Hindu Birthstone Chart
This chart was compiled by George Fredrick Kunz and seems to be based on the Hindu charm called the Navaratna, or nine gem. Three additional stones appear to have been added to equal our 12 month year.
The first is the moonstone but he lists it under its Tamil name, Chandrakanta.
The second is the Shiva Lingam. These are oblong jaspers tinged in brown that represent the lingam, or penis, of the god Shiva. They are held sacred in Hinduism.
The "Serpent Stone” is a bit more convoluted. Serpent stones can refer to an amulet made of charred bone used to counteract snake bite, a mythical stone that comes from the head of a viper, or a fossilized shell called an ammonite. All three were believed to counteract venom, and protect from serpents. Given the options the ammonite is the most likely identity of Kunz’s “Serpent Stone”. In Hinduism there is a specific type of ammonite sacred to Vishnu called a shaligrama shila.
It is unknown why this chart differs so much from the "Ayurvedic" chart, but it may represent a cultural response to western influence on Indian practice.
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