The Multi-Faceted Origins of 12 Birthstone Names

(via mental_floss) Precious gems and stones—long valued for their rarity, beauty, and fabled powers—have been associated with the months of the year since antiquity. But it wasn’t until 1912, when the American National Retail Jeweler’s Association (now the Jewelers of America) met in Kansas City, that the first modern list of birthstones was standardized. While there are variations in some of the months’ birthstones, here are 12 of their etymologies, unearthed.