#nash gem birthday series

[jana-hallford]

May Birthstone and Flowers

Elegant Emerald 

The rich green emerald, a favorite of famous female rulers Cleopatra VII and Catherine the Great, is the birthstone for May. A form of the mineral beryl, emeralds are rare gemstones mined primarily in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia. The name is derived from the Greek smaragdos, meaning “green stone.”

With its vivid color strongly associated with Spring, the emerald has long signified rebirth, fertility, and love. In Ancient Rome, the gem was dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, today it stands for wisdom, growth, and patience.

The poem “Fantasia” by Duncan Campbell Scott begins with the line:

Here in Samarcand they offer emeralds, Pure as frozen drops of sea-water 

In literature the word “emerald” often refers to the color of the stone rather than the gemstone itself. Ireland is known as “The Emerald Isle,” a reference to its abundant green hills and vales. The phrase first appeared in print in a 1795 poem entitled “When Erin First Rose” by Belfast-born poet, physician, and political activist Dr. William Brennan. A supporter of civil rights and Irish independence, he co-founded the Society of United Irishmen, but parted ways with the group when it turned to violence. The line reads

Let no feeling of vengeance presume to defile The cause of, or men of, the Emerald Isle.

In Frank. L. Baum’s “Land of Oz” series, the Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city in the fictional Land of Oz. The Emerald City of Oz is also the title of Baum’s sixth book in this series, in which Dorothy brings Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to Oz.

Lily of the Valley and Hawthorn 

The May birth month flowers are the lily of the valley and the hawthorn. 

The lovely lily of the valley stands for humility, chastity, and sweetness, and has a long tradition as a bridal flower. Princess Grace of Monaco and Catherine, the Duchess of York, each carried wedding bouquets featuring lily of the valley. Tsar Nicholas II gave a very famous Fabergé egg with a lily of the valley design as a gift to his wife, the Empress Alexandra, in 1898.

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is native to Asia and Europe, thriving in the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere. The small bell-shaped, sweetly scented flowers usually appear in late Spring.

Pollen studies indicate hawthorn trees (Crataegus monogyna) have existed in England for thousands of years – since before 6,000 BC. Given such history it is not surprising that the hawthorn found its way into English lore and literature down the ages.

The hawthorn tree is associated with duality and balance. Hawthorn blossoms have five petals, are white or pink, and grow among the tree’s formidable thorns. The height of their bloom is in May, so the connection to this month is very strong (although a type of common hawthorn found at Glastonbury, first mentioned in the early 16th century Lyfe of Joseph of Arimathea, had an unusual trait: it flowered twice a year). Alternate names for hawthorn include may, mayblossom, and maythorn.

Chaucer wrote:

Mark the fair blooming of the Hawthorn Tree, Who, finely clothed in a robe of white, Fills the wanton eye with May’s delight.

And an old rhyme says:

The fair maid who, the first of May, Goes to the fields at break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will ever after handsome be.

The emerald and the hawthorn are shown on this “Your Fortune if Born in May” postcard from 1910. It shows an emerald, the symbol for the zodiac sign Gemini (another duality symbol) next to a hawthorn blossom, and lists traits and lucky days and months. (There is a lot going on in this card!)

1910 “Fortune Series No, 37″ May birthday postcard, postmarked August 7, 1911.

The E. Nash 1908 “Birthday Greeting” postcard for May in their Gem Birthday Series shows a round-cut, rather light green emerald earring (looking more like a peridot) and, surprisingly, tulips rather than hawthorn flowers or lily of the valley, beneath the gold star featured in this series. The verse (in which “foretells” is spelled “fortells”) reads:

The Emerald success in love, The Tulip self reliance. Thy radiant star up in the sky Fortells courage and defiance.

This E. Nash 1908 May birthday postcard in my collection, marked “GEM BIRTHDAY SERIES NO 1″ was never used and is in excellent condition. 

Happy birthday to all born in May. This month I will remember my father on his birthday, and celebrate my own.

#May Birthstone #May birth month flowers #emerald #lily of the valley #emerald city of oz #emerald isle #l frank baum #farntasia #duncan campbell scott #william brennan #chaucer #hawthorn #antique postcard #nash postcard #nash gem birthday series

[beatdisc]

RSD 2019 LIST

Record Store Day, our favourite day! Because we love celebrating with all our beloved regular customers and new friends. This year we're planning to make it the biggest and best day ever! Here's what's happening this year. > HUGE RANGE OF RSD EXCLUSIVE RELEASES (list below) < > LIMITED EDITION BEATDISC COFFEE MUG! < > 500+ OF PRE-OWNED LPs HITTING THE RACKS < > THOUSANDS OF 45s & CDs FROM THE ARCHIVE ** < > 20% OFF AUDIO-TECHNICA TURNTABLES (2019 RANGE) ** < > TWO A-T LP60 TURNTABLES TO WIN < > MARK-DOWNS** GIVEAWAYS, PIZZA, PARTY! < > COFFEE VAN FROM 6AM (see below) < ** = SAT & SUN 

OUR LIST OF RSD EXCLUSIVE TITLES

This year we have 192 TITLES! A few things to note for the morning rush. If you're here first thing please join the line and we'll serve everyone in order. One copy per RSD title per person & no holds. AUS LIST TITLES Bob Evans - Suburban Songbook [LP] Broderick Smith – Suitcase [LP] Jebediah - Of Someday Shambles [2LP] Johnny Diesel & The Injectors - Johnny Diesel & The Injectors [2LP] The Amity Affliction – Youngbloods [LP] The Birthday Party - Mutiny/Bad Seed [2LP] The Hard Ons - Harder & Harder [7”] The Loved Ones - Magic Box [LP] The Mint Chicks - Screens [LP] The Reels - The Reels [LP] US LIST TITLES Ace Frehley - Spaceman [LP] Adrenalin O.D. - Let's BBQ [LP] Alien Weaponry - Tu [LP+7''] Anderson .Paak - Bubblin' [7''] Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch - Twin Peaks: Season Two Music And More [2LP] Aretha Franklin - The Atlantic Singles 1967 [5x7'' Boxset] AxCx (Anal C**t) - Picnic Of Love [LP] B-52's, The - Mesopotamia [LP] Bad Religion - My Sanity [7''] Basement - Be Here Now [7''] Benjamin Gibbard - Me And Magdalena / The Concept [7''] Bill Hicks - Revelations: Variations [2LP] Billy Joel - Live At Carnegie Hall 1977 [2LP] Bingo Hand Job (R.E.M. w/ Bragg, Hitchcock & Holsapple) - Live At The Borderline 1991 [2LP] Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal [2LP] Broken Social Scene - Let's Try The After Vol. 1 & 2 [LP] Buari - Buari [LP] Buffalo Tom - Buffalo Tom (30th Anniversary) [LP] Canned Heat - Remember Woodstock [LP] Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica [2LP] Charlatans, The - Us And Us Only [LP] Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Dice Game And Let It Fall [10'' Chuck Mosley - Joe Haze Session #2 [7''] Courtney Barnett - Everybody Here Hates You [12''] Craig Mack & The Notorious B.I.G. - B.I.G. Mack (Original Sampler) [LP+Cassette] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 4 Way Street (Expanded Edition) [3LP] Culture - The Nighthawk Recordings [LP] Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist - Fetti [LP] Czarface - Double Dose Of Danger [LP] David Bowie - Pin Ups (2015 Remastered Version) [LP] David Bowie - The World Of David Bowie (Compilation) [LP] David Bowie / Marlene Dietrich - Revolutionary Song / Just A Gigolo [7''] Death Grips - Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix) [LP] Def Leppard - The Story So Far, Vol. 2 / B Sides [2LP] Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Pretty Africa [LP] Devo - This Is The DEVO Box [6LP] Doors, The - London Fog [10''] Dr. Dog - Live 2 [LP] Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But A ''G'' Thang [12''] Duran Duran - As The Lights Go Down (Live) [2LP] Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto [LP] Elton John - Live From Moscow [2LP] Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Purse EP [LP] Elvis Presley - Live At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV August 23, 1969 [2LP] Eric Clapton - One More Car One More Rider [3LP] Fatlip - The Loneliest Punk [LP] Flaming Lips, The - King's Mouth: Music And Songs [LP] Fleetwood Mac - The Alternate Fleetwood Mac [LP] Frank Black - Frank Black [LP] Frank Black - Teenager Of The Year [2LP] Frank Zappa - The Guitar World According To Frank Zappa [LP] Golden Earring - Moontan [LP] Gorillaz - The Fall [LP] Grateful Dead - The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 [2LP] Green Day - Woodstock 1994 Live [LP] Green Jelly - Cereal Killer Soundtrack [LP] Green River - Live At The Tropicana 1984 [LP] Greta Van Fleet - From The Fires [LP] Hawkwind - The 1999 Party: Live At The Chicago Auditorium 21st March, 1974 [2LP] High On Fire - Bat Salad [LP] Hockey Dad - Dreamin' [LP] Idles - Meat / Meta [EP] Iggy Pop - Hippodrome - Paris 77 [2LP] Iggy Pop - The Villagers b/w Pain & Suffering [7''] Insurgence DC - Broken In The Theater Of The Absurd [LP] James Brown - Sho Is Funky Down Here [LP] Janis Joplin - Woodstock Sunday August 17, 1969 [2LP] Jeff Buckley - In Transition [LP] Jeff Tweedy - WARMER [LP] Jethro Tull - North Sea Oil [10''] Joe Strummer - The Rockfield Studio Tracks [12''] John Cage Meets Sun Ra - John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Film [7''+DVD] John Lennon - Imagine: The Raw Studio Mixes [2LP] Julien Baker - Red Door / Conversation Piece [7''] Justin Courtney Pierre (frontman of Motion City Soundtrack) - Open Mic At The Lo-Fi Vol. 1 [LP] Kooks, The - Live At The Moth Club [LP] Kool Keith - Complicated Trip [12''] Kristin Hersh - Crooked [LP] L7 - Burn Baby [7''] Lemonheads, The - Can't Forget / Wild Child [7''] Lou Reed - Ecstasy [2LP] Louis Armstrong - Disney Songs The Satchmo Way [LP] Madonna - La Isla Bonita: Super Mix [LP] Madonna - True Blue (Super Club Mix) [LP] Mark Lanegan Band - Stitch It Up [7''] Mark Ronson - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart [12''] Mastodon - Stairway To Nick John [10''] Matthew Sweet - Pleasure Island, Live [LP] Menzingers, The - No Penance b/w Cemetery's Garden [7''] Midnight Oil - Breathe Tour '97, Live [LP] Mission Of Burma - Peking Spring [LP] Mo-dettes, The The Story So Far [LP] Monty Python - Monty Python's Life Of Brian [LP] Morrissey - Lover-To-Be [7''] Moses Sumney - Black In Deep Red, 2014 [12''] Motorhead - Overkill / Bomber [2x7''] Motorhead - Rockaway Beach [7''] Mumford & Sons - Delta Acoustic Sessions | Live From Electric Lady [10''] My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade Is Dead! [2LP] Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Wait & Return [LP] Ol' Dirty Bastard - Intoxicated [LP] Olafur Arnalds - Re:member + String Quartets [LP+7''] Otis Redding w/Booker T. & The M.G.'s + The Mar-Keys - Just Do It One More Time! Live At The Monterey Pop Festival [LP] Parliaments, The - Baby I Owe You Something Good [LP] Pearl Jam - Live At Easy Street [LP] Pelican - Midnight & Mesaline [7''] Peter Howell & John Ferdinando - Ithaca, Agincourt And Other Psych-Folk Fairy Tales [2LP+CD] Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets (Mono) [LP] Police, The - Message In A Bottle [2x7''] Prince - His Majesty's Pop Life / The Purple Mix Club [2LP] Procol Harum - Procol Harum (50th Anniversary USA Edition) [2LP] Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Soundtrack) [2LP] Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / I'm In Love With My Car [7''] Ramones, The - Live At The Palladium, New York, NY (12/31/79) [2LP] Robert Johnson - Kind Hearted Woman Blues / Terraplane Blues [10''] Robyn - Body Talk [2LP] Rolling Stones, The - Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) (UK) [LP] Rolling Stones, The - She’s A Rainbow / Live At U Arena, Paris / 25.10.17 [10''] Rolling Stones, The - Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (UK) [LP] Roxy Music - Roxy Music - Remixed [2LP] RZA - Birth Of A Prince [2LP] Salvation Army, The - Live From Torrance And Beyond [LP] Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions [LP] Serj Tankian - Harakiri [LP] Sherman Brothers, The - Simply Sherman: Disney Hits From The Sherman Brothers [LP] Shocking Blue - Single Collection (A's & B's), Part 2 [2LP] Sly & The Family Stone - Woodstock Sunday August 17, 1969 [2LP] Soccer Mommy - For Young Hearts [LP] Sublime - Nugs: Best Of The Box [LP] SUNN O))) - Life Metal [2LP] Tangerine Dream - Le Parc [2LP] Tangerine Dream - Machu Picchu [LP] Ten In The Swear Jar (Xiu Xiu) - Fort Awesome: Complete Recordings [2LP] Teyana Taylor - Gonna Love Me / WTP (Remixes) [12''] Thrice - Deeper Wells [LP] Todd Rundgren - The Complete U.S. Bearsville & Warner Bros. Singles [4LP] Too $hort - The Pimp Tape [2LP] Townes Van Zandt - The Best Of Townes Van Zandt [2LP] U2 - The Europa [LP] Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Alternative [10''] Various Artists - Boy Meets Girl: Classic Stax Duets [2LP] Various Artists - Brazil Classics 30th Anniversary Box Set [3LP] Various Artists - Coneheads (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Folk And Pop Sounds Of Sumatra Vol. 2 [2LP] Various Artists - Ghost World (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - I Am Sam (Soundtrack) [LP Various Artists - Lost In Translation (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Malcom X (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Mickey Mouse Disco [LP] Various Artists - New Jack City (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Office Space (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Poppies: Assorted Finery From The First Psychedelic Age [LP] Various Artists - Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions Of Weezer [LP] Various Artists - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Soundtrack) [LP] Various Artists - Stax Does The Beatles [2LP] Various Artists - Sugar Hill Records: The 12'' D.J. Boxset [6x12'' Boxset] Various Artists - The Crow (Soundtrack) [2LP] Various Artists - Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets Highlights [2LP] Various Artists - Woodstock 3 Days Of Peace Music (Mono PA Version) [3LP] Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground [LP] Vitamin String Quartet - VSQ Performs Bjork [2LP] Weezer - Dusty Gems: The B-Sides [LP] Weezer - Weezer (Teal Album) [LP] Wes Montgomery - Back On Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings [2LP] Wipers, The - Alien Boy [7'' EP] Wonder Years, The - The Wonder Years Live From Maida Vale [10''] Yes - Yes [LP] UK LIST TITLES Dexys Midnight Runners - At The BBC 1982 [2LP] Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message [2LP] Mighty Boosh - The Complete Radio Series [3LP] Ronnie Lane & The Band Slim Chance - At The BBC [2LP] Sigur Ros - Lunar Halo 22° [LP] Sigur Ros - Variations In Darkness [LP] Thin Lizzy - Black Rose [2LP] Various Artists - The Freakbeat Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Mod Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Northern Soul Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The Psychedelic Scene [2LP] Various Artists - The R&B Scene [2LP] Venom - Manitou [7" picture disc] Yazoo - Reconnected: Live [2LP]

[jana-hallford]

December Birthstone and Flower

The year of birthstones and birth month flowers ends with storied, richly colored emblems of December: turquoise and poinsettia.

Timeless Turquoise

One of the first gemstones to be mined and used in jewelry, turquoise is the traditional December birthstone. This opaque blue to green mineral is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum. Known and valued in ancient cultures in the Old World and the New, it was considered a charm for love and for protection, as well as a symbol of good fortune and success.

The stone has been known for thousands of years, but by other names. Pliny the Elder called it callais.  The Aztec word for it was chalchihuitl. The relatively modern name turquoise, meaning “stones from Turkey” originated in 17th century France. 

Much of the gem-quality turquoise available today is mined in the Southwestern United States. Turquoise is also found in China, Afghanistan, Australia, India, Chile, Cornwall,  Saxony, and Silesia.

Antique divided-back postcard designed for December birthdays from my collection. It imitates the popular E Nash “Birthday Gem Series” December card shown at the end of this post, down to the “guiding star,” “A Happy Birthday” greeting and the very similar verse. This one reads:

The Turquoise  emblem of success This lucky child shall surely bless; And this Poinsettia shall thee fill With dear, kind thoughts that warm and thrill. O happy star look down and find Prosperity in a peaceful mind.

In Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, Shylock’s daughter elopes with a Christian man, taking items of value from her father, including a turquoise ring.

Celebrated English author Jane Austen was born in December, and had a lovely, simple gold ring set with a cabochon-cut turquoise. When the ring was auctioned off by Sotheby’s, it was believed the blue stone was probably odontalite, a less expensive 19th century substitute for turquoise. However, further examination of the ring, now in the Jane Austen’s House Museum in Hampshire, indicated it is indeed real turquoise, a popular stone in the Regency era.

Jane Austen’s ring, in the original box, with one of the notes from her family documenting its history.

Turquoise jewelry was also very popular during the Victorian Age. When young Queen Victoria married she gave all 12 of her bridesmaids eagle brooches set with small turquoise cabochons. In Louisa May Alcott’s classic book Little Women, Amy looks forward to receiving a turquoise ring from her formidable Aunt March as a reward for good behavior.

Poinsettia, Famed Christmas Plant

It’s no surprise that the poinsettia is the December flower, given its strong association with Christmas and holiday displays. Native to Mexico, poinsettia is a plant species of the diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). In Mexico it is called Flor de Nochebuena, meaning “Christmas Eve flower,” or Catarina. Mexican legends dating back to the 16th century tell of a poor girl with nothing to take to church to celebrate the Nativity. She humbly gathered sticks, which miraculously developed beautiful flame-like leaves.

The plant has deep green dentate leaves and colored bracts, which look like flower petals but are actually leaves. Small yellow flowers are found in the center of the leaf structure. Today there are more than 100 cultivated varieties of poinsettia, but the varieties with vivid red bracts are the best known and the most popular.

Physician and diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779 - 1851) served as the first United States Minister to Mexico. An avid amateur botanist, Poinsett sent samples of the plant to the United States, where it became known as “poinsettia.”

The American commercial poinsettia industry began with Albert Ecke, who immigrated from Germany in 1900. He began selling poinsettia from stands, and his son Paul Ecke developed important grafting techniques. But it was the marketing efforts of Albert’s grandson, Paul Ecke Jr., that popularized poinsettia as a Christmas plant. For more than 90 years the Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, California in San Diego County was the capital of the poinsettia industry. Techniques known only to the family made their plants superior to others, but in the 1991 a university researcher figured out and published their secret. This opened a floodgate of competition, especially from growers using Latin American labor.  In 2012 the last of the Ecke Ranch property was sold, and the company became part of a large corporation. But the Ecke name remains an important one in the history of this beautiful plant.

E. Nash 1908 December postcard, from the Birthday Gems series. From my personal collection.

My 1908 E. Nash postcard for December features the word “December” in pretty green type in the upper left-hand corner, next to the verse, with the gold “guiding star” of the series in the upper right corner.  Across the bottom half of the card, from the left, two red poinsettia appear next to a heart-shaped gold charm or locket set with an oval turquoise stone and the words “A Happy Birthday” on the right. The verse reads:

December’s child shall live to bless The Turquoise that insures success Poinsettia in its Cardinal bloom, In your heart kind words entomb. Star in the heaven that shines to night Unfolds prosperity in its Light

Happy birthday to all December babies, including my dear friend Joan, my wonderful niece Missie, and my beloved brother David. 

#December birthstone #turquoise #december flower #poinsettia #JaneAustenRing #EckeRanch #JoelRobertsPoinsett #encinitas california #encinitas ca #san diego county #antique postcard #december postcard #nash postcard #nash birthday gems series

[jana-hallford]

November Birthstone and Flower

Topaz and chrysanthemum have long histories as the gem and flower for November. I associate their colors with this autumn month.

Tantalizing Topaz

Topaz is the November birthstone. It symbolizes friendship and was said to encourage a sweet disposition. The name topaz comes from the Greek word topazion, which may originate from the Sanskrit tapas, meaning “fire.”

A silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine, topaz is one of the hardest naturally occurring minerals, scoring an 8 on Moh’s scale of hardness. Natural topaz ranges from golden brown to yellow, although impurities or radiation can produce other colors. The orange variety, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November stone.

Brazil is a major source of topaz. It is also mined in the United States, Russia,  Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and Nigeria.

Charming Chrysanthemum

The November birth month flower is the chrysanthemum. It is a symbol of optimism and joy. In China and Japan it is also strongly associated with youth. Chrysanthemums are found in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink, deep red, and purple.  Some varieties are a mix of two or more colors.

Chrysanthemums are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to China and northeastern Europe. This pretty perennial begins to flower in early autumn. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek: χρυσός chrysos (gold) and: ἄνθεμον anthemon (flower).

Chrysanthemums were originally cultivated in China as a flowering herb in ancient times  -- possibly as far back as the 15th century BCE. By 1630 AD 500 cultivars were recorded.

The plant is renowned as one of the Four Noble Ones (also called the Four Gentlemen) in Chinese and East Asian art. (The other three are the plum blossom, the orchid, and the bamboo.) The chrysanthemum became a Japanese Imperial symbol, and it is celebrated during Japan’s Festival of Happiness.

“The Chrysanthemums” is a short story by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The female character’s love for chrysanthemums and her skill in cultivating them are key elements.

My E. Nash 1908 postcard from the Birthday Gems series features an orange topaz set in gold beneath the signature “guiding star” in the upper right corner. On the upper right, the word “November” is above the verse:

The Topaz rays display That you’ll be true and gay. Chrysanthemum thy flower Will give many a happy hour Thy Star with ray of gold A bright future doth unfold

Across the bottom half of the card, red chrysanthemums lie above the phrase “Birthday Greeting.”

1908 E. Nash “November” postcard.

Happy birthday to everyone born in November, including my dear step-daughter Laura.

#novemberbirthstone #topaz #chrysanthemum #novemberflower #johnsteinbeckthechrysanthemums #fournobleones #enashpostcards #antiquepostcards

[jana-hallford]

October Birthstones and Flowers

Opal and tourmaline are the October birthstones. Both are connected to legends about rainbows.

Opulent Opal

A hydrated amorphous form of silica, opal is a classed as a mineraloid (like pearl, obsidian, or amber) rather than a mineral because it lacks a crystalline structure.

The internal structure of precious opal causes it to diffract light. It can take on many colors, depending on the conditions in which it was formed. White and shades of green are the most common opal colors. Black is the rarest. Opals are found in Australia, Ethiopia, the United States, and Mexico.

The name opal is probably adapted from the Sanskrit word úpala, first referenced by the Romans around 250 BCE, when opals were the most valuable gemstones. Romans obtained opals from traders from the Bosphrous, who said the gems were from India.

According to legends of the Australian aborigines, opals were formed when the Creator rode a rainbow down to Earth to bring a message of peace to all of humanity. Stones sparkled with rainbow colors where his feet touched the ground. To the Ancient Greeks, opals were formed by Zeus’s tears of joy at the victory over the Titans.

There are many literary references to opals. Shakespeare alludes to the changing optical properties of the opal in Act 2, Scene 4 of Twelfth Night, when the Clown Feste says to Duke Orsino

“Now, the melancholy god protect thee, and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal.”

Treasured Tourmaline

The semi-precious stone tourmaline is found in a wide array of colors. It is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with other elements which determine the color. Lithium-rich tourmalines can be blue, green, red, yellow, pink, or almost any other hue. Magnesium-rich varieties are brown to yellow. Iron-rich tourmalines are black to dark blue or brown.  

The name tourmaline comes from the Tamil and Sinhalese word "Turmali" (තුරමලි) or "Thoramalli" (තෝරමල්ලි) meaning ”mixed colors.”

Ancient Egyptian legend said tourmalines passed through a rainbow on their long journey from the center of the earth to the surface, absorbing all its colors.

The Dutch East India Company brought these bright and beautiful stones to Europe from Sri Lanka in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today tourmalines are still mined in Sri Lanka, and in Brazil, Tanzania, Nigeria, Madagascar, Namibia, Pakistan, Malawi, and the United States.

Native Americans used pink and green tourmaline as funeral gifts. Pink, green, and black tourmalines are found in here in San Diego County, California. The Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi, Regent (and effective ruler) of the Qing Dynasty from 1861 until her death in 1908, loved pink tourmalines. She bought many pink tourmaline gemstones and carvings from the Himalaya Mine, located at Lake Henshaw in the Mesa Grande, near Santa Ysabel in San Diego County. The mine is still in operation, and open to visitors, with opportunities to dig for tourmalines and other minerals. 

http://www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com/html/himalaya_mine_dig.html

Marigold and Cosmos, the October Flowers

The October birth month flowers are the marigold and the cosmos. Both are members of the plant family Asteraceae.

Marigolds are easy to grow with a long bloom time, bringing bursts of white,  yellow, and orange to the summer and autumn garden. Bright orange is the most popular shade. Marigolds stand for warmth, contentment, and fierce love.

The common name marigold can refer to two genuses: Tagetes and Calendula. The flower heads are similar to carnations or daisies and can bloom singly or in clusters.

Marigolds of the genus Calendula are edible, and are used as effective  herbal treatment for skin conditions. (In contrast, most tagetes marigolds are toxic.) In South Asia garlands of yellow and orange marigolds are used to decorate religious statues and temples.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous Pre-Raphaelite artist, used marigolds as a motif in more than one of his paintings. They figure prominently in a 1873 work described in a January 31, 1874 letter to Frederick Leyland. Rossetti wrote “I shall call the picture either Spring Marybuds or The Bower Maiden. It represents a young girl (fair) in a tapestried chamber, with a jar containing marybuds (or marsh marigolds, the earliest spring flowers here), which she is arranging on a shelf. Near her is a cat playing with a ball of worsted. The picture abounds in realistic materials & is much like the Veronica in execution & not inferior to that picture in colour.” (Fredeman, Correspondence, 74.21)

The play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, by playwright and science teacher Paul Zindel, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1971. The title refers to marigolds grown for a science fair experiment by the main character Tillie. Damaged yet resilient and beautiful, the flowers are a metaphor for her and her ability to succeed in a hostile, dysfunctional environment.

Cosmos are semi-tall annual daisy-like flowers that attract butterflies and bees. Their colors include pink, yellow, orange, red, maroon, and white. Cosmos symbolize serenity, order, and peace. The genus of this flower is also called Cosmos.

Japanese army surgeon, novelist and poet Lieutenant-General  Mori Ōgai (1862 - 1922)  wrote:

your heart still remains unsettled like the wavering of a cosmos flower after the bee is gone

1908 E. Nash postcard for October, from the Birthday Gems series. 

My 1908 E. Nash postcard for October features an opal set in gold with sprays of yellow and orange goldenrod. Like the marigold and the cosmos, the goldenrod is a member of the family Asteraceae. It is a late summer to early fall flower, and is considered a good luck symbol.  The signature “guiding star” is in the upper left corner, with the word “October” from the center to the right, and the greeting “Wishing you a Happy Birthday” along the base of the card.  The verse, framed beside the word “October” reads:

The Golden Rod a guide to wealth, Thy thoughts are fancy-free The iridescent Opal bids Hope May the world be kind to thee, And that thy star may guide you Through Life’s path where’ere you may be.

Happy birthday to all who are October born, including the love of my life, my husband Neal. Like many October babies, he claims the entire month and the celebration of Halloween as his own. He refers to the month as “Big October” since our wedding anniversary, his birthday, then Halloween, his favorite holiday, take place this month. (We see it as the start of the holiday season.)

#OctoberBirthstone #OctoberFlowers #Opal #TwelfthNight #Tourmaline #HimalayaMine #Marigold #DanteGabrielRossetti #TheEffectOfGammaRaysOnManInTheMoonMarigolds #PaulZindel #CosmosFlower #MoriOgai #ENashBirthdayPostcards #antiquepostcard #big october

[jana-hallford]

September Birthstones and Flowers

Sensational Sapphire

A symbol of purity and wisdom, sapphire is the birthstone for September.  

At one time sapphires were believed to protect the wearer against evil and poison. Sapphires were even thought to be capable of killing spiders and venomous snakes.   

Sapphires are a form of the mineral corundum. Blue is the color associated with this precious gem, but sapphires can also be white, yellow, orange, green, and purple. There are no red sapphires, as all corundum in red hues are rubies. The sapphire, and it sister stone, the ruby, are second only to the diamond in hardness. Sapphires are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Madagascar, East Africa, and North America (primarily in Montana).    

A six-rayed "star" can appear on a sapphire when the underlying crystal structure has just the right pattern of needle-like inclusions. This is known as a "star sapphire."

Down the ages, sapphires have been popular with royalty. When Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer became engaged in February of 1981, Charles offered her a choice of a dozen rings, and she selected a 12 carat blue oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14  diamonds, set in white gold. The ring was not a custom piece, and was available in the jeweler's catalog, but Diana chose it because it was the most beautiful. (She was also very fond of sapphires.) When their son, Prince William, became engaged to Catherine Middleton in 2010, he gave his bride-to-be, the future Duchess of Cambridge, the ring his mother had loved.   

Diana, Princess of Wales, also received some fabulous sapphire jewelry as wedding gifts. The Queen Mother gave her a large oval sapphire and diamond brooch. Diana had it converted into the clasp of a seven-strand pearl choker, and wore it often. It was magnificent. Crown Prince Fahad of Saudi Arabia gave her a set of sapphire jewelry, including a watch, earrings, a bracelet, and a beautiful diamond necklace with a sapphire and diamond pendant.

Chrysolite: September Birthstone Emeritus     

Before birthstones were standardized in 1912, chrysolite was a September gem. Today, chrysolite can refer to peridot, the gem-quality form of olivine that is the birthstone for August. It is also an archaic term for yellow to green stones including topaz, chrysoberyl, zircon, tourmaline, and opatite.

In the New Testament Book of Revelations, 21:19, chrysolite is named as the precious stone garnishing the seventh foundation of the city wall in New Jerusalem.

Aster and Morning Glory: Hardy Beauties 

The aster and the morning glory are the birth month flowers for September.    

A genus of the flowering plant family Asteraceae, the aster is a daisy-like flower known since ancient times.This hardy flower brings a pop of color to a late summer and early autumn garden, and symbolizes patience and powerful love.  

The name aster comes from the Greek word astḗr, meaning "star," because of its ray-like petals. In Greek mythology, the compassionate goddess Astera, distraught when Jupiter caused a destructive flood, asked to be turned into a star, then wept for the dead. Her tears became asters. 

The Ancient Greeks believed burning the leaves of this plant could drive away snakes, similar to the way sapphire’s properties were supposed to kill serpents.

“White Aster” is an epic Japanese poem written in 1889 by Ochai Naobumi, about a maiden found as a child among white asters.      

The morning glory opens early in the morning, hence the common name for more than 1,000 species in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae. Some varieties are especially suited to creating summer shade on trellises. Their attractive flowers can even thrive in poor, dry soil.

Morning glories symbolize affection. Perhaps because this is a robust plant with short-lived flowers, there is a duality to it. In  Victorian times it was a symbol of undying love, and also of unrequited love. Because the flowers bloom and die within a short space of time, morning glories often decorated the graves of children.

American artist Georgia O'Keefe’s many beautiful flower paintings include her well-known 1935 work,  "Blue Morning Glories.”   

E. Nash 1908 postcard for September, from the Birthday Gems series.

My  E. Nash postcard for September, from their 1908 Birthday Gems series, has a sapphire stickpin in the upper right corner, beneath a gold “guiding star.” “September” appears in the upper left corner, above a framed verse, and a spray of pink asters that spans most of the card. The greeting “Wishing you a Happy Birthday” is centered at the bottom. The verse reads:

The Sapphire of heavenly hue Brings great wisdom unto you The blooming Aster tells you true Life’s happiness you will never rue Thy Star shines out from the sky above And its rays disclose the light of Love

I like the color and composition, the shadowing, and the way the asters and stickpin are partially in the bottom border.

Tucks astrology postcard for September, circa 1910.

I also have a Tucks postcard from about 1910 from an astrology-based birthday series, with the sign “Libra” next to the word “September.” A landscape with a house by water and a small boat are framed with morning glories and a chrysolite pendant. The words “Morning-glory” and “Affectation” (not “Affection”!) are in the lower left corner, and centered at the base of the card is the verse: 

“A chrysolite on brow shall bind, ‘Twill cure Diseases of the mind.”

This month I remember the birthday of my dear “Betty Mom,” Betty Jean Wible, and wish all September babies a happy birthday!

#SeptemberBirthstones #sapphire #chrysolite #SeptemberFlowers #Aster #MorningGlory #DianaPrincessOfWalesSapphires #ENashBirthdayPostcards TuckSeptemberpostcard

[jana-hallford]

August Birthstones and Flowers

Sardonyx and Peridot: Strength and Courage

Sardonyx, the original August birthstone, combines layers of two types of the mineral chalcedony, sard and onyx, in one reddish stone striped with parallel bands of white. Even the name is a combination of the word sard, a reference to the important ancient Persian city of Sardis, with onyx, from the Greek word for nail or claw.

In Ancient Rome, sardonyx amulets engraved with images of Mars, the god of war, were popular with soldiers hoping for courage in battle. For many centuries, sardonyx has stood for strength, courage and protection. It also symbolizes happiness and clear communication. 

The most sought-after examples of sardonyx, with well-defined, contrasting layers, come from India. The stone is also found in Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Madagascar, Uruguay, and the United States.

In the 20th century, the peridot joined the sardonyx as an August birthstone symbolizing strength. It is also associated with friendship and freedom from envy. Sometimes called the “evening emerald,” this light green gem also dates back to ancient times. (It is believed that some very early references to emeralds might actually have been about  peridots, as back then gems were identified more by color than by mineral composition.) Peridot is a rare type of olivine, a mineral found in matic and ultramatic rocks. Most peridots come from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona, although in the 1990s new deposits were discovered in Pakistan. The stone is also mined in China and Myanmar. Peridot crystals have even been found in meteorites.

Peridot is a silicate mineral variety. According to the American Gem Society, “Peridot’s signature green color comes from the composition of the mineral itself—rather than from trace impurities, as with many gems. That’s why this is one of few stones that only comes in one color, though shades may vary from yellowish-green to olive to brownish-green, depending how much iron is present.”

Glorious Gladiolus and Fabled Poppy

The gladiolus and the poppy are the August birth month flowers. 

Gladiolus is a long-stemmed, elegant flower topped with multiple blooms. A genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family, or Iridaceae, gladiolus is a diminutive form of the Latin word gladius, meaning sword. Because of their sword-like stems, gladioli were associated with the Roman gladiators. In ancient times, this flower was called xiphium, from the Greek word xiphos, also meaning sword.

Symbolically, gladiolus can mean the heart is “pierced with love.”  Gladioli can also signify remembrance, calm, and integrity. 

This is a showy flower often used in floral arrangements. Gladiolus appear in many flower paintings. Vincent van Gogh painted Vase with Red Gladioli in 1886. Later, the Scottish Colourist painter George Leslie Hunter created Still Life with Gladioli.

Bright, cheerful poppies are a sign of late summer, quite appropriate for an August birth month flower. The famous Impressionist painting, Poppy Field in Argenteuil by Claude Monet (1873) captures a mother and son strolling among vibrant poppies. They wear summer hats and she carries a parasol. It certainly could be an August scene.

This flowering plant is in the subfamily Papaveroideae of family Papaveraceae. From very early times. poppies have stood for peace and sleep, because of the sedative drug opium extracted from the sap of one species of poppy, Papaver somniferum.  In Ancient Greece and Rome, poppies were used as offerings for the dead, and came to symbolize eternal sleep.

 In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the 1900 children’s book by Frank L. Baum, magical poppies pose the threat of permanent sleep.  

The red-flowered corn poppy, Papaber rhoeas, is a common wild flower or weed in much of Europe, most famously in Flanders.  The World War I memorial poem “In Flanders Fields,” by the Canadian poet, surgeon, and solider Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD, begins:

    In Flanders fields the poppies blow           Between the crosses, row on row…

Because of this poem, red poppies became a symbol of lives lost in wartime service.

A red poppy can also represent pleasure (and in Asia, passionate love and success). A white poppy is given for consolation, a yellow poppy carries wishes for prosperity. Purple, pink, and blue poppies are linked with imagination, luxury, and success.

My 1908 E. Nash postcard for August features a sardonyx ring that is more of a solid red-orange than expected, paired not with gladioli or poppies but with pansies. (I cannot find any other sources that cite the pansy as an August birth month flower). The word “August” is at the top, next to the signature “guiding star” of this series and the words “A Happy Birthday” along the bottom. The verse reads:

Sardonyx is the August stone A gem of felicity The pansy stands for thoughtfulness A sweet simplicity. Thy Star leads thee right From darkness into light.

This E. Nash postcard for August from their “Gem Birthday Series” is illustrated with a sardonyx ring and, surprisingly, pansies.

Happy birthday to all August babies, especially my awesome nephew John, and my young cousin John!

#August birthstones #sardonyx #peridot #august #August birth month flowers #gladiolus #gladioli #poppy #Flanders Fields #Vincent Van Gogh #Scottish Colourist George Leslie Hunter

[jana-hallford]

July Birthstone and Flowers

Regal Ruby

Ruby, the July birthstone, symbolizes love, devotion, passion, and success.

The gem gets its name from the Latin rubeous, meaning “red.”  Ruby is a form of corundum, with chromium giving it its distinctive red color. (Corundum in any color other than red is a sapphire.) The corundum stones are the second hardest gems. Rubies from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) are especially sought after, although excellent examples are also found in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, and Afghanistan.

Popular with royalty, rubies have been treasured for centuries. In the account of his travels published in 1300, explorer and trader Marco Polo told this story of a magnificent ruby owned by the King of Seilan, much desired by the Kublai Khan:

“And the King of this Island possesses a ruby which is the finest and biggest in the world; I will tell you what it is like. It is about a palm in length, and as thick as a man's arm; to look at, it is the most resplendent object upon earth; it is quite free from flaw and as red as fire. Its value is so great that a price for it in money could hardly be named at all. You must know that the Great Kaan sent an embassy and begged the King as a favour greatly desired by him to sell him this ruby, offering to give for it the ransom of a city, or in fact what the King would. But the King replied that on no account whatever would he sell it, for it had come to him from his ancestors.”

Larkspur and Water Lily

The larkspur and the water lily are the birth month flowers for July.

The common name "larkspur" is shared between perennial Delphinium species and annual species of the genus Consolida.The flower’s spur is said to resemble the claw of a lark. Popular in cottage or English style gardens, they are known for their showy spikes of blue, purple, pink or  white flowers, and for attracting butterflies. Larkspur stands for strong love, although different colors can have different meanings. 

In Greek mythology, larkspur sprang from the blood of Ajax. Larkspur are mentioned by many poets, including Alfred Lord Tennyson (“Maud”), and Edna St. Vincent Millay (”Justice Denied in Massachusetts”).

Water lily is the common name for a family of flowering plants called Nymphaeaceae, found around the globe in temperate and tropical climates. 

Water lily represents purity and majesty. And, as the The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes, they frequently also have a practical, protective purpose: “Aside from being lovely in their own right, water lilies are often used in ponds to deter the growth of algae and to shade and cool the water for resident fish and frogs.”

The Egyptian lotus is a white water lily. The blue water lily or sacred blue lotus was important in ancient Egyptian culture, depicted in art and used for medicinal and religious purposes.

The lotus is a Buddhist symbol of purity, for the long stem flowers seem to float above muddy waters representing earthly attachment and desire. Many writers have used this flower as a metaphor for rising above circumstances. Suzy Kassem wrote:

“Whenever you should doubt your self-worth, remember the lotus flower. Even though it plunges to life from beneath the mud, it does not allow the dirt that surrounds it to affect its growth or beauty.” 

(From Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem.)

Water lilies are featured in the 1896 paining Hylas and the Nymphs by the English Pre-Raphaelite painter John William Waterhouse,

In latter part of his life, French Impressionist painter Claude Monet created approximately 250 paintings of water lilies. To this day there is a water lily pond in the famous flower garden at his home in Giverny.

1908 E. Nash postcard for July birthdays. The word “July” does not appear.

Although larkspur and water lily are the July birth month flowers today, the 1908 E. Nash postcard for July depicts a ruby set in gold and red carnations, with the signature “guiding star: of this series shining down from the upper right corner. The verse reads: 

Thy flower is the Carnation, A token of sweet truth, The Ruby is a spark of love, Sent from Heaven to happy youth. Thy stars lustrous rays Turn Nights into Days.

The bottom of the card is emblazoned ‘BIRTHDAY GREETINGS,” but the word July goes not appear.

A similar 1910 postcard using the same symbols but not from E. Nash also omits the word July. (It  appears to be a “copycat” card, from the star to the flower, gem, and verse.) It reads:

Carnation is thy birthday flower Of truth that’s sweet, the token, By the Ruby Heaven’s spark of love To happy youth is spoken Thy star still sparkling golden bright, Makes happy day from doleful night.

This 1910 postcard for July birthdays is not by E. Nash. It is from a “copycat” series, using the same symbols and very similar verse, and even failing to use the month’s name!

My maternal grandmother, Bianca Marie-Clarisse, was born in July. Happy birthday to all July babies!

#July birthstone #July birth month flowers #ruby #water lily #larkspur #suzy kassem #hylas and the nymphs #john william waterhouse #claude monet #giverny #marco polo #kubla khan #alfred lord tennyson #edna st. vincent millay

[jana-hallford]

June Birthstone and Flowers

Precious Pearl

Pearl, the birthstone for June, is a time-honored symbol of purity and great worth. Its very name is a metaphor for something extraordinary, precious, and highly prized. In addition to purity, pearls stand for honesty and calmness. They are also strongly associated with femininity.

The pearl is the only birthstone made by a living creature. Although in Ancient Greece pearls were said to be made from tears of joy shed by the beautiful goddess Aphrodite, they are in reality hard objects produced within the soft tissue of a shelled mollusk. When an irritant  such as a parasite or a grain of stand gets into the shell, the mollusk covers it with smooth crystalline nacre. Layer upon layer of this liquid coating is deposited, ultimately forming a pearl. The rarest pearls occur naturally, but most pearls sold today are cultured or farmed from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels.

Biblical references to pearls include this famous New Testament parable 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:45-46)

Some Christians informally refer to the entrance to Heaven as “the pearly gates.” The expression is taken from this verse:

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.  (Revelation 21:21)

Shakespeare used pearls as similes a number of times, including this allusion to the beautiful Helen of Greece:

She is a pearl Whose price hath launch'd above a thousand ships  (Troilus and Cressida, Act ii, sc. 2)

 Heinrich Heine’s poem “Of Pearls and Stars” begins with the verse

The pearly treasures of the sea, The lights that spatter heaven above, More precious than these wonders are My heart-of-hearts filled with your love.

Rose and Honeysuckle

The rose and the honeysuckle, both very fragrant, are the birth month flowers for June.

Roses have many meanings depending on the color. For example, a red rose signifies “I love you,” white stands for purity, pink can mean perfect happiness. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac,  “a single rose amplifies the meaning of the color (a single red rose means “I REALLY love you”).” These blooms of the woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, of the family Rosaceae, are some of the best loved and most popular flowers in the world. 

The first flowers Neal sent me were gorgeous red roses, and the meaning was so great I carried a bouquet of red roses when we married. (My wedding colors were violet and royal blue, so I initially worried about breaking up my color scheme, but knowing how I felt about red roses, my mother encouraged me to go ahead and use them for my bridal bouquet. I did, with ribbons in the wedding colors.) 

There are numerous literary references to roses, including the famous poem “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns, which begins:

O my Luve is like a red, red rose   That’s newly sprung in June...

Roses are known for their beauty, fragrance, soft petals, and those sharp points on their stems. Contrary to popular belief, roses don’t have thorns, but “prickles.” Anne Brontë wrote “ He that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.”  The line would not be the same with the correct botanical term, so perhaps a little poetic license is in order.

The honeysuckle stands for everlasting, devoted love. Native to the Northern Hemisphere (originating predominately in China), honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining bines in the family Caprifoliaceae. Its tubular flowers contain a sweet edible nectar.

In the book Chevrefoil by Marie de France, the ill-fated lovers Tristan and Isolde are represented by honeysuckle and hazel. In the Robert Frost poem “To Earthward,” honeysuckle is a symbol of intense love and passion.

My 1908 E. Nash “Gem Birthday Series” postcard for June, depicting wild roses and pearls. This one was never used.

Antique postcards usually show the rose as the June birth month flower, although I did find one with honeysuckle and pearl.  What surprised me was how often I found antique cards pairing the rose with other gems, including agate and tiger eye. As mentioned at the beginning of this series, birth stone gems were not standardized until 1912, and antique postcards bear this out.

Charmingly, my 1908 E. Nash postcard for June depicts roses in their natural form. Species roses, or wild roses, have five petals and multiple stamens. The red-pink roses appear below the signature gold star of this postcard series, with a pearl necklace encircling the words “Many Happy Returns of the Day.” Just above the pearls is the word “June” with this verse;

In the month of June sweet roses bloom, a symbol of love divine. Your birthday stone the priceless pearl Health and long life define. Thy stars bright rays on this you day, Dissolves all sorrows in its way.

(This series is not free from typographical errors, and I’m sure “this you day” was meant to read “this your day.)

Unmarked antique postcard from my collection with the same conventions as the Nash birthday gem series.

I have another embossed antique postcard for June birthdays that is not marked Nash, but follows the same conventions as the Nash gem series, with a star, roses, a quarter moon-shaped pearl-studded gold pin, and the word “June,” shown diagonally across the card. The phrase “Many Happy Returns of the Day” is in the lower right, and the verse, in the upper left corner, reads:

These roses bring their message sweet Of love enduring, love complete. The Pearl with  radiance serene Long life and happy health doth mean. Thy star looks down  on this birthday, And drives  all sorrows far away.

Happy birthday to all June babies! This month I will mark the birthday of my late, much-loved cousin Jeanne and help my wonderful, long-lived mother Jacqueline celebrate another year of life.  

#June birthstone #June birth month flowers #pearl #rose #honeysuckle #antique postcard #robert burns #red red rose #anne bronte #chevrefoil #marie de france #tristan and isolde #pearly gates

[jana-hallford]

April Birthstone and Flowers

Diamond: “the King of Gemstones”

Considered by many to be the “King of Birthstones,” the diamond is the gem for April. Diamonds stand for love, prosperity, and endurance.

Diamonds are the hardest mineral on our planet. Scoring a perfect 10 on Moh’s Scale of Hardness, the fabled diamond is four times harder than its closest competitors. A diamond can scratch other gemstones, but only a diamond can scratch another diamond. No wonder the name was taken from the Greek word adamas, meaning “unbreakable” or “invincible.”

Diamonds are formed deep in the earth, at high temperature and pressure. Before the natural origin of the gem was understood, it was believed diamonds were created by bolts of lighting, or from the tears of gods. (The Sanskrit word for diamond, vajira, also means “lighting.”) 

Actresses Lillie Langtry, Mae West, and Elizabeth Taylor, each in her own era, had fabulous diamond jewelry that became part of their personae. Mae West once observed “I have always felt a gift diamond shines so much better than one you buy for yourself.”

There are many famous references to diamonds in literature and film. A poem by Emily Dickinson begins:

When Diamonds are a Legend,  And Diadems – a Tale – I Brooch and Earrings for Myself, Do sow, and Raise for sale –

The famous  jazz song “Diamond’s are a Girl’s Best Friend” by Jule Styne and Leo Robin was sung by Carol Channing in the original 1949 Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, then by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film version.

Sweet Pea and Daisy

The birth month flowers for April are the sweet pea and the daisy. The sweet pea stands for blissfulness, and can also mean farewell. The daisy signifies innocence, loyalty in love, and secrets kept between friends. The informal quality of the daisy may be why it is linked to friendship. As Kathleen Kelly says in the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail, “Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?”

The E. Nash 1908 birthday postcard for April features a round-cut diamond and white Easter lilies beneath the rays of a golden star. Since Easter often falls in April, one can understand the association between this month and this flower. However, over time the flowers for the different months have become more standardized, and for many decades white lilies, particularly the lily of the valley, have been recognized symbols for May.  

Towards the upper-right of the postcard, it reads “A Happy Birthday to You.” The verse at the bottom reads:

The emblem of purity is the lily White And the Diamond sweet innocence your guiding light. May your Star up in the firmament shine ever, ever bright.

My dearest Aunt Vi was born in April, and I celebrate her life this month. Happy birthday to all April babies! 

1908 E. Nash birthday postcard for April, from their “guiding star” series, from my personal collection.

#AprilBirthstone #diamond #lillie langtry #mae west #elizabeth taylor #diamonds are a girl's best friend #jule styne #leo robin #carol channing #marilyn monroe #gentlemen prefer blondes #AprilFlower #sweet pea #daisy #emily dickinson #antiquepostcard #e nash postcards #e nash guiding star postcard series

[jana-hallford]

March Birthstones and Flower

Aquamarine and Bloodstone: To Your Health

The American Gem Society recognizes two birthstones for March, the aquamarine and the bloodstone. Although the stones have very different looks, both have long-standing associations with health and well-being.

Aquamarine, from the Latin aqua marina, meaning “seawater,” is a variety of beryl in blue or blue-green shades. It symbolizes youth, good health, and hope. Not surprisingly, it is also strongly identified with the sea. Early sailors were known to wear aquamarine etched with the image of the sea god Neptune, hoping for protection on the water.  Aquamarine was also believed to cure diseases of the liver, stomach, and heart.

The mineral aggregate heliotrope, better known as bloodstone, is a variety of jasper or chalcedony. Classic bloodstone is green jasper with red hematite inclusions, resembling drops of blood or veins. It was believed simply touching the stone could stop hemorrhages, making bloodstone amulets popular with soldiers. The bloodstone signifies strength, courage, creativity, and mental well-being. Under the name heliotrope, it is an invisibility stone in a story by Boccaccio in the Decameron.

Daffodil (Narcissus): Herald of Spring

Daffodil is the common name for narcissus, the birth month flower for March. Because it is one of the first flowers to bloom at the beginning of spring, it is a symbol of new life, rebirth, and hope. In Chinese New Year celebrations it represents good fortune and prosperity.

The narcissus appears in Ancient Greek and Roman myths, and symbolizes the inner man. The youth famously enamored with his own reflection was named Narcissus. In Shakespeare’s play “The Winter’s Tale,” published with his First Folio in 1632, three stanzas sung by Autolycus begin with the line “When daffodils begin to peer.” By far the most famous poem about the flower is “Daffodils” by William Wordsworth, written in 1804, which begins:

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

The 1908 E. Nash “Birthday Joys” postcard for this month features daffodils and a bloodstone brooch set in gold, with the “guiding star” that is a hallmark of this series shining above it. The verse at the bottom reads:

The Daffodil of golden yellow  Signifies great wealth, Your birthday has the bloodstone To show strong mind and health And ever shines your bright star Good cheer from near and far.

Happy birthday to all born in March, especially my big brother Joe. 

#MarchBirthstones #Aquamarine #Bloodstone #MarchFlower #Narcissus #Daffodil #Wordsworth

[jana-hallford]

February Birthstone and Flowers

Alluring Amethyst

The February birthstone is amethyst, a variety of quartz found in several beautiful purple shades. The name is derived from amethystos, meaning “sober” in Greek, from an old, repeatedly tested and ultimately disproven belief that the gem prevented drunkenness. The Greek Anthology has a verse describing a signet ring with an image of the goddess Methe, worn as protection from inebriation.

The quatrain reads:

I am Drunkenness, the engraving of a skilled hand, but I've been engraved in amethyst. The stone is in opposition to its emblem. Yet the holy object belongs to Cleopatra, for on the queen's hand even a drunken goddess should be sober.

A poem with a reference to a drunken goddess is one to remember. There has been some debate about the authorship and date of this ancient work, but however scholars attribute it, the queen would not have been the famous Cleopatra VII, the last active Ptolemaic pharaoh of Egypt (although that most celebrated Cleopatra did adore jewelry).  The royal in question may have been the sister of Alexander the Great.

Amethyst is mentioned in the Bible as ninth (third stone in the third row) in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:19; 39:12), one of the gems representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. It is also named in the New Testament as the twelfth and last gemstone in the foundations of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:20).

Amethyst stands for courage, sincerity, and strong relationships.

Violet and Primrose: Shy Beauties

Tying in with this vivid purple theme, the violet, symbol of faithfulness, loyalty, and modesty, is the February flower. A “shrinking violet” means a person who is very shy and modest, but in contrast, violet perfume is said to have a “flirty” scent. The flowers contain ionone, which makes the smell intermittent to humans. Thus this flower, with the olfactory characteristic of being here and gone, then back again, is associated with both bashfulness and flirtatiousness.

When I was a young girl, I discovered the fragrance “April Violets” by Yardley, and it immediately became a favorite. When I told my mother how much I loved it, she informed me it was the fragrance of choice for her mother, the maternal grandmother I never knew.

The primrose, which in Victorian times had many meanings, including shyness and “I can’t live without you,” appears in some modern sources as an alternate February birth month flower. (In The Hunger Games the younger sister of the main character is named Primrose Everdeen.)  Primroses are often pale yellow, but can be white or pink, with a yellow center. The primrose must have been added relatively recently, as I haven’t found any antique postcards that represent it as the February flower. In fact, February stands out as unusually consistent over time in showing the amethyst and the violet as the symbols for this month.

“February” postcard from the 1908 E. Nash “Shining Star” birth-month series.

My antique postcard for this month is a 1908 E. Nash card, postmarked February 12, 1909, from their “guiding star” or “shining star” birthday series. An amethyst ring (depicted oddly out of perspective, perhaps to emphasize the stone), and five violets, appear with the verse:

Your flower is the Violet For Modesty it’s known The Amethyst, Sincerity A royal birthday stone Your lucky star sheds happiness No matter where you roam.

The embossing is clearly visible on on the message side of this “February” postcard, postmarked 10 AM February 12, 1909 in Reading, PA.

Happy birthday to all February babies, including my bright and delightful “niece-lette” (my niece’s daughter) Shelby, and my sweet mother-in-law, Betty Hallford!

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