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FOUNDATION STONES

Today's birthstone lists were thought to have their origins in the stones of the High Priest's Breastplate. The Book of Revelations, that contains the passage listing the Foundation Stones, was not held in high esteem at the onset of the modern era, but with passage of time its contents became more esteemed. With this, the listed stones became associated with the twelve Apostles, as the foundation of the Christian church, and then with the twelve months of the year which used to begin with March prior to the modern calendar. Thus, today's birthstone lists are more influenced by this list of Foundation Stones, than by the original list of the High Priest's Breastplate Stones.
Revelations 21:16-21

The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the cithy with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measure its wall and it was 144 cubits thick by man's measurement, which the angel was using.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure fold, as pure as glass, The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure fold, like transparent glass.

MONTH	APOSTLE	FOUNDATION STONE	TRADITIONAL STONE	MODERN STONE
MARCH	JAMES + JOHN	JASPER	BLOODSTONE	AQUAMARINE
APRIL	PHILIP	SAPPHIRE	DIAMOND	DIAMOND
MAY	BARTHOLOMEW	CHALCEDONY	EMERALD	EMERALD
JUNE	THOMAS	EMERALD	MOONSTONE	ALEXANDRITE
JULY	MATTHEW	SARDONYX	RUBY	RUBY
AUGUST	JAMES	CARNELIAN	SARDONYX	PERIDOT
SEPTEMBER	THADDEUS	CHRYSOLITE	SAPPHIRE	SAPPHIRE
OCTOBER	SIMON	BERYL	OPAL	TOURMALINE
NOVEMBER	MATTIAS	TOPAZ	TOPAZ	CITRINE
DECEMBER	PAUL	CHRYSOPRASE	TURQUOISE	BLUE ZIRCON
JANUARY	PETER	JACINTH	GARNET	GARNET
FEBRUARY	ANDREW	AMETHYST	AMETHYST	AMETHYST

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