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Questions and Answers
True or false: Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace.
True or false: Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace.
True
True or false: Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
True or false: Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
True
True or false: Josephus gave two different lists for the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate.
True or false: Josephus gave two different lists for the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate.
True
True or false: St. Jerome said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians.
True or false: St. Jerome said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians.
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True or false: In the eighth and ninth centuries, religious treatises associated a particular stone with an apostle.
True or false: In the eighth and ninth centuries, religious treatises associated a particular stone with an apostle.
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True or false: The custom of wearing a single birthstone is a few centuries old.
True or false: The custom of wearing a single birthstone is a few centuries old.
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True or false: Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
True or false: Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
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True or false: Birthstones are solely based on the Gregorian calendar?
True or false: Birthstones are solely based on the Gregorian calendar?
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True or false: The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a birthstone for December in 2002?
True or false: The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a birthstone for December in 2002?
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True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
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True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
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True or false: Hinduism associates nine gemstones with the Navagraha, which are celestial forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon?
True or false: Hinduism associates nine gemstones with the Navagraha, which are celestial forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon?
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True or false: Each day of the week is assigned a unique gemstone as a birthday stone?
True or false: Each day of the week is assigned a unique gemstone as a birthday stone?
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True or false: The term 'birthday stone' is synonymous with birthstone?
True or false: The term 'birthday stone' is synonymous with birthstone?
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True or false: The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by G.F. Kunz is a pamphlet published by Tiffany & Co. in 1870?
True or false: The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by G.F. Kunz is a pamphlet published by Tiffany & Co. in 1870?
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True or false: Birthstones are believed to have originated from the breastplate of Aaron, as described in the Book of Exodus?
True or false: Birthstones are believed to have originated from the breastplate of Aaron, as described in the Book of Exodus?
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True or false: Josephus believed that there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac?
True or false: Josephus believed that there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac?
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True or false: St. Jerome stated that the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians?
True or false: St. Jerome stated that the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians?
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True or false: The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old?
True or false: The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old?
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True or false: The Gemological Institute of America traces the custom of wearing a single birthstone back to Germany in the 1560s?
True or false: The Gemological Institute of America traces the custom of wearing a single birthstone back to Germany in the 1560s?
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True or false: Modern lists of birthstones are directly influenced by the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity?
True or false: Modern lists of birthstones are directly influenced by the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity?
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True or false: Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace?
True or false: Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or as a pendant necklace?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a birthstone for December in 2002?
True or false: The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a birthstone for December in 2002?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Birthstones are solely based on the Gregorian calendar?
True or false: Birthstones are solely based on the Gregorian calendar?
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True or false: St. Jerome said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians.
True or false: St. Jerome said the Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem would be appropriate for Christians.
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Josephus gave two different lists for the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate.
True or false: Josephus gave two different lists for the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate.
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Hinduism associates nine gemstones with the Navagraha, which are celestial forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon?
True or false: Hinduism associates nine gemstones with the Navagraha, which are celestial forces including the planets, the sun, and the moon?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Each day of the week is assigned a unique gemstone as a birthday stone?
True or false: Each day of the week is assigned a unique gemstone as a birthday stone?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
True or false: Modern lists of birthstones have little to do with either the breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity.
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
True or false: Josephus believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
True or false: Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies rather than birth months?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
True or false: The National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain created its own standardized list of birthstones in 2021?
Signup and view all the answers
True or false: The term 'birthday stone' is synonymous with birthstone?
True or false: The term 'birthday stone' is synonymous with birthstone?
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Study Notes
Birthstones: History, Western and Eastern Traditions
- Birthstones are gemstones that represent a person's birth month or zodiac sign and are often worn as jewelry.
- The concept of birthstones can be traced back to the first-century historian Josephus, who believed in a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve signs of the zodiac.
- The interpretation of the breastplate passage in Exodus has varied, with Josephus himself providing different lists for the twelve stones.
- The custom of wearing twelve stones and changing them monthly became popular in the eighth and ninth centuries, with each stone associated with an apostle.
- Wearing a single birthstone became a custom only a few centuries ago, with differing opinions on its origins, ranging from eighteenth-century Poland to Germany in the 1560s.
- Modern lists of birthstones have deviated from the historical origins, influenced by tastes, customs, and translations.
- In 1912, the National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America) met in Kansas and adopted an official list of birthstones to standardize the concept.
- The list was updated in 1952 by the Jewelry Industry Council of America, adding Alexandrite, citrine, and pink tourmaline, among others.
- The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a December birthstone in 2002 and spinel as an additional birthstone for August in 2016.
- Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths created its own standardized list in 1937, and in 2021, Japanese industry associations added ten new types of birthstones.
- Eastern traditions associate gemstones with celestial bodies and use astrology to determine the most beneficial gemstones for an individual based on their birth chart.
- Hinduism, for example, associates nine gemstones with the Navagraha, or celestial forces, and recommends wearing specific stones to counter potential problems based on birth time and location.
Note: The text includes additional sections on birthstones by time frame, zodiacal birthstones, birthday stones, and references.
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Description
Test your knowledge of birthstones and their history with this quiz! Discover the significance of gemstones associated with each birth month and zodiac sign. Challenge yourself and learn fun facts about birthstone traditions around the world.
