Birthday and Birthstone Postcards

Colortype Birthday Souvenir (Lucky-Stones),1907

One of the earliest postcards that related months to lucky gemstones and their symbolism as omens was the 1907 "Birthday Souvenir" by The Colortype Company.

The poem on the card follows the familiar sing-song pattern i call "the English Enchantment," This scansion, with a variety of wording, is found on many fortune telling tea cups, as seen at our sister-site, The Mystic Tea Room in the page about Poetry on Cups and Saucers. Dating back at least to the Renaissance and the writing of William Shakespeare, such poetry is found to this day in "written" magical spells in Anglophone nations.

All of the stones are arrayed on a single ribboned necklace, with words around each stone, as follows:

January: Garnet

Birthday and Birthstone Postcards

• Raphael Tuck and Sons: "Sentiments of the Months" (Series 200), 1907

I have more than dozen different sets of these cards from a variety of publishers, and will keep adding sets to the list until they are all online and this little notice disappears.