July bursts with joyful fireworks! For those born in July, there are birth gems and birth flowers bursting with colors! Read on to find out more!
Hey, John!
Sienna and I are getting married later this year at Ainsworth House & Gardens. I’d like to add stuff that represents me. I was born in July. Are there gems or flowers that represent July?
Thanks!
–Paul, Pondering in Pacific City, Oregon
Hey, Paul!
I am happy to help! Here’s a brief list and then I’ll go into the meanings of each.
Birthstones: Ruby or Carnelian
Birth Flowers: Larkspur, Tulip, or Water Lily
Birthstones or Birth Gems:
Ruby
Rarer than diamonds, rubies come in vibrant red, a purple-red shade, and pink.
Sarah, Duchess of York, Katy Perry and others have ruby engagement rings.
The ruby is the gemstone for the 15th. and the 40th. wedding anniversaries. The name of gem is derived from the Latin word, “ruber,” meaning “red.” What causes a ruby to be red? A teensy-tiny trace of chromium.
What does a ruby mean?
It is thought that wearing a ruby protects a person from harm and promises abundance.
Carnelian
During the Medieval times, people often carried small stones (pebbles, really) on them to bring the power attributed to the stone into their lives. For instance, people wore aquamarine to prevent being poisoned by some awful person. Carnelian, a gorgeous orange to red gem, was supposed to prevent a person getting angry.
Carnelian is one of the world’s oldest known gems: On the isle of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, artifacts with carnelians dating back to the Bronze Age (circa 1,800 B.C.) were discovered. It is thought that the carnelian was named after the reddish-orange Kornel cherry.
What does carnelian mean?
Carnelian means courage, bravery, strength, warmth, creativity, a fire or vibrancy for life. Red carnelian denotes strength and courage.
Orange carnelian brings the person wearing it joy and boundless creativity.
Orange carnelian is often as vibrant as the bird of paradise flower.
Birth Flowers:
Larkspur or Knight’s Spur is also called “Delphinium.”
Called delphinium during Tudor times, the brilliant blue flower is the inspiration for the woman’s name, “Delphinia.”
The name “larkspur” for the same flower originated in the look of the flower: It refers to the spur-shaped petals.
What does larkspur mean?
The flower represents positivity, strong bonds of love, joy, happiness, and romanticism. Purple, blue, and white larkspurs are thought to be fun and happy flowers. While blue is the most frequently seen color and represents love, respect, and honor, purple represents affection and love.
Tulip
Tulips are well traveled: Tulips were wildflowers in Central Asia’s mountains. By 1000 A.D., tulips were cultivated in the palaces and parks of the Ottoman Empire’s sultans.
Sometime in the 1500s, a sultan decided to share his beautiful tulips with Carolus Clusius, a botanist in Holland. Clusius grew the bulbs in his private collection but like a flower miser, he wouldn’t share or sell his flowers. As a result, people broke in and stole his precious flowers…which started the tulip industry in Holland.
Even a century later, tulips were still rare. For that reason, speculation in the tulip market exploded from 1634-1637. People bought bulbs without knowing if they would bloom or what they would look like IF they bloomed. Eventually, this became one of the most infamous market crashes of all time.
What does a tulip mean?
A perfect, unconditional, and deep love.
Water Lily
In Buddhism and Hinduism, the water lily is a holy flower which is believed to be sacred.
Around the world, water lilies are recognized for their beautiful serenity.
Water lilies don’t show up in bridal bouquets often because they need water; you’re more likely to see them in a vase.
Water lilies bloom in white, pink, red, blue, lavender, and purple.
What does the water lily mean?
Purity, beauty, innocence, enlightenment, and rebirth.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to me. Our contact info is in the footer for this blog.
Your friend in the wedding business,
John Shyne
Images are courtesy of Pexels.com and Pixabay.com.
Images below are from the Ainsworth House & Gardens Wedding Gallery.