Today I am wearing my birthstone, bloodstone. According to legend this stone lay at the cross and the blood of Christ dropped on it. That can only be a legend of course, but, having said that, bloodstone is very hard to find. I bought the oval cabochon at a jewelry shop in North Carolina years ago. The ball was a gift from a co-worker. My jeweler put them together and set them in gold.

Since bloodstone is rare, a second birthstone for the month of March was established: aquamarine. Ironically, real aquamarine has also become very rare, and the usual substitute for it is blue topaz.