A Guide to Birthstones by Month
Where the tradition comes from, what each month's stone is said to mean, and where to find it in sterling silver.
Birthstones are gemstones linked to each month of the year: garnet for January, amethyst for February, aquamarine for March, through to turquoise in December.
A birthstone is one of the few gifts that needs almost no explanation. It's personal without being overthought, meaningful without requiring the giver to know very much about crystals at all. You simply need to know when someone was born.
But the idea itself has a longer, stranger history than most people giving or receiving a birthstone realise, one that runs through an ancient priestly breastplate, centuries of European gem trading, and a decision made by a room full of American jewellers in 1912. This guide walks through where the tradition actually comes from, then goes month by month through what each stone is said to mean and where to find a genuine match in our own range, being honest about the months where we don't carry one.
Where the Birthstone Tradition Comes From
The earliest link between gemstones and the months is usually traced back to the Breastplate of Aaron, described in the Book of Exodus, a ceremonial garment set with twelve different gemstones, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. It wasn't originally connected to birth months at all, but the association between twelve stones and twelve of something proved durable.
By around the first century, the historian Josephus and others had begun drawing a connection between those twelve stones, the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac. The idea that a person might wear the stone matching their birth month, rather than simply owning a full set, is generally credited to Polish gem traders in the 18th century, who found that selling stones this way, one at a time, one per person, was rather better for business than expecting a customer to buy all twelve.
The modern list most of us now use, the one that puts garnet in January and turquoise in December, wasn't standardised until 1912, when the National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America) in the United States met and agreed on an official, modern birthstone for every month. Several months still carry more than one recognised stone today, a modern option alongside an older, traditional one, which is why you'll sometimes see two different answers to "what's the birthstone for October" depending on which list you're reading.
In the UK, the National Association of Goldsmiths set its own list in 1937, which is why a few months differ between British and American sources.
January Birthstone: Garnet
Garnet's deep red has made it a symbol of protection and enduring friendship for centuries, with a particular association with safe travel; medieval travellers reportedly carried garnet as a protective talisman before setting out on long journeys. It's also tied to strength and passion, a fitting stone to open the year with, given how often January itself is treated as a fresh start.
The name comes from the Latin granatum, referring to the seeds of a pomegranate, a comparison that becomes obvious the moment you see one in the light.
February Birthstone: Amethyst
Amethyst has been associated with clarity and calm for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks believed it protected against intoxication, not just from wine but from overindulgence and excessive thought more broadly, and its name comes from the Greek amethystos, meaning "not intoxicated." Medieval bishops later wore amethyst rings as a symbol of piety and a clear mind.
It remains one of the most widely loved stones in our own range, its deep violet suiting almost any setting, and it's said to support a settled, quieter kind of thinking, useful for anyone born in the shortest, greyest month of the year.
March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Named from the Latin for "water of the sea," aquamarine has long been associated with calm and clear-headed communication, and, fittingly, with sailors, who once carried it as a talisman for a safe and steady voyage. Its pale, sea-glass colour is said to encourage clarity of thought and honest, unclouded speech.
It's a gentle, quietly striking stone, well suited to March's reputation as the month that sits between winter and spring, not quite one season or the other.
April Birthstone: Diamond
April's traditional birthstone is diamond, associated with purity, clarity and enduring strength. We don't currently stock diamond jewellery, so rather than force a substitute we'd like you to know isn't a genuine match, we'd point instead to clear quartz.
Clear quartz shares diamond's central association, clarity, and is often described as a "master" stone in crystal traditions, said to amplify whatever intention or energy it's paired with. It isn't a birthstone in the traditional sense, but it's the closest thing in our range to what April's stone is actually said to represent.
May Birthstone: Emerald, and Green Onyx as an Alternative
May's traditional birthstone is emerald, long associated with growth, renewal and the heart, fitting for a month when spring is properly under way. We don't stock emerald, but green onyx makes a popular and genuinely striking alternative, carrying a similar association with growth and grounded renewal in a deep, saturated green.
Onyx more broadly is tied to strength and steadiness, so green onyx brings a slightly calmer, more protective note to the same seasonal meaning emerald is known for.
June Birthstone: Moonstone
June is one of the few months with three recognised modern birthstones, pearl, alexandrite and moonstone, and moonstone is the one we carry. Its soft, shifting sheen, known as adularescence, has tied it to the moon and to intuition across many cultures, along with new beginnings and gentle, quiet change.
In Hindu tradition moonstone is considered a sacred stone, said to be formed from moonbeams themselves, and is still associated with emotional balance and calm intuition today.
July Birthstone: Ruby, and Carnelian as an Alternative
Ruby is July's traditional birthstone, long associated with passion, courage and vitality. We don't stock ruby, but carnelian is one of the most popular substitutes for exactly this reason, sharing ruby's warm red-orange tone and much of its symbolic territory: confidence, motivation and physical energy.
Carnelian has its own long history too, worn in ancient Egypt as a protective stone and associated by the Romans with courage in battle, so it arrives with plenty of meaning of its own rather than simply standing in for something else.
August Birthstone: Peridot
Peridot has been treasured since antiquity, mined on the Egyptian island of Zabargad as far back as 1500 BCE, and was reportedly among Cleopatra's favourite gemstones, so much so that some of the "emeralds" attributed to her are now thought by historians to have actually been peridot.
It's associated with warmth, positivity and warding off negativity, a bright, olive-green stone said to bring lightness and good humour, well suited to the last full month of summer.
September Birthstone: Sapphire, and Lapis Lazuli as an Alternative
September's traditional birthstone is sapphire, tied to wisdom, truth and loyalty. We don't stock sapphire, but lapis lazuli is a well-established alternative and carries much of the same symbolic ground: it's one of the oldest stones associated with truth and inner wisdom of any in this list, prized in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and ground into the pigment ultramarine, once more valuable than gold.
Lapis lazuli is also connected in some traditions to the third eye and to clearer inner vision, a natural companion to sapphire's own association with wisdom and insight.
October Birthstone: Tourmaline
October is another month with two recognised birthstones, opal and tourmaline, and tourmaline is the one we carry. It comes in more colours than almost any other gemstone, a result of the wide range of trace elements that can enter its crystal structure during formation, and is associated with balance, grounding and protection.
Its name comes from the Sinhalese word turmali, once used in Sri Lanka to describe a whole mix of unidentified coloured gems, a fitting origin for a stone known for its sheer variety.
On the UK list, opal is October's traditional stone. Our October birthstone guide covers both opal and tourmaline in full.
November Birthstone: Citrine
November's two recognised birthstones are topaz and citrine, and citrine is the one we stock. Its warm yellow to amber colouring comes from trace iron within a quartz crystal, and it has long been associated with abundance, confidence and personal warmth, sometimes referred to informally as the "merchant's stone" for its supposed connection to prosperity and successful trade.
Genuine natural citrine is actually fairly rare; much of what's sold as citrine elsewhere is heat-treated amethyst, so a piece of true citrine carries a little more rarity than its everyday reputation suggests.
December Birthstone: Turquoise
December has three recognised modern birthstones, turquoise, tanzanite and zircon, and turquoise is both the one we stock and by far the oldest of the three in continuous use. It's been mined and worn for well over six thousand years, found in the burial jewellery of ancient Egyptian royalty and treasured for centuries across Persian, Native American and Tibetan traditions alike.
It's widely associated with protection, communication and healing, and its instantly recognisable blue-green has made it one of the most consistently loved stones across cultures that otherwise had almost no contact with one another, a rare thing for any single gemstone to achieve.
Birthstones at a Glance
A quick reference for every month, matched against what we actually stock. Where we don't carry a genuine match, we've said so rather than force one.
| Month | Birthstone | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Deep red |
| February | Amethyst | Purple |
| March | Aquamarine | Pale sea blue |
| April | Clear Quartz (a popular alternative to diamond) | Clear |
| May | Green Onyx (a popular alternative to emerald) | Green |
| June | Moonstone | Milky white with a blue sheen |
| July | Carnelian (a popular alternative to ruby) | Red-orange |
| August | Peridot | Olive green |
| September | Lapis Lazuli (a popular alternative to sapphire) | Deep blue |
| October | Tourmaline | Many colours, most often pink |
| November | Citrine | Yellow to amber |
| December | Turquoise | Blue-green |
Buying for someone whose birth month you don't know off the top of your head, or want a gift matched to more than just the calendar? Our Find Your Stone tool and Meaningful Gifts guide can help.
Find Your Stone Meaningful Gifts GuideBirthstones, Answered
What are the birthstones for each month?
January is garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl, moonstone or alexandrite, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal or tourmaline, November topaz or citrine, and December turquoise, tanzanite or zircon.
Is the UK birthstone list different?
Slightly. The UK list, set by the National Association of Goldsmiths in 1937, differs from the American one in a few months. October, for example, is opal alone on the British list, while American lists give both opal and tourmaline.
Where do birthstones come from?
The tradition is usually traced back to the Breastplate of Aaron described in the Book of Exodus, a garment set with twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The idea of wearing the stone matching your own birth month developed later, becoming popular through 18th-century Polish gem traders, with the modern list standardised by American jewellers in 1912.
Why do some months have more than one birthstone?
Many months carry both a traditional birthstone, often centuries old, and a modern one, assigned in 1912 when the National Association of Jewelers agreed an official list. Some months, like June and December, have three recognised options rather than one.
What do I do if my birthstone isn't in your range?
A small number of months, April, May, July and September in particular, have a traditional birthstone we don't currently stock. Rather than force a substitute, we've said so directly and pointed to the closest genuine alternative in our own range for each.
What is the rarest birthstone?
Genuine natural citrine, November's birthstone, is considerably rarer than its reputation suggests, since much of what's sold as citrine elsewhere is actually heat-treated amethyst. Tanzanite, one of December's recognised stones, is also notably rare, found in only one location on Earth.
Can I wear a birthstone that isn't mine?
Yes, there's no rule that says a birthstone can only be worn by someone born in that month. Many people choose a stone for what it's said to mean rather than strictly by birth month, and a birthstone makes just as thoughtful a gift chosen for a loved one's month as for your own.