With Gauteng's two most popular antique fairs coming up, Brooklyn's Antique Fair on the first Saturday monthly in Pretoria, and Nelson Mandela Square Antique Fair on the first Sunday of the month in Sandton, we chatted to some experts about trends in antique and vintage jewellery shopping.
It's no surprise that birthstones never seem to go out fashion – just like birthday celebrations, and we got pointed in the direction of some amazing statement jewellery pieces that talk to this trend.
History of birthstones in jewellery
According to the International Gem Society, historians in the first century believed that a garment embellished with 12 unique gems described in a holy book held religious significance, encouraging followers to collect and use these specific stones in important ornamental objects. Over the first millennium, with the rise of global trade blending customs from around the world, the Eastern belief that gems could be imbued with certain gifts and associated with astrology merged with traditions in the West. This laid the stage for the practise of wearing a single stone during a given month, believing it possessed unique symbolism and would grant the wearer heightened powers.
The modern tradition of assigning gemstones to specific birth months is believed to have emerged amongst jewellery traders in Poland in the 16th or 18th century. In 1912, prompted by more commercial interests, the National Association of Jewellers formalised a list of “birthstones” that resembles what most of us are familiar with today. A few birthstones have been changed or added over the last century and there are also alternative lists of gemstones, including one associated with astrological signs. Here's the most common list:
