Alright, so my niece’s birthday was coming up, a December baby, and I figured, you know, a birthstone piece would be a thoughtful gift. Seemed simple enough, right? I always thought birthstones were pretty straightforward. Boy, was I in for a little journey with this December one.
My First Roadblock: Which Stone Are We Talking About?
I started off pretty confident. I hopped online, typed in “December birthstone,” expecting one clear answer. But nope. The first thing I saw was Turquoise. Okay, cool, I know turquoise, that nice blue-green stone. I’ve seen it around. I thought, “Job done, almost.”
Then I remembered a conversation with a friend who mentioned getting a Tanzanite for her December birthday. So, I dug a little deeper. And yeah, Tanzanite popped up. And then Zircon. Not cubic zirconia, the fake diamond stuff, but actual Zircon. And then some sites even threw Blue Topaz into the mix as a modern option. My head started spinning a bit. Why so many? It felt like December couldn’t make up its mind.
Trying to Make Sense of It All
So, I decided I needed to understand what I was dealing with. I didn’t want to just pick one randomly. I started looking into each one, trying to get a feel for them.
- Turquoise: This one’s an old-timer. Been around for ages, used in all sorts of ancient jewelry. It’s got that earthy, solid vibe. But then I read about how much treated stuff and outright fakes are out there. That made me a bit wary. I’d have to be super careful where I bought it from.
- Tanzanite: This one sounded more exotic. Apparently, it was only discovered in the 1960s in Tanzania, nowhere else. It’s got this amazing blue-violet color. Sounded pretty special, but also probably pricier, I figured. And maybe a bit too “fancy” for my niece at her age.
- Zircon: My first thought was, “Isn’t that the cheap diamond simulant?” But I learned that natural Zircon is a legitimate gemstone, comes in many colors including blue, and actually has some serious sparkle. The confusion with Cubic Zirconia is a real problem for its reputation, though. It’s like the misunderstood cousin.
- Blue Topaz: This one seems to be everywhere. Bright blue, often quite affordable. But then I found out most blue topaz is actually colorless or pale topaz that’s been treated with radiation and heat to get that vibrant blue. Nothing inherently wrong with that, lots of stones are treated, but it felt a little less… I don’t know, “naturally special” to me at first.
The “Practice” of Choosing
I actually went to a couple of local jewelry shops. The first one I walked into, the salesperson immediately pushed Tanzanite. “It’s the premium December birthstone,” she said. It was beautiful, no doubt, but the prices were up there.
Another shop had a lot of Blue Topaz. Super sparkly, very blue. And the prices were definitely more in my initial budget range. They also had some Turquoise, but it was hard for me to judge the quality, you know? It all looked… turquoise. The shop assistant wasn’t super helpful, just said, “They’re all December birthstones, pick what you like.” Thanks, super helpful.
I spent a good few evenings just browsing, reading forums, trying to figure out what felt right. It was supposed to be a gift, not a research assignment I was grading myself on. I even thought about just getting her something else entirely because this was getting to be more effort than I anticipated. I just wanted something meaningful!
What I Ended Up Doing and Realizing
In the end, after all that back and forth, I actually found a really sweet, delicate necklace that had a tiny, genuine Turquoise cabochon. It wasn’t flashy, but it felt authentic and had that traditional connection. I also learned that Zircon, especially blue zircon, is actually pretty cool and underrated, so I’m keeping that in mind for future reference. Maybe for myself!
What I really took away from this whole thing was that December babies are kind of spoiled for choice, but it also means you, the gift-giver, have to do a bit more homework if you want to go the birthstone route. There isn’t just one “right” answer. It’s more about what resonates, what the story is, and honestly, what your budget is. It made me appreciate that these stones aren’t just pretty rocks; they’ve all got their own history and quirks. And I guess I know a heck of a lot more about December birthstones now than I ever thought I would. So, that’s my little adventure into the world of December’s shiny bits. Quite the learning curve from just wanting to buy a simple birthday present!
