Catholic Birthstone Jewelry — One for Every Month of the Year

The twelve birthstones do not originate with the modern jewelry trade. Their origin is Exodus 28 — the twelve stones on the breastplate of the High Priest of Israel, each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes. The High Priest wore them over his heart when he entered the Holy of Holies, carrying the whole people before God in prayer. St. Jerome, translating the Bible into Latin in the fourth century, was the first to connect these twelve priestly stones to the twelve months of the year.

This is why wearing a birthstone as a Catholic is not sentiment. The stone marks the month of the wearer's birth in the Church's sacred calendar. Paired with a patron saint medal or crucifix, it connects that birth to the intercession of a specific saint and to the mystery of redemption at the center of Catholic faith. Read the full biblical account in our guide: The 12 Sacred Stones of Scripture.