#birthstones

[reddpenn]

Here is a potentially silly question: how do you feel about birthstones? Do you think they fit the months (by season or astrological sign)? Do you have other stones you'd rather see as birthstones?

Okay, so, birthstones make absolutely no sense.

I mean, look at this mess. We’re doing beryl and corundum twice! I get that they get Special Different Names for their Special Different Colors, but it's just lazy. And why are we giving some months cheap, common gemstones like garnet and amethyst while the poor June birthdays have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for FREAKING ALEXANDRITE? That’s incredibly unfair! We should be picking birthstones that are all roughly the same price. And why do some months get multiple gemstones? I’ll tell you why: because nobody can agree on an official list and every attempt to standardize this thing has just added MORE birthstones to every month.

So obviously the answer is to standardize it again, by throwing out everything and starting over. Here are our goals:

Fair pricing. You should be paying roughly the same amount regardless of what month you were born in. We’re getting rid of those ridiculous outliers like diamond and alexandrite.

More customization potential! Nobody should be stuck with a stone they hate. We’re picking gemstones that come in multiple colors or varieties, so that everyone can choose a variant they like.

Wearability. Some birthstones are too fragile to be worn as jewelry. We need to replace them with stronger stuff.

No more duplicate gemstones. Every month gets a stone or family of stones with a unique chemical composition.

Now without further ado, I present to you:

The New And Improved List Of Birthstones With No Problems Or Flaws That Everyone Will Definitely Agree On And We Can Start Using Right Now Immediately

JANUARY: GARNET

I've got no problem with garnet. It's a fine, classic birthstone, so January can keep it. But I would like to see a little more garnet diversity. January birthdays shouldn’t be confined to just red. The garnet family of minerals contains a rainbow of different colors, like orange hessonite, green uvarovite, pink rhodolite, yellow grandite, and many more. They’re all garnet, so we should be wearing them all!

FEBRUARY: QUARTZ

The original birthstone of February was amethyst, which is… kinda boring. Super cheap and common and you only get one color? No, we can do better. February gets ALL the quartzes now. Keep wearing amethyst if you want, but also feel free to branch out into clear quartz, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz, rutilated quartz, tiger eye… actually, take all the agates too. If it’s quartz, it’s yours!

MARCH: SPODUMENE

March was originally aquamarine, but I’ll be giving all the beryls to May, so we need a different stone here. Let’s stick with that theme of pale pastels and go with spodumene. For an April birthday, bedeck yourself in green hiddenite, pink kunzite, or yellow triphane. Despite its subtle colors, your birthstone has some amazing fluorescence, with really cool pinks and oranges under a UV light.

APRIL: FELDSPAR

Diamond is too pricy for this list, so we’re replacing it with something less expensive and way more interesting. April will now be represented by the feldspar family. We’re talking labradorite, moonstone, amazonite, aventurine, and sunstone. While you don’t have much variety in color, your stones are full of shimmery schiller which glitters and shifts as it catches the light.

MAY: BERYL

May’s original birthstone was emerald, which is great and can stay, but we’re also adding its siblings! May is now represented by all beryls: Emerald, Aquamarine, Morganite, Bixbite, Heliodor, Goshenite, and whatever other varieties I’m forgetting to list. A bright and saturated rainbow of colors is represented here, so everyone born in May is sure to find something they like.

JUNE: ORGANIC GEMSTONES AND FOSSILS

It’s time to address the alexandrite in the room, and obviously we’re getting rid of alexandrite. A stone worth $15,000 to $70,000 a carat does not belong on the same list as friggin amethyst. Instead we’ll look at the other traditional June birthstone, pearl. The problem with pearl is that it’s a clear outlier in this list. An organic gemstone, by some definitions not even a mineral. Should we replace it? NO. We are OWNING it. All organic gemstones now belong to June. Pearl is joined here by jet, amber, coral, ivory, ammolite, petrified wood… in fact, June can have every fossil ever.

JULY: SPINEL

July was originally represented by ruby, which is a fine stone and won’t be kicked off the birthstone list - we’re just shuffling it down to September. Replacing ruby for July is spinel. (See, it’s funny because historically spinel has often been mistakenly identified as ruby! That's a little gemology humor for you.) Available in any hue you could possibly desire, spinel offers some nice color options to a month that previously only featured red. Of course if you want to keep wearing red, red spinel mimics ruby so well that you’ll barely notice the difference.

AUGUST: PERIDOT

Nope, we’re not changing this one. Peridot is the ideal gemstone and you ungrateful August whiners can die mad about it. HOW ABOUT YOU LEARN TO APPRECIATE PERFECTION

SEPTEMBER: CORUNDUM

Sapphire is a wonderful, classic stone and it deserves its spot on this list. But the corundum family has been separated for far too long, and we’re finally going to reunite them. Joining sapphire in September is its sister ruby. Between the pinks and reds of ruby and the many, many colors of sapphire, these two stones give September a nice variety of colors.

OCTOBER: TOURMALINE

Look, as gorgeous as opal is and as much as I love it, it is both way too pricy for our list and also TERRIBLE in jewelry. This stone is just too brittle to wear around from day to day and can be ruined just by getting it wet, which makes wearing your birthstone a huge hassle. We’ll kick opal out and hang on to October’s other traditional birthstone, tourmaline. Pink tourmaline may be classic, but this stone comes in plenty of other colors. Whether it’s brown dravite, watermelon elbaite, or the rare and beautiful blue indicolite, you can wear them all!

NOVEMBER: TOPAZ

November can keep topaz, but we’re not confining it to the color yellow. This stone comes in a huge variety of colors, and now they can ALL represent November. No further notes; it’s a nice, classic stone.

DECEMBER: ZIRCON

I dunno, I’ve had to come up with 12 of these, I’m burnt out. Sure, zircon, whatever.

“BUT WAIT,” you say. “Now instead of having a single color assigned to each month, almost every month is represented by almost every color, making it impossible to tell anyone’s birthstones apart and removing what made them special and recognizable as symbols!”

Well CLEARLY you didn’t read the title of this list.

[thesimline]

1920s BIRTHSTONE LOOKBOOK - PART 1

To coincide with the recent release of the Crystal Creations pack I wanted to put together a couple of fun lookbooks inspired by birthstones. My mind first went to whimsigoth, but since I've already done one of those recently I instead went with the decade that oozed glittery glamour - the 1920s. Want more good time gals and fabulous flappers? You can check out part two here.

Garnet was believed to be a protective stone, which made it popular amongst warriors and royalty. Red variety garnets are also associated with vitality, love and light.

Tiara | Hair | Earrings (TSR) | Capelet (TSR) | Dress (retired - direct download) | Brooch | Gloves | Bracelet (TSR) | Ring (TSR) | Stockings (Base Game) | Shoes

Amethyst was favoured by the ruling class thanks to its purple colour, which has long been a hue connected to royalty. Over time it has also come to be associated with spirituality, mental clarity and healing.

Hair | Hairband | Earrings (TSR) | Necklace (TSR) | Coat | Gloves | Ring (TSR) | Stockings (Base Game) | Shoes

Aquamarine comes from the Latin word for seawater and as such, was thought to protect seafarers. The stone can also be associated with martial happiness and superior intellect.

Hairband | Hair | Earrings | Necklace (TSR) | Dress | Cuffs | Ring | Shoes

Diamond is probably the most well known of the precious gems. Because of their association with strength and eternal love, they're a popular choice for engagement and wedding rings.

Hat | Hair (retired - direct downloand) | Earrings (TSR) | Necklace & Armbands | Dress | Gloves | Stockings (Spooky Stuff) | Shoes

Emerald has a legend that says wearing it will imbue the wearer with heightened intelligence and objectivity. Others use the stone to promote healing, while some even believe it allows the wearer to predict the future.

Hair | Hairband | Earrings (TSR) | Necklace | Dress | Gloves (Vampires) | Bracelet (TSR) | Ring | Shoes (TSR)

Pearl is often valued for its unblemished surface and colouring, so naturally it is most commonly connected to qualities like honesty, purity and wisdom.

Hair | Hairband | Earrings (retired - direct download) | Necklace | Dress | Fur Stole (Curseforge) | Bracelets | Stockings | Shoes

With thanks to some amazing creators: @glitterberrysims @simmister @batsfromwesteros @sentate @jius-sims @qwertysims @nell-le @rimings @yakfarm @simsonico @serenity-cc @simandy @the-melancholy-maiden @trillyke

[toyastales]

Peridot rings (August Birthstone)

[sofubis]

Negora Aquamarine (konatsuya)

[nouveaucrystals]

Reblog if you love Amethyst forever 🔮💜

➡️ Shop Here ⬅️

[truevedicastrology]

Your Month's Magical Gem ✨💎

Ever wondered about the special stone tied to your birth month? Dive into the sparkling world of birthstones and their mystical meanings!

🗓️ January - Garnet 💗

Deep red passion and vitality

Boosts self-confidence and success

Protective energy against negativity

Symbolizes eternal friendship and trust

🗓️ February - Amethyst 💜

Regal purple for peace and sobriety

Enhances intuition and spiritual awareness

Calms the mind and promotes clear thinking

Guards against drunkenness and overindulgence

🗓️ March - Aquamarine 💙

Serene blue of sea and sky

Soothes fears and sharpens intellect

Promotes clear communication

Brings courage and calm

🗓️ April - Diamond 💎

Brilliance and unbreakable strength

Amplifies energy of other stones

Symbolizes purity and eternal love

Brings clarity and abundance

🗓️ May - Emerald 💚

Lush green of spring renewal

Symbolic of rebirth and love

Enhances memory and increases mental clarity

Believed to grant foresight and good fortune

🗓️ June - Pearl & Alexandrite 🤍💠 Pearl:

Luminous orb of the sea

Symbolizes purity and integrity

Calms and centers the mind

Eases digestive discomfort

Alexandrite:

Color-changing marvel

Strengthens intuition

Encourages creativity

Brings good luck and fortune

🗓️ July - Ruby ❤️

Fiery red of passion and power

Stimulates heart chakra

Brings courage and strength

Symbol of love and royalty

🗓️ August - Peridot 💚

Vibrant lime-green vitality

Cleanses and stimulates

Protects from nightmares

Brings good health and restful sleep

🗓️ September - Sapphire 💙

Deep blue of wisdom and royalty

Attracts prosperity and success

Protects from envy and harm

Symbolizes loyalty and trust

🗓️ October - Opal & Tourmaline 🌈💗 Opal:

Multi-colored fire of emotions

Amplifies feelings and unleashes creativity

Enhances cosmic consciousness

Brings good fortune

Tourmaline:

Available in a rainbow of colors

Grounds energy and dispels fear

Promotes understanding and confidence

Deflects negative energy

🗓️ November - Topaz & Citrine 💛 Topaz:

Golden warmth of the sun

Brings joy and abundance

Releases tension and promotes harmony

Balances emotions and attracts love

Citrine:

Sunny yellow optimism

Energizes and invigorates

Attracts wealth and prosperity

Encourages generosity and sharing

🗓️ December - Turquoise, Zircon & Tanzanite 💙💎💜 Turquoise:

Sky blue of infinite possibilities

Master healer stone

Protects against negative energy

Brings good fortune and success

Zircon:

Variety of colors, often blue

Brings wisdom and confidence

Encourages compassion

Promotes restful sleep

Tanzanite:

Rare violet-blue beauty

Facilitates spiritual awakening

Enhances communication

Stimulates insight and perception

🔮 Birthstone Magic Tips 🔮

Wear your birthstone for amplified benefits

Meditate with your stone for deeper connection

Gift birthstones for personalized, meaningful presents

Collect all 12 for a full spectrum of energies!

[natureselements]

‘Stay Batty out there yall’🦇 I handmade these with silver and precious gemstones, slightly obsessed ✨ shop here only 3 left until I make more this week!

[iheartpeppino]

Whoever posted on the Fandom Pizza Tower Wiki that Peppino's birthday is March 22nd clearly put thought into it. It may not be his canon birthday, but if it were canon, that would make Peppino an Aries, and I think it fits him.

(Granted, I know astrology is bullshit, but it's fun bullshit! I'm a Gemini on the cusp of Cancer myself. That means I'm supposed to be a highly diplomatic person and also very emotional and a homebody... sounds about right.)

Combining the March 22nd birthday with the headcanon I have that Peppino was born in 1972, and we get the date March 22nd, 1972. Funny thing is, that was a Wednesday. (I was born on a Wednesday, too!) Because of how much Peppino canonically suffers, I am suddenly reminded of the rhyme that contains the line, "Wednesday's child is full of woe". That fits Peppino a little too well, I think.

Peppino's Chinese zodiac sign would be The Rat. This sign is described as being social, expressive, and talkative, often treating their friends like family. They're also hard workers, highly organized, and perfectionists. Apparently, they're best suited to work in business or politics. I'm not sure how true all that is for Peppino, but it's definitely something to consider for all you writers out there!

There are two birthstones for the month of March: aquamarine and bloodstone.

Aquamarine on the left, bloodstone on the right. Aquamarines are a common gem and tend to symbolize youth and happiness. (Doesn't really fit Peppino.) Bloodstones, also known as heliotropes, have been known to symbolize bravery, vitality, the Roman god Mars, martyrdom, and the crucifixion of Christ. (This seems more fitting for Peppino.)

I kind of want to get a small bit of bloodstone for my Peppino plush to wear... I'll have to do research on that...

[cottoncandycasketspray]

[astrolovecosmos]

[pollforthesoul]

**Please note that some of these do have alternative birthstones!!

[aboutl0ve]

[thesimline]

1920s BIRTHSTONE LOOKBOOK - PART 2

Welcome back to the glitz and glamour of the 1920s birthstone lookbook! After hair, jewellery is my favourite CC to hunt for so these ensembles were so much fun for me to put together. Want more good time gals and fabulous flappers? You can check out part one here.

Ruby is one of the most expensive gemstones and with its rich red colour it isn't hard to see why. Rubies have long been connected with physicality and strength, thought to be intimately connected with the human body.

Hair | Earrings (TSR) | Necklace (TSR) | Dress | Gloves | Bracelets | Ring (TSR) | Shoes (TSR)

Peridot is one of my favourite stones thanks to its gorgeous yellow-green hue. Because of this lively appearance they were often thought to protect their wearer at night.

Hair (retired - direct download) | Hairband (TSR) | Earrings | Necklace | Fur Bolero | Dress | Gloves | Bracelet | Cigarette Holder | Stockings (TSR) | Shoes

Sapphire is considered a protective gemstone. They may shield the wearer from physical harm, as well as bad intentions and envy. It was also thought that sapphires had medicinal properties.

Hat | Hair | Earrings | Necklace (TSR) | Coat | Gloves & Stockings (Base Game) | Shoes

Opal is an incredibly unique gemstone with its multi-coloured appearance. Opals are associated with light and magic, with some crediting them with healing properties.

Hair | Earrings | Necklace (TSR) | Feather Trim | Dress Mesh (retired - direct download) | Dress Recolour (retired - direct download) | Gloves | Bracelet (TSR) | Ring (TSR) | Stockings | Shoes

Topaz comes from the Sanskrit word for fire, which is reflected in its vibrant and rich orange-yellow colour. It is believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty and intelligence.

Hair | Hairband | Earrings | Choker (TSR) | Coat | Dress | Gloves (Vampires) | Shoes

Blue Topaz actually comes out of the ground colourless or pale blue. A two-step heat and radiation laboratory treatment is then used to turn these stones vivid blue.

Hair (TSR) | Hairband | Earrings & Bracelets | Necklace (TSR) | Dress | Gloves & Stockings (Base Game) | Shoes

With thanks to some amazing creators: @leeleesims1 @pralinesims @sentate @batsfromwesteros @glitterberrysims @madlensims @zurkdesign @delis-sims @jius-sims @thesimsis4gays @javitrulovesims @simadelics @lizziksims @trillyke @aveirasims

[planterfulpieces]

(So I love dragons. But tying it to Planterful was hard until I remembered geology existed and is part of the natural world. But then I had the issue of any kind of cohesive story grouping this and future releases together. Hence birthstones. But anyway. Here ya go.)

It's the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese Zodiac. And we love dragons! What better way to introduce our Birthstone Series than that, we ask you?

There isn't one. We know. It's fantastic timing.

Each month we'll be releasing a new color for our Baby Gemstone Dragon and Egg that corresponds to its birthstone. For February, it's Amethyst.

And yes, we did skip January. That's because Chinese New Year is in February, so you won't see January's dragon rounding out the year till January 2025!

As a side note, we had a fantastically fun time taking photos of him. He's so shiny, it's unbelievable.

He's available for purchase on our site, or on Etsy at PlanterfulPieces!

(One more product drop tentatively scheduled for end of this month, and then I got several things coming this spring! I'm so excited to show you!)

[sofubis]

Negora Diamond (konatsuya)

[fallensapphires]

Colors: Sapphire

Oh, the summer night,

Has a smile of light,

And she sits on a sapphire throne.