What’s Your Quinceañera Birthstone?

by: Michael Kabel

Birthstones mean a lot of things. They can celebrate a birth, commemorate a love between two people, and even bring good luck to their bearers. They're used in jewelry and good luck charms, and in decorations around the home.

Basically, every month has at least two kinds of birthstones. There are lists of precious stones and semi-precious stones, so that everyone can afford to have a birthstone charm or ornament of their own. You probably recognize some of the stones from everyday life, though some are kind of exotic.

Birthstones make great accents to your Quinceañera, because they're a way to express your birthday month through color. In fact, many of the deep and lustrous varieties of birthstones are great as inspiration for your fiesta color scheme.

Birthstones are an ancient tradition

The birthstone tradition dates back for thousands of years, some say even to the time when Moses roamed the deserts with the twelve tribes of Israel. Over time, birthstones were also associated with the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Today, the modern birthstone system closely resembles the calendar used by the ancient and vast Roman Empire.

Birthstones are your secret to Quince magic

It's possible your birthstone is your favorite color, or even complements your skin tone. If you choose your birthstone color as the basic color of your design palette, you'll easily be able to complement other colors around it.

You might even choose to build your theme around the birthstone itself, including small keepsake gems as table decorations (a few splashed around each table), goblets with the birthstone glued around the top, or a tiara and scepter showcasing your designated precious or semi-precious stone.

There's a kind of special power the birthstones sometimes have, too. Throughout history, many people have believed certain kinds of stones carried extraordinary properties to heal or bestow good fortune on their bearers. Incorporating them into your designs might have the same "magical effect" on your fiesta guests, as they appreciate the symbolism of your colors and the beauty of the stones themselves.

Birthstones for your honor court

Because everyone has a birthstone, and many people in a group are not typically born during the same month, birthstones offer a unique twist on the old "rainbow damas" honor court system of days gone by. Instead of having bright colors for your damas' dresses, getting them up in the lustrous hues of their birthstones makes a multi-colored presentation but with a special meaning underneath. The damas might also wear rings, necklaces, and bracelets with their birthstones colors.

Chambelanes can get in on the birthstone plan by wearing ties, vests, and handkerchiefs of their assorted birthstone colors. The damitas can mimic the damas, although for very small children jewelry or loose stones can present a choking hazard and should be kept out of their little hands.

Your birthstones - and a chart to all the others!

Presented below is a birthstone chart showing both the precious and stones along with the semi-precious stones in parenthesis. Remember that neither one is more your birthstone than the other. Some have alternates that are just as valid.

January: Garnet (Rose Quartz)

February: Amethyst (Onyx)

March: Aquamarine (Jasper or Bloodstone)

April: Diamond (Quartz)

May: Emerald (Chrysoprase)

June: Pearl (Alexandrite or Moonstone)

July: Ruby (Jade or Carnelian)

August: Peridot (Aventurine, Sardonyx, or Sapphire)

September: Sapphire (Lapis Lazuli)

October: Opal (Pink Tourmaline)

November: Yellow Topaz (Citrine or Turquoise)

December: Blue Zircon (Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, or Tanzanite)