Birthstones by Month: A Complete Guide

Birthstones are the oldest form of personalised jewelry there is. The idea goes back to a breastplate described in the Book of Exodus, set with twelve stones for the twelve tribes, and it was still being argued over in 1912 when American jewellers agreed on the list most of the world now uses. What follows is that list, what each stone has traditionally been said to mean, and a note on how it actually behaves once you are wearing it every day.

January — Garnet

A deep, wine red that reads almost black in low light and lights up properly in the sun. Garnet has long been associated with safe travel and with loyalty, which is why it turns up so often in pieces given to somebody leaving. It is a hard stone and takes daily wear well.

February — Amethyst

Violet quartz, and one of the most recognisable stones on the list. The Greeks associated it with a clear head, and it is still the stone people reach for when they want something calming rather than showy. Amethyst can fade in strong sunlight over years, so it prefers a drawer to a windowsill.

March — Aquamarine

Pale sea blue, and named for it. Traditionally the stone of sailors and of calm crossings. It is a beryl, like emerald, but far more durable in practice because it tends to come with fewer internal fractures.

April — Diamond

The hardest natural material there is, which is a large part of why it came to stand for permanence. If you are buying for someone born in April and a diamond is out of budget, white zircon and moissanite both give the same brightness in a piece that gets worn rather than kept in a box.

May — Emerald

Green beryl, historically tied to renewal and to spring. Worth knowing before you buy: emerald is comparatively brittle and almost always has visible inclusions, so it suits pendants and earrings better than a ring worn on your writing hand.

June — Pearl and Moonstone

June is one of three months with more than one stone. Pearl is the only birthstone that comes from a living creature, and moonstone is the one with the strange blue shimmer that moves as you tilt it. Both are soft. Pearls in particular hate perfume, hairspray and anything acidic, so they go on last.

July — Ruby

Red corundum, and second only to diamond for hardness. Ruby has been the stone of passion and courage for as long as anybody has been writing these things down, and it is genuinely one of the best choices for a ring you never take off.

August — Peridot

A yellow-green that does not look like anything else on the list. Some peridot arrives on Earth in meteorites, which is a better fact than most birthstones can offer. Traditionally linked to good fortune.

September — Sapphire

Usually blue, though sapphire occurs in almost every colour except red, at which point it is called a ruby instead. Associated with wisdom and with faithfulness, and hard enough for everyday rings.

October — Opal and Tourmaline

Opal breaks white light into flashes of every colour, and no two stones behave the same way. It is also soft and contains water, so it should never go near an ultrasonic cleaner. Tourmaline is the sturdier October option and comes in pinks and greens.

November — Topaz and Citrine

Both warm, both golden, both easy to wear against almost any skin tone. Citrine is the more affordable of the two and has traditionally been tied to optimism and abundance.

December — Turquoise, Tanzanite and Zircon

Turquoise is the oldest stone in continuous use in jewelry anywhere in the world. Tanzanite was found in one small area of Tanzania in 1967 and exists nowhere else. Blue zircon is the sleeper of the three and has more fire in it than most people expect.

How to actually wear a birthstone

The mistake is treating it as a novelty. A birthstone works best when the stone is small and the setting is quiet, so it reads as a piece of jewelry that happens to be personal rather than as a badge. A single bezel-set stone on a fine chain will get worn for years. A large prong-set stone in a heavy mount usually will not.

The second thing worth knowing is that birthstones stack. One stone for you is nice. Three stones on the same band, one for each of your children, is the piece people never take off. That is the reason our birthstone rings and birthstone necklaces are built to hold more than one.

If you are buying as a gift and you do not know the month, a charm is the safer choice. It clips onto whatever chain they already own, and you can add the stone later.