Every month has one gemstone that is associated solely with it. Because they are so personal, birthstone rings have become cherished items. They can come as single personal birthstone rings, couple’s rings (which contain the individual stones of the two people in a relationship) and mother and father rings, which contain one gemstone for each child the person has. In recent year’s the mother’s ring has extended its reach and grandmothers are now often seen with rings bearing the birthstones of their grandchildren.

Below I will cover the individual meanings often associated with each birthstone. This article covers the first six months of the year, January through June. Part two will contain the second half of the year, July through December.

January – Garnet – the gem of faith and truth; protects from poisons, thought to stop bleeding, cure sickness of the blood and infections.

February – Amethyst – aids soldiers in battle, control evil thoughts, helps hunters to catch animals, and helps the owner be good in business.

March – Aquamarine – sailors used aquamarine to gemstones to keep them safe and to prevent seasickness. It gives the wearer courage, foresight and courage

April – Diamond – Symbol of strength, courage, and invincibility. It is the ultimate gift of love. In 1477 Archduke Maxmillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring, thus starting the tradition of diamonds being given as engagement rings.

May – Emerald – Sharpened the wearer’s eyesight and mind. Travelers used them as protection against the hazards of long trips. The green color is said to give the owner power to predict the future.

June – Pearl – Freshwater pearls give the power of love, money, protection, and luck. It is said they give provide wisdom through experience and protect children from harm.

Rings first became popular during the medieval years. Rings were typically made of iron, copper, silver, or gold. The material of the ring worn usually indicated the class of the wearer. It wasn’t until around the 14th century that faceted jewels appeared in rings.

The start of wedding rings has an interesting story. Richard Joyce was among the crew of a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh, Ireland that was captured, he was to have been married that very same week. During slavery Richard Joyce was put to learning the trade of the goldsmith. Through the years of capture neither married. Richard Joyce created a ring for his love with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty, and two hands indicating friendship.

After Joyce escaped capture, he returned to the village of Claddagh and was overjoyed to see his love again and to know she had never married. She always knew he would return to her. He gave her the ring that has become known as the Claddagh ring. If the Claddagh is worn on the right hand with the crown inward (toward the wrist) the heart is not yet committed. If it is worn on the right hand with the crown turned outward the wearer is committed to someone. Finally if it is worn on the left hand with the crown outward it means “Let our love and friendship reign forever, never to be separated.”

Rings are worn for a variety of reasons including adornment. There are rings given as a reward for a job well done such as the Super Bowl victory. They are given to represent commitment as in engagements and marriages. Class rings are traditional for high school and college seniors.  Parents and grandparents have rings with their children’s or grandchildren’s birthstones in them. These are but a few of the many rings today.

There are many ways to make a wire wrapped ring. If you plan on making several of these you will want a ring gauge that can be purchased at many hobby and craft stores. While there, select the stone you want for this ring. Make sure these are the ones that are predrilled as you’ll need to insert the wire through the holes. You will need wire cutters and a spool of 14 gauge silver wire.

Start by measuring your finger size. Cut fifty (50), inches of wire. Once you know the circumference of your finger, bend the wire such that there are two pieces laying side by side and one half inch longer than your finger size. Repeat this until you have four pieces of wire lying side by side. Make sure these coils are very tight. This is called the base or ring base. Wrap the remaining wire tightly around this base but leave a little bit at the end to form a loop (by opening the base wires at the coiled ends). Continue until you have reached the same point on the other end of the base. Once completed, form the wrapped piece around the finger gauge.

Put stones on the remaining piece of wire. The number you use is your choice. Run the free end through the loop at the end of the base and wrap it back around and back through the stones. Check periodically to ensure you have not put too many stones on thus making the ring too large. Once you have all the stones on and the ring is the correct size, cut off the excess wire, leaving a small length that can be wrapped around the end to secure it. Push the excess into the end stone.