December Birthstone: The Symbolism & Meaning

Historically, there are three December birthstones—turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon—however Kadlec, together with multi-modality healer Mariah de La Mer, founding father of ASTARA and creator of Crystal Healing for Women, additionally rely blue topaz as one in all them. Every December birthstone is blue, which in response to integrative drugs and crystal knowledgeable Elizabeth Trattner, AP, DOM, is reflective of the season. “Blue stones, for my part, are very consultant of winter within the Northern Hemisphere,” she says. Colour apart, every has distinctive bodily and metaphysical properties—and whether or not otherwise you have fun your birthday this month, you could resonate with one in all these stones.

If you wish to study extra, Kadlec, de La Mer, and Dr. Trattner break down every December birthstone’s properties, which means, and symbolism under.

Properties of turquoise, the December birthstone of interconnectedness

• Birthstone shade: Blue
• Chakra: Throat chakra
• Origin: Diverse

From azure to robin’s egg blue and sea inexperienced, turquoise is available in colours which can be paying homage to the ocean and the sky, because of the copper and aluminum inside it, says Dr. Trattner. Typically, you’ll additionally discover a turquoise laced with veins or splotches, that are indicative of the rock from which it got here, lending every stone its personal distinctive traits. The mineral “comes from everywhere in the world,” says Dr. Trattner, however main turquoise deposits are within the US, China, and Iran.

Birthstone which means and symbolism of turquoise

Turquoise has a protracted and diverse cultural historical past, however it’s maybe mostly related to Native Individuals, who believed it to be a stone of protection and a symbol of “heavenly purity.” In different components of the world, turquoise was buried within the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and Persian shahs, and featured within the portrayals of Aztec gods, lending the mineral shadesof which means. Nevertheless, if there’s a frequent thread to drag at, it’s its associations with the divine.

“Turquoise attunes to the convergence of all the pieces within the universe so that you simply see your self because the bridge of heaven and earth.” —Mariah de La Mer, multi-modality healer and founding father of Astara

Amongst some crystal specialists, that is an affiliation that holds true right now. “Turquoise attunes to the convergence of all the pieces within the universe so that you simply see your self because the bridge of heaven and earth,” says de La Mer.

In keeping with Kadlec, turquoise brings a couple of deep reverence for what has existed earlier than us. “We’re extra capable of honor what’s come earlier than to really feel the reverberation of all that’s occurred,” she says. As such, turquoise can function an lively reminder of our interconnectedness with our Earthly house and all that lives inside in it, and this understanding “helps one to see the sacred in on a regular basis life,” says de La Mer, and, furthermore, how our current actions will go away an indelible mark on all the pieces that extends past us.

“When now we have that context, we’re recognizing that we are going to be part of the long run,” says Kadlec. “Every thing that comes from us, all of our actions, all we produce, whether or not it’s offspring or artwork, and the best way we deal with our fellow earthly inhabitants, it’s all about seeing ourselves as a part of this larger tapestry of life.” This understanding can, in flip, assist individuals act with the information of our mutual accountability to at least one one other.

Turquoise can be linked to the throat chakra, which pertains to our expression, fact, and communication, says Dr. Trattner, including that the majority blue-colored stones are usually related to the throat. As such, the stone can assist carry this chakra into steadiness, which, when in examine, we will clearly talk and specific our fact.

In keeping with Kadlec, the stone additionally strongly pertains to the important thing characteristics of Sagittarius. “Pondering of Sagittarius as an explorer, it pertains to the energetic exploration of the previous, current, and future,” she says—and now we have the chance to do the identical as we mirror upon how we would need to take embolden steps into the brand new 12 months.

Properties of tanzanite, the December birthstone of give up

• Birthstone shade: Blue
• Chakra: Crown, third-eye, and throat chakras
• Origin: Tanzania

Tanzanite, is a blue and purple mineral that comes from Tanzania—therefore its identify—and nowhere else, making it an uncommon and extremely worthwhile gemstone. The stone’s shade and radiance can rival that of blue sapphires, which it’s usually mistaken for, says Dr. Trattner. She provides that it also has a fairly young history courting again to the late Nineteen Sixties, when it was first found in Merelani in Northern Tanzania. Though solely a current discovery, it has come to be related to its personal distinctive which means and symbolism.

Birthstone which means and symbolism of tanzanite

If turquoise is a reminder of our interconnectedness to the world round us, this December birthstone focuses on the reference to ourselves. “It’s used for accessing greater realms of knowledge, in addition to deep areas of the unconscious thoughts, making it an exquisite stone to work with for meditation, lucid dreaming, and artistic processes,” says de La Mer—and with a view to entry the data embedded inside our subscious, tanzanite additionally asksthat we give up management to obtain these messages.

“Once we work with tanzanite, we’re inspired to cease attempting so onerous and simply see what occurs, permitting ourselves to acknowledge that one thing hasn’t felt proper—and for a very long time.”—Sadie Kadlec, religious mentor and creator of Crystals

“It’s about surrendering to the universe and creating area for innovation via that give up,” says Kadlec. On this means, tanzanite helps urge us to interrupt out of cyclical habits and patterns, which may stop us from initiating much-needed change, not to mention envision its chance. “We are able to’t actually faucet into an area for reflective progress as a result of we’re attempting to do issues as we’ve at all times accomplished, and we will’t see one other means as a result of we’re so targeted on how issues are presupposed to go,” she says. “Once we work with tanzanite, we’re inspired to cease attempting so onerous and simply see what occurs, permitting ourselves to acknowledge that one thing hasn’t felt proper—and for a very long time.”

In keeping with de La Mer, tanzanite not solely permits us to entry the effectively of knowledge inside our unconscious minds but additionally perceive and act upon it. “It helps to open the upper three vitality facilities—the crown chakra, third-eye chakra, and throat chakra—and acts to bridge of all three to have the ability to successfully obtain greater ranges of knowledge (from the crown), interpret and construction it (the third eye), and create it (the throat),” she says.

De La Mer mentions that the stone could be particularly advantageous for Sagittarius. Kadlec agrees, saying that it may assist the zodiac signal of their quest for information, although she additionally says that it may additionally serve Capricorn—and, normally, all earth signs. “An essence of stubbornness is inherent to all earth indicators in various levels, and it may be slightly myopic,” she says, and because of this, “this restricts or inhibits the sense of stream and ease.”

Properties of zircon, the December birthstone of safety

• Birthstone shade: Blue
• Chakra: Throat chakra
• Origin: Diverse

The third December birthstone, zircon—to not be mistaken for cubic zirconia—is “one of many oldest minerals on earth,” says Dr. Trattner, with the oldest zircon dating back to about 4.4 billion years, and scientists have even discovered the minerals to contain clues about the environments that fostered life on early Earth, describing them as “time capsules.” (Though a recent study questions whether zircons provide an accurate insight into our planet’s formative levels.)

This apart, colorless zircons can shine as brightly as diamonds, they usually are available an array of colours, together with yellow, inexperienced, pink, brown, and blue, which is usually related to the month of December. Most of zircon is found in deposits in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

Birthstone which means and symbolism of zircon

There is plenty of mythology surrounding the meaning and symbolism of zircon. It was thought to thrust back evil, for instance, and assist individuals carry individuals into bodily, emotional, and religious steadiness, incomes it the moniker “stone of advantage.”

“Zircon helps proudly owning one’s energetic subject and private journey.”—de La Mer

In keeping with de La Mer, zircon “helps proudly owning one’s energetic subject and private journey.” It really works to strengthen the auric subject, serving to to guard towards unfavourable vitality (like, say, a pal who’s at all times attempting to pull you into drama) whereas enhancing your one innate energy. As such, “zircon is a good stone to work with for attaining private targets and sustaining a transparent path on one’s path,” she says. “Zircon additionally helps to maintain one’s feelings shiny and clear, particularly in instances of problem and overwhelm,” she says—which is usually an inevitable a part of the journey.

Given all its metaphysical properties, zircon is especially apropos for December, the place many individuals are gearing up for the brand new 12 months and setting their targets. “It may be an excellent stone for Capricorn,” provides De La Mer, and maybe as a result of the zodiac’s sea-goat is understood to be extremely formidable and goal-oriented—and zircon can assist help these key Capricorn personality traits.

Properties of blue topaz, the December birthstone of fact and alignment

• Birthstone shade: Blue
• Chakra: Crown, coronary heart, and throat chakras
• Origin: Diverse

Topaz is a gemstone with unimaginable selection. It might probably seem in quite a lot of colours, together with yellow, orange, and pink, or no shade in any respect. It can also come in blue, but it surely’s most of the time handled to create its vibrant hue, as naturally occurring blue topaz is uncommon to return by. Whereas topaz, particularly yellow topaz, is taken into account as one of many November birthstones, Kadlec and de La Mer say that blue varieties are linked to the month of December.

Birthstone which means and symbolism of blue topaz

“Blue topaz is about fact and alignment.” —Kadlec

“Blue topaz is about fact and alignment,” says Kadlec. This stone helps to floor what it’s that we need to specific and share our expression with others with out sugarcoating phrases, making it particularly helpful for these of us who battle to vocalize our ideas and feelings with power and readability. Simply as importantly, it encourages a way of vulnerability.

“It encourages us to be daring, to be brave in our expression, and to have these depths of sincerity and never be simply swayed by the larger energies round us,” says Kadlec. Given all this, it is smart that blue topaz aligns with our throat chakra, which as talked about above, governs expression, fact, and communication, although she provides it additionally resonates with the crown and coronary heart chakras.

Kadlec mentions that Sagittarius additionally embodies blue topaz’s metaphysical properties. “We see the signal being about sincerity, being about voicing their fact, and a boldness of their honesty, and that’s the largest a part of blue topaz,” she says—qualities that we will all stand to study from this Sagittarius season. The stone also can profit Capricorn by aligning their intentions with their actions. “It’s a cardinal sign, so there’s a volatility to its expression,” she says. “Blue topaz is available in to help, serving to launch attachment and are available into consciousness of its energetic want to have the ability to absolutely domesticate and focus its vitality in the direction of targets.”

What are birthstones?

Birthstones are gems that characterize an individual’s start month or zodiac signal. Their origins are believed to hint again to biblical instances, and the first-century historian Flavius Josephus related the 12 gems on Aaron’s breastplate within the E-book of Exodus with the months of the 12 months and the 12 zodiac indicators. Nevertheless, the customized of carrying a person gem monthly didn’t start till across the fifteenth or sixteenth century in Germany or Poland. Birthstones are additionally discovered to have origins in Japanese Tradition. The Ratna Pariksha, a fifth-century Hindu textual content, linked particular gems to deities, celestial our bodies, and days of the week, whereas Vedic astrologers advocate sure gems to people based mostly on their astrological start chart.

In 1912, the American Council Affiliation of Jewelers (which is at present referred to as the Jewelers of America) created a standardized checklist of birthstones in the US. This checklist was up to date by the Jewellery Trade Council of America and later by The American Gem Commerce Affiliation to incorporate new kinds of birthstones for sure months of the 12 months.

An outline of the birthstones for each month of the 12 months

Wish to find a crystal or gemstone that corresponds to your start month? Right here’s a fast overview of the birthstones for each month of the 12 months:

Regularly requested questions

What’s the birthstone of December?

December boasts three birthstones—turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon—however de La Mer and Kadlec additionally take into account blue topaz as a December birthstone.

What’s the December flower?

The birth flower of the month is narcissus, which symbolizes honor, kindness, prosperity, in addition to reflection, Valerie Ghitelman, vice chairman of product improvement, design, and sourcing at 1-800-Flowers.com, beforehand instructed Properly+Good.

Is the December birthstone uncommon?

Tanzanite, which is without doubt one of the December birthstones, is the rarest of all of them, primarily as a result of it’s discovered solely in Tanzania and nowhere else on the planet.