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Growing up, one of my elderly neighbor's most prized possessions was a tiny gold ring with a cloudy green stone - poorly conditioned and far too small to fit his finger.

I spent hours at their house every day, but I never thought to ask about his love for the ring. It wasn't until after he passed away and was buried with the ring clasped in his palm that I finally asked his grandson.

"It was his mother's birthstone ring," he said. "To him, the emerald was like a piece of her."

For many, like my former neighbor, birthstones hold deep and personal meanings, like a tangible symbol of their inborn personality traits - from the innocence of the diamond and hope of the opal to the clear thinking of the sapphire and courage of the aquamarine.

In my grandfather's time, it was thought lucky to wear your birthstone, but for others, they are simply a fashionable way of coordinating jewelry and an easy system for others to use when buying gifts.

In the beginning, birthstones were supposed to represent the 12 stones on the chest plate worn by Aaron, Biblical brother of Moses, to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Although it's unclear exactly which stones actually exist on the plate, birthstones have since taken on their own meaning and lore.

Over the years, the birthstone chart has changed. The following meanings are drawn from the modern birthstone chart, which varies slightly from the traditional list.

JANUARY: GARNET (LOYALTY AND CONVICTION)
The deep red garnet was once thought to ward off nightmares and guide the wearer safely through the dark. The garnet's blood-like color is likely the reason it's thought to represent loyalty and steadiness under extreme duress. Despite the depth and darkness of shade, the garnet is fiery and quite beautiful in the right setting.

Some link the garnet to a mythological tale about Hades (God of the Underworld) and his kidnapping of Persephone (daughter of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest). Hades loved Persephone upon first sight and kidnapped her to his kingdom, where she became very depressed but also began to care for him. Her mother refused to allow the crops to grow or the flowers to bloom until her daughter returned. Hades brother, Zeus, intervened.

Zeus commanded that Persephone may leave as long as she had not eaten food from Hades' lair. She had eaten a portion of a pomegranate. Begrudgingly, Hades allowed his love to return - but only if she would return for a portion of the year equal to that of the pomegranate. It's a tale that is

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