Your Birthstone Bracelet

When shopping for a birthstone bracelet it is important to remember that not all bracelets are created equal. There are a few important things to keep in mind to ensure that you get the best birthstone bracelet for your money.

Many of the birthstones have some of the same value definers. Birthstones for January, February, May, July, August, September, November, and December are (respectively) garnet, amethyst, emerald, ruby, peridot, sapphire, topaz, and zircon. These stones should not be opaque, but can be slightly translucent.

The stones in a birthstone bracelet for any of these months should be clear and free of streaks if it is in the higher price range.  Each stone should have a rich color, rather than a light or multicolored appearance. 

A birthstone bracelet for the month of March should be made of bloodstone, a multicolored, opaque stone.  These stones should not have scratches on them, but be smooth.

April is the diamond month. A birthstone bracelet made of diamonds is probably going to be one of the more expensive bracelets for your wallet. Diamonds, of course,  are used in many other pieces of jewelry and while they don't have to be perfect for a birthstone bracelet, neither should they be sub-par. 

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Clear, colorless, and well cut diamonds are the most valuable form of the stone, but there are other colors and styles. A yellowish color with many imperfections is worth less than clear (white) diamonds, but though they may be a little less valuable these stones do appeal to some. Expecially when nicely cut and placed in a good setting that complements the color and hides the flaws.

A unique idea when it comes to diamonds is a colored diamond. There are some colors that occur naturally in the diamond, other than the yellow tints, and these can be a unique gift. Be warned, fancy colored natural diamonds are both very rare and very expensive (they can come in blue, orange, pink, or even green.) Diamonds can be also be colored through various treatments and those are much more affordable.

Pearls are the stone of June.  A pearl's value is based on its color, sheen, size, and shape. The purer the color, the rounder the shape, and the more lusterous, the more valuable that pearl is. For a birthstone bracelet, there are usually multiple pearls within the piece of jewelry. The pearls should all be well matched in the bracelet.  Perfect pearls, perfectly matched, will also be very expensive.

A birthstone bracelet for October should consist of either Opal or pink tourmaline. Many jewelry stores do not even have pink tourmaline in stock, but opal is a beautiful stone also. A valuable opal has many, many colors playing throughout its surface. There are two different kinds of opals (the white kind and the black kind), but the white kind is the one most often seen in a birthstone bracelet for October.

In many jewelry stores, the attendants are perfectly happy to be helpful to the customers. If you do not see what you are looking for within their cases, they may be able to help you locate exactly what you have in mind. Just ask!

© 2006 Bmall.com and Linda G., "just a big jewelry fan."