or onyx, and the guardian angel stone for this month is emerald, a highly sought after stone with a shimmering green colour.  This is another pricy stone, so for a smaller budget the Vivo collection is a great option.  We also have the Circle of Life and Classico collections which are simply stunning with emerald stones.  These pieces work really well on people over 30 as they're quite a mature style which might be hard for a younger person to pull off successfully.

 

July is represented by rubies nowadays, with sapphires being the guardian angel stone, so that's still a relatively expensive option!  Take a look at April (in part 1) for some great sapphire inspiration.  If rubies or sapphires are a bit out of your price range, then the days of the week stones could be a better choice;   Topaz for Sunday, and amethyst, for Wednesday. These are more affordable stones and we have a wide range of styles and designs containing these stones, so you're sure to find something you love, or that you'll love to give.

 

The green of peridot can be an acquired taste, so if green isn't your thing then look to the past for inspiration.  The 15th century stone for August is topaz, a beautiful blue stone which comes in a range of shades and features in some of our most stunning pieces.  If your August born friend (or you) love a riot of colour then our Rainbow Cocktail collection is perfect as it uses topaz, peridot and other stones to create a bold look that looks fantastic at summer parties, which is lucky!

 

September has no alternative stones which we use for jewellery – chrysolite is the early alternative and the guardian angel stone is jacinth, another stone not ideally suited to beautiful jewellery.

 

October is associated with opal, a versatile stone which looks good with any colour, but if you're not a fan of this shimmering stunner then aquamarine is your 15th century alternative.  Aquamarine is similarly subtle but its clarity sets it apart from opal very well.  Our Reverso Aqua necklace is a beautiful piece that will be gratefully received as a present, or for yourself as a treat!  It will look great with formal outfits and with a semi-casual shirt and jeans combo, but if you're after something daintier, then the floral-inspired Camellia pieces are a good bet.

 

Citrine represents November but just like peridot in August, the bright orange of citrine doesn't suit everyone.  The 15th century alternatives are pearls or topaz, while the guardian angel stone is amethyst.  There's a plethora of jewellery to choose from with these three stones so whether you like blue, purple or a more neutral pearl there are options for you to choose from.  Our Rhapsody in Blue collection showcases all that topaz has to offer and is fantastic for people who love blue and dramatic shapes, while our pearl wedding collection has more subtle styles to choose from.

 

Topaz is the traditional stone for December, but if blue isn't your thing then the rich red of rubies is the alternative option from the 15th century.  Rubies are a lovely stone to wear, especially in the winter when the warmth of the colour brings a welcome glow to an otherwise icy time.  Our Vivo birthstone collection features affordable ruby earrings and a necklace, while our Serenity and Melody necklaces are great if you have a bigger budget.

 

These alternative birthstones aren't the traditional ones we use today, as those were standardised early in the 20th century with many falling out of favour long before that.  This fact makes them a really thoughtful gift for people who don't like their current birthstone colour or for people who love history.