According to Ashley Leavy, founder and educational director of the Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy, birthstones also have roots in Western astrology and Ayurveda. She explains that the National Association of Jewelers decided to standardize all the American birthstones because so many different traditions had different birthstone options for each month. Today, you’ve probably seen birthstones gifted on birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. It became the official birthstone for May in 1912, along with the rest of the birthstones, and before that, it was also associated with Gemini and Taurus, which are both zodiac signs that fall in May. As Leavy explains, since Taurus is the more predominant sign in May, it’s typically more strongly associated with Taurus and its ruling planet Venus. “There are entire books written about emeralds and their associations in history,” Leavy tells mbg. “For example, emerald is speculated to potentially be one of the stones in the holy grail. Also, a lot of green stones were just called emerald before we had the ability to differentiate crystals better than we do now,” she explains. Today, high-quality emeralds mainly come from Columbia, she adds, “but emeralds are also found in Brazil and India—you can find them in a variety of places.” Emerald “radiates powerful energies of growth and creative manifestation,” she says, adding it’s also helpful for “balancing Taurus’ infamous stubbornness, and a natural complement to Gemini’s inquisitive, inventive, and creative personality.” And speaking of Taurus, the bull of the zodiac is ruled by Venus, the planet of love and beauty. As such, emerald, too, is associated with these themes. The color green is also connected to luck, as well as the heart chakra, further bolstering this stone’s connection to love. Its association with Venus also makes the emerald great for connecting to Earth energy, sensuality, and passion. In fact, spiritual author Emma Mildon even recommends including emerald in a crystal grid for romance, if that’s your thing. Along with all that, Leavy says emeralds are known to bring peace, calm, and inspiration, as well as protection. “They’re known as a stone of loyalty, too, so you’ll often see them in Victorian jewelry, and they encourage friendship and stimulate empathy,” she adds. If you’re working with emeralds in a more spiritual way, such as in rituals, check out our guide to cleansing and charging crystals to give your stone an energetic refresh. As Leavy tells mbg, you can also work with stones that have corresponding energy to May, such as green calcite, dragon stone, or bloodstone. And if you’re more zodiac-minded, Leavy tells mbg that Tauruses could opt for rose quartz, rhodonite, pink opal, amber, or selenite. Geminis, on the other hand, may prefer to go for red jasper, moonstone, moss agate, or golden tiger’s-eye.
