Why Wear Birthstones?

collage of mid 30s women wearing colorful silk scarves and birthstone earrings

 

Birthstones are very popular - an idea that has of history, and many interpretations. Central to our new, star collection.

But perhaps I should mention something. In the interests of full disclosure, you understand.

I'm a February birthday, and I hardly ever wear amethysts.

Yes, true. So it seems kind of funny that Ten Thousand Dandelion's fabulous new collection is based around birthstones, no?


30-something Black woman in profile, wearing our amethyst earrings and crocus silk scarf.  Her dark hair is in coiling curls around her head and she's looking at the camera from the side.
February - Amethyst earrings and Crocus silk scarf, 35x35"

 

I mean, don't get me wrong - I had a lot of fun creating a purple for this collection, and I am terribly pleased with the earrings (I will, in fact, claim a pair for myself), but I am much more a 'pick a color because you want to' kind of person. 

I certainly do not think you should let a set of rules decide what colors you get to wear.

This collection is not about rules.  It's about symbols.

 

collage of mid 30s women wearing colorful silk scarves and birthstone earrings

September - Sapphire earrings and Midnight silk bandana, 21x21" | March - Aquamarine earrings and Aqua silk infinity scarf, 22x76" | August - Peridot earrings and Lime Tree silk bandana, 21x21"  

 

Part of the fun of birthstones is that they mean someone is excited about your birth - whether you are celebrating yourself, or someone is gifting something to you, that is a wonderful feeling.

That celebration of life, the you-are-here-and-I-am-happy-about-it, is a big part of the reason birthstones felt like a good foundation for our new collection - and then I started thinking about wearing other colors.  Because again, no rules about what colors you should wear, right?  That stuff's nonsense. 

But birthstones are symbols, and symbols are what you make of them.

   

close up of aquamarine earrings

close up of peridot earrings

close up of sapphire hoop earrings

 

March - Aquamarine earrings | August - Peridot earrings | September - Sapphire earrings


You can always wear the colors because they're lovely and you love them. You can also wear them for yourself, for your family, for your friends.

 When I look at an aquamarine, there is always a little part of me that thinks about my mom - her birthday is in March.  Sapphires and September are for my dad and one of my brothers, and peridot and August are for my other brother.  

 

I love Russet, the new color for January, and I'd love it just for the color – but it makes me happy to connect it to the January birthdays of my grandmother, my grandfather, and my aunt.  May is for my grandfather, and December is my grandmother, June is my aunt and one of my closest friends - and I can go on.

The connections are already there - and why wouldn't we wear something that makes us think of our loved ones and how happy we are to have them be a part of us?

The stones, the colors - they are significant because of us and our people and our lives.

 

Chinese woman in mid thirties wearing russet silk infinity scarf and white sweater

 January - Russet silk scarf & Garnet earrings

 

And that is why birthstones.  Whether you like adding a little celebration of your birth, or you like wearing pieces for your children, or you just like the colors, it's all good.

We're ready.  The Birthstone Collection is here.

 

collage of mid 30s women wearing colorful silk scarves and birthstone earrings
Photos Courtesy of Denise Van Photography

 


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