As far back as 1400 BC, the Assyrians believed that rare and beautiful gemstones possessed magical properties. Some minerals were thought to possess a force or contain certain values and powers.
Tradition associates a gem with each sign of the zodiac based on a color system.
Color was thought to release the power attributed to the stone. Later, birthstones became associated with calendar months rather than the zodiac. People began selecting birthstones in colors other than the original colors. The Roman, Arabic, Jewish, Polish, Russian and Italian lists were all different. In 1912, the American National Association of Jewelers, which later became Jewelers of America , adopted the list as we now know it.