Gemstones, Semi-Precious Stones, and Birthstones have been revered throughout history for their beauty, and believed to influence health, character, and spirituality. These stones, often used as charms and amulets, are thought to connect uniquely with souls, offering protection and healing. The Jewish Torah highlights the significance of gemstones through the High Priest’s breastplate, which featured twelve stones representing Israel’s tribes. These twelve stones were chosen for their energetic strength, not material value, and were considered powerful tools for divine communication. The Zohar further emphasizes the hidden wisdom within these stones, which together attract abundance and blessings.
The concept of birthstones, however, is relatively modern. In 1912, the National Association of Jewelers in America formalized a list of birthstones that remains in use today. Birthstones add special meaning to jewelry, making them thoughtful gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other memorable occasions.
As the eighth generation of a family of silversmiths from Yemen, Ben Zion continues to create designs inspired by traditional Yemenite bridal jewelry. His jewelry and Judaica are handmade using filigree techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. Ben Zion’s beautiful designs are enhanced with a variety of semi-precious stones, special gems, and precious stones. These extensive and magnificent collections are exclusively available at the Old Jaffa Galleries, featuring silver and Judaica as well as 14Kt and 18Kt yellow gold pieces.
A Guide to meaning and energetic influences
Below, we present a chart of established birthstones and their intriguing connection to the stones in the Priestly Breastplate. Known for their diverse qualities and colors, these stones symbolized unity, which was considered their strength, and were believed to carry the powers of wisdom, insight, and understanding. Over time, the original biblical knowledge of these stones has been either lost or altered. However, one thing remains clear: the qualities and virtues of these special stones possess the power to intuitively connect to certain characteristics and personalities, through birthdates or other factors—a mystery held in the eye of the beholder.
Let us guide you in choosing the perfect jewel, personalized with gems that resonate with your spirit.
GARNET
The most common garnet stones are red in color, and accordingly, the word garnet is derived from the word pomegranate, because of the resemblance of the sparkling stones to the seeds of the fruit. However, the stones come in a variety of colors. On the high priest’s breastplate, the garnet stones symbolized the tribe of Judah. They are considered stones that stimulate the energy of lifeת strengthen the physical body and like the pomegranate, they are also linked to fertility and give good properties.
AMETHYST
Known for their lilac shades, amethyst stones were previously reserved only for royalty and religious priests who wore them as a symbol of their high status in society. Mystically, they were believed to give physical strength and intelligence to those who wear them. Amethysts were also linked to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine: it was believed that wearing it prevents drunkenness. On the high priest’s breastplate, they represented the tribe of Gad. Today it is seen as a stone that can create spiritual growth connected to wisdom and inner peace.
AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine is named due to its resemblance to the clear sea water. It symbolizes purity of the soul and strengthens mental and emotional clarity. When placed on the breastplate, the stone represented the tribe of Asher.
DIAMOND
The diamond is linked in Western culture to romance and evokes, on one hand, power and on the other hand, tenderness and delicacy. It is interesting to note that an engagement ring symbolizes both the strength of commitment and the soft marital connection. Inlayed on the breastplate, the diamond represented the wealth of the Zebulun tribe, and today it encourages the ability to attract both emotional and material abundance to life.
EMERALD
In ancient Egypt, these green gemstone deposits were discovered, and mined for Cleopatra, today called Cleopatra’s Mines and were active up to the days of Alexander the Great. Their sparkle is linked to rebirth, renewal and Spring. Mystically, the emerald’s properties were considered medicinal, contributing to a safe birth, strengthening of the heart and could even help with honesty and compassion. As part of the breastplate stones, it symbolized the tribe of Levi.
PEARL
The pearl is a perfect example of the wonders of nature. In an act of protection, the oyster secretes liquids which crystallize around an irritant that has made its way into the shell. Eventually, these layers form the smooth pearl. On the breastplate, the pearl represents the tribe of Benjamin.
RUBY
In Latin, the word for red is ruber. History shows that royalty set ruby stones in jewelry and various clothing accessories, while attributing to vitality, virtue and fertility. It was commonly known that a woman who carried a ruby stone would have an easy birth. On the high priest’s breastplate, the ruby symbolized the tribe of Reuben.
PERIDOT
Peridot stones were first found in the Red Sea, on an island called Zabargad, and were set in jewelry as early as the second century BC. The origin of the name is not clear but it was believed that the peridot stones trapped sun rays inside. In the description of the stones of the breastplate, the Patada stone appears, which symbolizes the tribe of Shimon. Today it is identified with the topaz but also with the peridot stone. Mystically, it is credited with strong spiritual protection and including against evil spirits and fears.
SAPPHIRE
The word sapphire means blue color in the Semitic languages (Arabic and Hebrew). In ancient times they were called hyacinth and later they were compared to another flower – the corn flower, which blooms, among other things, in blue. The phrase is still used today to describe a certain shade of blue. Although it is strongly associated with the color blue, sapphires come in a variety of colors such as yellow, pink, green and purple. This stone symbolized the tribe of Issachar in the high priest’s breastplate, and in terms of virtues, it strengthens a connection to the spirit and intuition.
OPAL
The opal stones are optically deceptive. They are bright and almost white but contain subtle shades of different colors. In ancient Rome, it attracted the attention of the Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder. He referred to its unique color and wrote that “you can see in it the living fire of the ruby, the magnificent purple of the amethyst, the sea green of the emerald, all sparkling together”. Mystically, the opal encourages spiritual development and like its subtle colors, it is very sensitive to energetic fluctuations. It is possible that the breastplate stone, which was originally called “Shebo” and represents the tribe of Naphtali, is actually an opal. Since there are no identifying details for the breastplate stones and their sources, it is not known which gem they meant or even what its color was.
CITRINE
The Citrine is an amber colored gemstone which appears in yellowish colors. When placed on the breastplate, it represented the tribe of Dan. From a mystical point of view, it is credited with encouraging energy, giving a sense of vitality, and could even bring abundance and success.
TURQUOISE
The turquoise stones were placed in figurines as early as the time of ancient Egypt. This stone was brought to Europe from East Asia, and this its name, “Turkish” in French. Because there are no identifying details of the breastplate stones in the sources, it is not known which gem they meant when they wrote about Shoham and even what its color was. The Shoham is attributed to the tribes of the sons of Joseph: the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim.
