Want to make or wear impressive costume jewelry, but running on a
tight budget? Using semi-precious stones is one good way to achieve
this. These stones come in a wide variety and are highly accessible to
almost everyone. Semi-precious stones preserve the effect of
sophistication. Many pieces of jewelry made of these stones are
pleasant to look at without seeming opulent. Depending on one's own
taste and fashion sense, these gemstones have the greatest potential
to enhance one's personal sense of style.

Some semi-precious stones are also birthstones, which correspond to
people's birth months. Some people believe that wearing stones that
correspond with one's birth month increases one's inner strength. This
special trait makes jewelry made of certain semi-precious birthstones
especially useful as gifts. Examples of such birthstones are garnet
(January) and aquamarine (March).