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Birthstone of December has rolled around. It is your birthday. The deep blue sits proudly at the base of your neck. It catches the light around your wrist. Its shimmering violet drops hang lightly from your ears. In rich blues and undertones of lilac, Tanzanite is more than just stunning jewelry. The December Birthstone is a statement piece that holds a multitude of attributes.
To understand the symbolism of Tanzanite as the chosen birthstone of December, one must delve deep into the country's lore, lithotherapy, and modern astrology. According to ancestral beliefs, birthstones are picked for the powers of their rare gems. It has thus become a long-standing tradition that every month of the year should be associated with a stone. Picking the gem which corresponds to your birth month is known to offer its bearer a plethora of properties from protection, fortune, serenity, and even happiness. Birthstones are an ancestral tradition that has prevailed in our modern world.
For everyone wondering what to offer your friends, family, and loved ones on their special day, a Tanzanite stone might be just the perfect gift for December birthdays. You won't be gifting a gemstone alone but offering happiness, prosperity, and protection.
This tradition originates back to the sacred breastplate of the Priest Aaron described in the book of Exodus in the Bible. This religious garment was set with twelve precious gemstones which were said to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. From there, scholars in both the 1st and 5th century AD made a connection between the 12 stones in the breastplate and the 12 signs of the zodiac. However, the custom of someone wearing a gemstone that corresponds to the month of their birth is a fairly modern concept that can be traced back to Poland in the 18th Century. With advancements in lithotherapy and similar healing practices, more and more people are now benefitting from the physical and psychological benefits of these rare gems.
Incorporating an element of your December birthstone into your daily outfits has been associated with overcoming of physical, mental, and spiritual blockades. Said to be in synchronicity with particular vibrations, specific birthstones like Tanzanite are said to channel the multiple healing and restorative energies coursing through the earth and release the benefits into our lives and bodies.
Only discovered in 1967, Tanzanite now stands proudly next to Alexandrite as one of the rarest birthstones in the world. The unique physical conditions which engineered the creation of this rich blue stone are so exceptional that scientists have declared no other source of Tanzanite could ever exist anywhere else in the world. For this reason, and its significance as a precious and protective gemstone, it is in 2002 that the American Gem Trade Association crowned the Tanzanite; the birthstone of December (joining the Zircon and the Turquoise). Quite an achievement when you consider how long the list remained unchanged. The Tanzanite birthstone is a captivating and one-of-a-kind gem that is rich in wonders, often even called "the gemstone of a generation" for its rarity.
Actually a kind of blue zoisite, the gem was given its now iconic name by Tiffany & co. who fell in love with the rich trichroic gem and baptized it after its country of origin, the home of Mount Kilimanjaro and the mythical endless plains of the Serengeti.
The history of the December birthstone and its many powers is deeply linked to its homeland and ancestral practices. Discovered by a Maasai herdsman in the Mererani region near the foothill of Mount Kilimanjaro, it was first a widespread tale that lightning struck the grassland starting a fire that heated and turned the brown deposit of zoisite on the surface into rich blue Tanzanite. While Manuel de Souza, the local gem prospector to whom the herdsman sold his finding, often gets the credit for the discovery of Tanzanite, this feat should actually be rightfully attributed to the Maasai tribe of Tanzania.
While the gem had little monetary value to them then, it is a common custom among the Maasai people to present a Tanzanite gem to women during or after childbirth as a sign of celebration. This tradition was also believed to bless the newborn with long life, strength, luck, and prosperity. Years before the American Gem Trade Association officially made Tanzanite the birthstone of December, the natives were already tapping into the mystical properties of this rare stone.
To learn more about this unique gemstone, its history, its relation to the Maasai people, and its future, visit the world's only Tanzanite museum in Arusha, Tanzania.
According to recent findings on Lithotherapy, Tanzanite has been associated with multiple health benefits. Many believe that the wearing of a Tanzanite birthstone can positively strengthen the immune system making you less prone to disease and sickness. This rare gem is well known for its ability to detoxify the blood hence promoting the proper circulation of oxygen and nutrients to your cells and boosting the body’s capacity to heal itself. As a chain reaction, the toxin-free body develops self-regenerating properties of its cells, hair, and skin for a healthy and youthful disposition.
It is also believed that the Tanzanite gemstone can help light mental and psychological strains such as stress, anxiety, and fear by honing into its high vibrational energy.
This property of Tanzanite stands as a sort of self-induced luck. By promoting clairvoyance and insight, the birthstone acts as a guide helping you identify the best choices, paths, and experiences to strive for. The careful selection of these moments will probably appear as luck but it is actually the direct outcome of a deeper understanding between yourself, your needs, and the universe. By turning the negative into positive, you will be called to manifest amazing things into being instead of just being influenced by a flow of happenstance. By opening yourself to this positive intuition, you will slowly begin to shape the life you have always desired, inviting success, hope, happiness, and prosperity to dine at your table.
While it is not said that wearing a piece of Tanzanite jewelry will attract love into your life, it is often insinuated that this birthstone allows the wearer to live more consciously and be more in tune with their needs. By promoting a deeper connection and greater acceptance of self, the Tanzanite may help you achieve real love both within your own self and your partner. The respect and feeling of worth which accompanies self-realization and celebration ensures that you will no longer settle for something or someone who is not equipped to love you as you deserve. This does not refer to money or material gifts but rather to the support, acceptance, affection, and friendship which binds a relationship helping it grow strong and prosper.
It is also believed that Tanzanite can encourage you to reach into your inner strength by supporting you through your journey and helping you look beyond the challenges and obstacles in your way. By instigating a stillness and a sense of self-control, the Gemstone of December is said to offer the perfect setting for the unraveling of your abilities, skills, and resources which allow you to adapt and build on circumstances in your life.
As mentioned, Tanzanite is a stone of great healing power allowing the restoration of cells. However, this is not the limit of its gift, this birthstone also strengthens your spirit by accompanying you through draining experiences and helping you deal with grief and stress. By wearing a tanzanite gemstone, you will safely navigate the process of emotional healing and move on through life as a lighter person. The stone is also said to rejuvenate and charge your soul. You will feel more motivated, focused, and energized in your daily endeavors.
For those familiar with meditation and the 7 chakras, Tanzanite stands as one of the most potent stones in the practice, said to have a direct influence on the Root, Third Eye, Throat, and Crown chakras. These imaginary wheels starting from the crown of your head to the bottom of your spine allow energy flow in the body and can cause multiple issues when misaligned. However, when properly stimulated these can bring you happiness, purpose, stability, strength, and much more.
The root chakra is associated with a deep connection to the earth and a feeling of grounding which keeps you present in the moment and helps you become more aware of reality and the safety of your surroundings. When misaligned, this wheel can be the cause of multiple ailments felt in the form of anxiety, intense stress, and even depression.
By stimulating and aligning the root chakra, the gemstone of December is responsible for reorienting the flow of energy, enhancing stability and a feeling of safety within your own body and your surroundings by supporting calm and unshakeable energy throughout your daily life. You will unlock your sense of self and grow steadily more attuned to the things, relationships, and experiences that give you a real feeling of belonging, grounding, and stability.
Tanzanite is said to act as the opening of a doorway to the throat chakra. Unlocking this wheel triggers a sense of peace, purification, and an inclination towards the sharing of ideas and serene communication. Centered around truth, the throat chakra represents an individual’s ability to express himself, honor his individual truth and share his thoughts, opinions, and ideas without fear of judgment or misunderstanding. Without a nagging need for approval, you are free to unlock and celebrate your originality, uniqueness, and idealism.
As the sixth element is usually shown in most diagrams explaining the power of the chakras, the third eye is often associated with intuition, clairvoyance, and a ‘sixth sense for a sense of wisdom and conscience. The third eye also promotes clear thoughts and self-reflection by directing your focus on the paths which lead to what you wish to achieve and what you choose to see in the world. When aligned, the third eye governs self-awareness, clarity, imagination, creative dreams, and discernment.
On to the last chakra on our list, the crown is associated with our higher self. Known as the closest connection to a form of a higher being, the crown is often bestowed with the benefits of knowledge, fulfillment, spirituality, and self-realization. When out of order, you may experience a sentence of detachment and distance from your spirit and the universal consciousness.
By activating self-realization and self-evaluation, the crown is often referred to as our highest potential. When operating smoothly, this allows you to hone deep into yourself and the universe to find and actively evolve into your best self by unlocking your senses of inspiration, devotion, and union with the self and the divine. The birthstone of December is known to act as a catalyst for inter-connectedness with all things, tangible and intangible, which may surround you.
While this may be a lot of information to digest, one certainly stands out in the midst: the Tanzanite gemstone is an infinite well of values, gifts, and benefits. The birthstone of December is one of the most potent and beneficial tools to help its wearers achieve their best potential and overcome the struggles faced in life. To give or receive a piece of Tanzanite jewelry is to pass on a plethora of good wishes and intentions. There is no greater offering than quietly playing a part in the awakening, fulfillment, and success of a loved one.
If one of your dearest has the chance of celebrating a December birthday, then our catalog is sure to offer a special piece for your special someone. From an elegant indigo necklace, a bold royal blue bracelet, or even an artisanal Maasai piece, Tanzanite jewelry is the gentle push your loved one needs to reach to the greatest heights.
