September birthstone ~ sapphire
The idea of “birthstones” or a gemstone for specific months made its way into the Judeo-Christian tradition through the description of the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest, in Exodus 28 and 39. Over the centuries theologians have debated the importance and symbolism of these gems, and even the identity about what specifically some of the gems may have been. (Read more about this in our post on the origins of symbolic gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.)
September’s birthstone is the sapphire. Like the ruby, the sapphire is a form of the mineral corundum. The presence of trace oxides determines the color of the stone. Sapphires come in many colors, but blue is the most well-known and valued.
Sapphires are the stone of truth and fidelity. This historic association with faithfulness is one of the reasons why sapphires are second only to diamonds in their popularity in engagement rings. The heavenly blue color of sapphires is also symbolic of a joyful devotion to God.
See our selection of sapphire items on CelebrateYourFaith.com.
August birthstone ~ Peridot
The idea of “birthstones” or a gemstone for specific months made its way into the Judeo-Christian tradition through the description of the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest, in Exodus 28 and 39. Over the centuries theologians have debated the importance and symbolism of these gems, and even the identity about what specifically some of the gems may have been. (Read more about this in our post on the origins of symbolic gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.)
If your birthday is in August, you have lots of company – it’s the month in which more people celebrate birthdays than any other.
The birthstone for August is the peridot, a gem variety of the mineral chrysolite or olivene (chrysolites are the name by which peridots are mentioned in the Bible). Peridots are a beautiful, almost glowing green color, ranging from leafy green to olive, which in the past have often been mistaken for emeralds; it’s now believed that Cleopatra’s famous emeralds may actually have been fine dark green peridots.
Peridots were often used for decoration in medieval churches and reliquaries; they may have been brought to Europe by the Crusaders. Peridots, along with enamel and other gemstones, can be seen adorning the 12th-century Shrine of the Three Magi in Cologne Cathedral.
Historic lore associates the peridot with healing, probably due to its verdant color; it is also associated with marital happiness and is the theme for the 16th anniversaries.
You can view our selection of peridot gift suggestions on CelebrateYourFaith.com.
Early and medieval church cross forms and their meanings
Many stylized cross forms arose during the Middle Ages in Europe. These beautiful crosses have strong symbolic values in addition to representing the crucifixion of Jesus.
First, the four arms of the cross are said to represent:
- the four gospels, and
- the four directions in which the Good News spread, unto
- the four corners of the world
The Greek cross is one of the oldest known crosses, a simple square cross characterized by four arms of the same length and form. The emblem of the Red Cross is an example of a Greek cross. Greek cross forms have been found in catacombs and on early Christian tombs.
The Jerusalem cross consists of a large Greek cross with four smaller crosses, one in each quadrant. The earliest depiction of what looks like a Jerusalem cross is found on the Bayeux Tapestry, a famous pictorial embroidery showing the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
A pattée cross, popular in medieval heraldry, is defined as a cross whose arms are narrow at the center, and broader at the perimeter. The splayed ends of each arm of the cross was thought to resemble a paw, which is pattée in French.
A patonce cross is a variant of the pattée cross, but with each arm terminating in a three points or petals. The three petals represent the Trinity; the cross’s twelve petals represent the twelve Apostles. ‘Patonce’ is derived from French patte d’once, or paw of an ounce (snow leopard).
The Maltese cross is a particular type of Pattée cross (its arms are narrow at the center, broader at the perimeter); the defining feature of the Maltese Cross is that it has eight points, two on each arm of the cross. The order of the Knights Hospitaller, later the Knights of St. John, used this cross as their emblem. After they were given the island of Malta in the twelfth century their cross became known as the Maltese cross.
The eight points of the cross are said to represent:
- the Eight Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10
- the Eight Points of Courage: Loyalty, piety, generosity, bravery, glory and honor, contempt of death, helpfulness towards the poor and the sick, and respect for the church.
- spiritual rebirth and baptism (Christ rose from grave eight days after entering Jerusalem)
These crosses are a beautiful way to declare and celebrate your faith and its heritage.
God’s perfection: Number 7
What is God trying to tell us through the number seven? In the Bible, the number seven is the symbol of completeness, fullness, fulfillment, and perfection. The frequency with which the number seven occurs in Scripture makes it clear that this is something that should not be missed.
Here are just a few examples of the occurrence of the number “7″ in the Bible:
| Seven days of creation | Genesis 1 | |
| Seven good and seven famine years in Egypt | Genesis 41 | |
| Seven lamps of the Menorah | Exodus 25:37 | |
| Seven feasts of Israel | Leviticus 23 | |
| Seven priests with seven trumpets circle Jericho seven times | Joshua 6 | |
| Daniel’s seventy sevens prophecy | Daniel 9:24-27 | |
| Seven loaves fed the 4,000, seven baskets left over | Matthew 15:32-39 | |
| Seven deacons in the early church | Acts 6:5 | |
| Seven “I am” statements in the gospel of John | John | |
| Seven elements of the armor of God | Ephesians 6:14-18 | |
| Seven churches in Revelation | Revelation 2,3 | |
| Seven promises, seals, trumpets, angels, plagues, bowls etc | Revelation | |
| Seven appearances of angels | Gospels and Acts |
In addition, the Bible makes important points using multiples of seven, e.g. “seventy”, “seventh”, “seven times seven”:
Every seventh year was a sabbatical year (Lv 25:4).
Seven times seven reiterates the sense of completeness. In the Year of Jubilee (at the completion of 7 x 7 years = the 50th year), all land is freed and returns to the original owners (Lv 25:10).
There are 70 elders (Ex 24:1) in Israel.
Israel was exiled to Babylon for 70 years (Jer 25:12) to complete its punishment.
“Seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) reiterates this still further. The Lord was not giving Peter a mathematical number of times that he should forgive another person, but rather was insisting on limitless forgiveness for a brother’s sin.
(from the Tyndale Bible Dictionary)
In looking at the world of God’s creation, the heavens and the earth, there are echoes of this occurrence of the number seven. For example, there are seven colors of the spectrum (and in rainbows); there are seven notes in the musical scale in the Western (Judeo-Christian) world.
When we started CelebrateYourFaith.com, we deliberately chose a grand opening date of July 7, 2007 as a powerful symbolic scriptural reminder of the Great Commission. CelebrateYourFaith is dedicated to reaching the world with the good news of the Gospel; it is our heart to support mission work and missionaries with proceeds from every purchase.
July birthstone ~ Ruby
The idea of “birthstones” or a gemstone for specific months made its way into the Judeo-Christian tradition through the description of the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest, in Exodus 28 and 39. Over the centuries theologians have debated the importance and symbolism of these gems, and even the identity about what specifically some of the gems may have been. (Read more about this in our post on the origins of symbolic gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.)
One gem about which there is no confusion is the ruby, or Stone of Judah, which has been recognized for milennia. Rubies are a variety of corundum, the second-hardest mineral after the diamond. When corundum is any color other than red, it is considered a sapphire. (The word ruby comes from the Latin, ruber, which means “red”.) Rubies range in color from an orangey-red to almost purple, but the most valued rubies are a deep, true red.
The Bible refers often to rubies, considering them to be beautiful, precious items of the highest value, for example: Job 28:18; Proverbs 3:15; Proverbs 8:11; Proverbs 31:10.
Due to the Bible’s description of rubies it became a favored gemstone among the hierarchy of the church; Martin Luther’s engagement ring is said to have contained a ruby. According to a 14th-century gemology text, a ruby “acquires and maintains the power of rulers, it procures peace and agreements, it makes man devoted to God, it appeases anger and maintains seductions, it makes the person wearing them safe from all dangers.”
There is a history beautiful symbolism embodied in the ruby. See our selection of birthstone gift suggestions for July.
The Chi Rho or “soldier’s cross”
Chi and Rho are the first two letters of the word Christos (Christ) in Greek – ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ. The Chi Rho is sometimes called the Monogram of Christ or Chrismon; it is also known as labarum – the soldier’s cross.
The origin of the Chi Rho is generally attributed to the Roman emperor Constantine. According to the early church father Eusebius,
On 28th October 312, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine “…saw with his own eyes, up in the sky and resting over the sun, a cross-shaped trophy formed from light, and a text attached to it which said ‘By this conquer.’ ”
He saw the shape of a flaming cross, “a long spear, overlaid with gold. . . “on the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones, and within this the symbol of the Saviour’s name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of the initial letters, the letter ‘X’ intersection ‘P’ at the centre.”
“The emperor constantly made use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and commanded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies.”
There are alternative theories of the origin of the Chi Rho, most based on modifications of pagan symbols. But regardless of its exact origin, the fact is that there is no record of the Chi Rho being used before Constantine, and it became a commonly used Christian symbol after that, especially by soldiers. After the fall of Rome, the “soldier’s cross” came to represent spiritual warfare as well.
Here is an image of the Chi Rho marking Christian tombs in the catacombs:
On a 5th-century bishop’s gravestone:
As a monogram in the illuminated Book of Kells produced by Celtic monks about 800 AD:
In contemporary liturgical use:
The Chi Rho has been stylized any number of ways over the centuries. Sometimes the P is formed to accentuate its appearance as a sword handle. Sometimes it is formed to look like a shepherd’s crook, to emphasize Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
The Chi Rho is even encoded in Unicode and can be made on a computer keyboard! It is encoded at U+2627: ☧
The Chi Rho is a wonderful symbol with a long history of faith, and its origins make it particularly appropriate for men. See all the Chi Rho items available at CelebrateYourFaith.com.
The Tree of Life
Many cultures and religions claim some type of symbolic tree which may be referred to as the Tree of Life. Trees are a unique and powerful symbol of growth as they are the only living things that continue to grow throughout their lifespan.
The Bible talks about the Tree of Life from Genesis to Revelation and several places in between. The Biblical Tree of Life represents the immortality of the soul, or something with health-giving, heartening, or life-affirming properties. And of course the tree is the source of wood, which was used to decorative and symbolic effect in the building of the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple. In areas of the world that are hot and dry, the shade provided by a tree can literally mean the difference between life and death.
The Tree of Life has provided inspiration for artists for hundreds of years. Some examples are this tempera on panel which was probably done for an altarpiece:
The Tree of Life by Pacino di Buonaguida, c. 1300
Another example of the Tree of Life can be seen in this stained-glass window in St. Peter’s Church in Firle, Sussex (England).
From a frieze in the Palais Stoclet in Brussels, Belgium by Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt:
Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt
And this Panamanian mola (a form of textile folk art):
(Image courtesy www.curatedobject.us)
See Tree of Life items on CelebrateYourFaith.com. What does the Tree of Life mean to you?
June birthstone ~ Pearl & Moonstone
June’s birthstone, the pearl, is the only birthstone that is of organic origin. The nacre that forms a pearl is made of aragonite (a form of calcium).
Pearls have been cherished for millennia. They were particularly popular throughout the Roman and Byzantine empires, and were used to embellish the robes and cloaks of the nobility. Sets of matched pearls were so rare and expensive they were usually only available to royalty. The Kingdom of Heaven itself is likened to a fine pearl in Matthew 13:44-46.
At some point the moonstone also became associated with June birthdays, probably because it shares with the pearl a certain luminance, luster, and milky-white color. The moonstone is an opalescent stone which is part of the feldspar family of gemstones.
Both pearls and moonstones are beautiful in settings of either gold or silver, and they have a flattering effect on the skin tones of all who wear them.
See our beautiful selection of birthstone gift suggestions for June, or read more about the origins of symbolic gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.
Majolica pottery
“Majolica” is a type of earthenware pottery decorated with tin and lead glazes which originated in medieval Muslim Spain. This colorful and often elaborate pottery became very popular in Italy during the Renaissance, and was called “maiolica” by the Italians after the Spanish port of Mallorca, from which the exports came.
This “maiolica” was an important and respected art form in Renaissance Italy. Ceramic artisans in Spain and Italy influenced, and were influenced by, the work of other artisans in Holland, Germany, France, and Portugal, which refined both the designs and the process of this unique style of pottery.
In the mid-1800s, the English potteries in the villages around Stoke-on-Trent led the world in additional refinements in tin and lead glazing, and a creative revival was underway. At the Minton factory, a respected French chemist was hired to perfect the lead glaze used in their new line of pottery based on Renaissance designs. This pottery, introduced in the Great Exhibition (the first World’s Fair) in 1851, became known as “majolica”.
Making majolica is a labor-intensive process, requiring multiple glazes and firings. Some of the more elaborately colored pieces can take weeks to produce. Each firing produces a chemical reaction between the glazes and the minerals in the clay body, which accounts for the vibrant colors. The gases released during the firing process also create the characteristic lines and dots of the majolica finish.
Part of the fun for collectors of antique majolica is that there is an incredible and often quirky variety of both design and function. Majolica became popular for everything from garden ornaments to elaborate Victorian tableware. For a visual overview of some of the most refined Victorian examples of majolica, visit this link to the collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Contemporary majolica has a broad reach and a broad appeal. We love its versatility, and the way artisans can use the forms and colors of the majolica technique to produce a wide range of items. Click here to see our selection of ornamental majolica crosses on CelebrateYourFaith.com.
May birthstone ~ Emerald
Emeralds, like aquamarines, are a variety of the mineral beryl. One of the most precious and highly-valued gemstones, fine emeralds are rarer than fine diamonds. This is due in part to the limited geological environments in which they are found; most emeralds were formed in areas where hot lava came into contact with sedimentary rocks.
Emeralds are mentioned in several places in the Bible. First, in the Breastplate of the High Priest in Exodus 28; in a listing of the gems of the King of Tyrus in Ezekiel 28; and (my favorite) as decorating the foundations of the city walls of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.
With their beautiful green color, it is to be expected that emeralds would be associated with Spring. In many cultures emerald represents immortality. In the Christian tradition, emeralds are a symbol of faith and hope.
See our beautiful selection of gift suggestions for May birthdays, and read more about the origins of symbolic gifts for birthdays and anniversaries.
