However, modern birthstones are linked to calendar months, and each month has its own unique birthstone, with its own fabled properties. Many people love to wear jewellery set with their birthstone, as ancient meanings and associations with these stones still intrigue them.

You can get many types of jewellery containing birthstones, such as birthstone rings, a birthstone pendant and birthstone earrings. Giving someone an item of jewellery set with their birthstone is a touching and wonderful gift, and whether you give them a birthstone ring, a birthstone pendant or a birthstone brooch, it is something that they are likely to treasure forever because it has real meaning and significance.

Below you will find a listing of each of birthstones used today.

January

The birthstone for this month is garnet, which was once thought to be connected with blood. This stone is supposed to protect wearer from nightmares and offer guidance through dark.

Garnets are long lasting and durable gems, with a fiery, ravishing beauty. This is type of gem that wearer will treasure forever, no matter what item of jewellery it is set into. Garnets are traditionally thought of as deep red, but actually come in a wide range of colours, so there is something to suit every taste for this month.

February

The birthstone for this month is amethyst, and folklore attached to this gem associates it with sobriety, tranquillity, protection and peace. This birthstone as also been linked to improving skin and preventing baldness, as well as protection from deceit, so it has a lot to live up to!

The amethyst birthstone comes in varying shades of purple, and can be a pale lilac in colour. On other end of scale, you can also get deep violet amethysts, which means that you can enjoy a birthstone that is as subtle or as rich as you like. This birthstone is very hardwearing, and its strength and durability will ensure that it lasts for a very long time.

March

This month's birthstone is aquamarine, which has been linked to making of new friends as well as affection and love, hope and health. This stone was once also thought to protect those at sea.

As name of this birthstone suggests, it is a green-blue in colour and has a rich, sparkling look. You can get aquamarine birthstones in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can also get this stone in varying shades of green-blue.

April

One of most popular gems throughout history, diamonds are birthstone for this month, and these stones are linked to love, eternity and strength. This has contributed towards diamonds being most popular gems of all time when it comes to romance, such as engagement rings and wedding bands.

Diamonds are very strong and hardwearing, making them perfect birthstone to wear on a daily basis. You can enjoy many different cuts of this stone, and fiery, glamorous sparkle given off by diamonds is positively captivating.

May

This month's birthstone is beautiful emerald, once linked to health and curing of ailments, as well as being associated with ability to see in to future, giving them an almost bewitching, magical reputation.

These fiery green gems are amazing to look at, and can be found in a variety of shapes and cuts. The beauty and richness of this stone makes it perfect gem for birthstone jewellery, and is something that wearer can show off and take pride in for a long time.

June

Of course, it's not just men that buy jewellery for women any longer as it was in years long gone by. These days, jewellery makes a popular gift for men as well, and many women choose to give rings, cufflinks, watches and other popular items of jewellery to beloved men in their lives. Giving jewellery means that you can give a gift that actually speaks without words, and this is probably why jewels have been a hugely popular form of gift since ancient times.

Why buy jewellery online?

Since explosion of Internet, most products have become available to customers online, and jewellery is no exception. Modern technological advancements mean that it is no longer necessary for us to go scouring through every jewellery shop on high street to find perfect gift. We can now enjoy doing this from comfort of our own homes, giving us more time to browse and compare options open to us. Buying jewellery online offers many benefits, such as:

• Choice: There is certainly no shortage of choice on Internet, and you will find a wide range of jewellery at your disposal. This means that you can browse a wide selection of jewels until you find perfect gift with which to surprise a loved one.
• Convenience: Gone are days when local High Street jewellers was only viable option if we wanted to get perfect piece of jewellery in a short space of time. When you buy jewellery online, you can browse, order and pay from comfort of your own home, and your chosen piece will then be shipped out to you safely and quickly. This means that you still have choice, however short of time you are. And, you don't even have to leave your home to get perfect gift.
• Saving time: We all lead busy lifestyles these days, and you simply may not have time to troop from shop to shop looking for perfect piece of jewellery. When you buy jewellery online you can benefit from speed and ease, and you aren't restricted to looking within certain times, as you would be with a bricks-and-mortar shop.
• Affordability: When you buy jewellery online, you will benefit from far more choice, which in turn means that you are far more likely to find something within your budget. There are some really good quality jewellery products available online, and you can get these at a huge reduction compared to High Street prices. Online jewellers don't have same overheads and running costs as their bricks-and-mortar counterparts, which means that they can afford to offer a bigger saving to their customers.