What are the Birthstones by Month?
Below is a list of birthstones for each month. Learn about the birthstone colors, the birthstone properties, the energy powers of the birthstone, the symbolism of the birthstone. Several months have more than one birthstone. The birthstone chart shows the birthstones’ colors for a quick reference. Which one is yours?
What is the January Birthstone?
Garnet is the birthstone for January. While the most popular color of a garnet is reddish-brown, it is found in other colors such as purple, pink, violet, green, yellow, orange, red, brown, black, and even colorless. Garnets were used for beads and jewelry in ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago. Garnet was very popular in ancient Rome and Greece, and in Sumeria, Sweden, and Europe during the Middle Ages. The garnet was used as a sacred stone by Indians throughout the world. In ancient times, the garnet was used as a talisman and was a prized jewel.
January birthstone color: Reddish-brown.
Symbolism & meaning: Passionate devotion, friendship, vitality, balance, purification, love, strong, intense feelings.
What is the February Birthstone?
Amethyst is the birthstone for February. The amethyst’s purple tones range from deep, dark violet, to the less coveted pale lavender. The gem’s rich color is associated with royalty and nobility. The amethyst is said to have been Catherine the Great’s favorite gemstone and dark-hued stones are found in today’s British Crown Jewels. It is important to keep amethyst jewelry away from the sun, as heat strips the gem of color and causes it to turn yellow. Evidence points to the use of amethysts by Egyptian nobility around 3,000 B.C., when it was used in pendants, bracelets, and crowns. In ancient history, the amethyst was believed to be a “gem of fire” and was considered to be a precious stone valued as much as a diamond.
February birthstone color: From deep, dark violet to pale lavender.
Symbolism & meaning: The amethyst birthstone symbolizes sincerity and security, spirituality and contentment.
What is the March Birthstone?
Aquamarine, the birthstone for March. It symbolizes loyalty, honesty, and beauty. Aquamarine is a pastel stone that is greenish-blue in color. The name is derived from Latin, meaning “sea” and “water.” Hues range from a nearly colorless whitish-blue to a rich teal, but the most valued color is a vivid blue aqua shade. Because of its durability, aquamarine is often used in rings. However, many believe that its beautiful color is better suited to more delicate settings of earrings and pendants.
March birthstone color: from pale-blue, to greenish-blue, to sky-blue, to blue-green
Symbolism & meaning: Aquamarine symbolizes loyalty, honesty and beauty
What is the April Birthstone?
Diamond, the birthstone for April, is a precious gemstone and is the most popular of all gemstones. A diamond is a mineral compound made of pure carbon and is the hardest natural substance on the planet. For this reason, diamonds should always be stored separately, as they can damage other jewelry. They are so strong, they can only be cut or polished by another diamond. The name itself is derived from the Greek word, adamus, which means “invincible.” The diamond is typically colorless, but yellow, brown, green, gray, black, pink, blue, red, and purple stones can also be found along the diamond color spectrum. Jewelry-grade diamonds are rated based on color from bluish-white to yellow, and on clarity, which ranges from pure to various levels of flawed. Diamonds are measured in carats—the higher the carat weight and purity level of a stone, the more valuable the gem.
April birthstone color: Transparent, silvery
Symbolism & meaning: Inner strength, invincible, balance, clarity and abundance
What is the May Birthstone?
Emerald, the birthstone for May, is a precious gemstone and represents wisdom, faith, success in love, and domestic bliss. Known for its brilliant green color, emerald can also have blue or yellow undertones and loses all color when subjected to high heat. The earliest emeralds were mined in Upper Egypt as early as 2,000 B.C. They were mined throughout the reign of Alexander the Great and were well-loved and collected by Cleopatra. The Aztecs and Incas also coveted emeralds, and the Moguls of India revered them so much they inscribed the gems with sacred text to be used to ward off evil.
May Birthstone color: brilliant green with yellow and blue undertones
Symbolism & meaning: Wisdom, faith, and domestic bliss or success in love
What is the June Birthstone?
The month of June has three birthstones – Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone. However, the pearl is the most popular.
PEARL
A pearl symbolizes success, happiness, and love. Unlike most other gemstones, pearls are not mined. The most highly valued pearls are created inside of saltwater oysters and freshwater clams whose shells are lined with mother-of-pearl, or nacre. Pearls from other mollusks lack the desired luster and are considered to be of less value. When a foreign particle enters the mollusk’s mantle, shell-secreting cells attach themselves to the particle and form a protective barrier. The resulting pearl is measured in grains and is more sensitive to elements such as humidity, acid, and dryness than other gemstones. Cultured pearls are essentially the same as those found in nature, the only difference being that a foreign particle is intentionally inserted into the mollusk with the express purpose of creating a gemstone. The process of “pearling” began before 1,000 B. C. in China and continues today in many freshwater and saltwater areas of the world.
June birthstone pearl color: Popular colors are white and black, but exist in numerous shades including green, purple, red and pink
Symbolism & meaning : Also known as the stone of sincerity, pearls symbolize purity, success, happiness and love
ALEXANDRITE
Alexandrite, the second birthstone for June, is bluish green in color but it turns into purple-red or violet when it is exposed to daylight. It was first discovered in Russian emerald mines and named after the then reigning prince of Russia, Alexander II. Alexandrite is a scarce formation of the mineral chrysoberyl and has some hints of chromium – the coloring agent that makes this gem change its color. Today, alexandrite, the June birthstone is mined in Burma, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Brazil, India and Madagascar, but a fine stone is very rare and thus extremely valued. It is believed to enhance intuition, imagination and creativity. It also has the healing powers to cure Leukemia, illnesses related to the spleen and pancreas, and promote regeneration of neurological muscles.
June birthstone Alexandrite color: Bluish green to purple-red
Symbolism & meaning: Intuition, creativity and imagination
MOONSTONE
Moonstone bears its name from its blue color which reflects a silvery play of tones that appear like phases of the moon when light shines on it. It is composed of fine layers of feldspar and albite that make the stone look like it’s textured. Moonstones come in various colors including gray, blue, peach, yellow, pink and green. June birthstone moonstone is associated with astral magic and mystery. It possesses calming and balancing energies that influence the natural biological clock. This is why it is applied in treatment of fertility problems.
June birthstone moonstone color: Various colors including gray, blues, peach, yellow and green
Symbolism & meaning: Passion, calmness
What is the July Birthstone?
Ruby, the birthstone for July, is a pink to deep red precious gemstone. The name comes from the Latin word for red, ruber. Rubies are said to attract good luck to the wearer. Ancient Hindus believed rubies were a sign of protection from evil. Today, ruby has come to symbolize love and passion. Rubies were also highly prized by ancient Chinese warriors who were known to wear rubies on their armor.
July birthstone color: pink to deep bluish red
Symbolism & meaning: Love and passion
What is the August Birthstone?
Peridot, the birthstone for August, is one of the few gemstones to occur in one color, naturally – olive green. The intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron in the crystal formation. The name of the gem is Old French in origin, and is said to have been first mentioned in the will of a bishop. He bequeathed three rings to the St. Albans Abbey, one being peridot. The peridot is very often confused with the emerald, and is sometimes called “the evening emerald.” It is said to symbolize strength, and if set in gold, will protect the wearer from evil dreams.
August birthstone color: Olive green
Symbolism & meaning: symbolizes strength, truth, and loyalty. Can bring happiness, love, dignity, and strengthen friendship
What is the September Birthstone?
Sapphire, the birthstone for September, comes in a variety of colors, but are mostly associated with blue hues. A sapphire of another color, like pink, white or yellow, is generally called a fancy sapphire. The blue sapphire represents peace and serenity. It is seen many times in ancient religious writing to symbolize purity, wisdom, loyalty and faith. The sapphire is a precious gemstone, along with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.
September birthstone color: deep rich blue, but there can be fancy sapphire in pink, white and yellow, among others
Symbolism & meaning: according to Christianity, deep blue color of sapphire symbolizes heavenly grace. It also represents truth, honesty, purity
What is the October Birthstone?
Opal, the birthstone for October, represents hope and innocence. The name “opal” can mean “to see a change in color” and is derived from the Latin word opalus, or stone. Most opals are white with iridescence, but they can be black or even transparent with flecks of red or yellow. Opals are a gem formed by non-crystalline silica gel that seeped into crevices of ancient rock. Through time and nature’s heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into opals. The almost three dimensional repeating patterns give an opal its radiance.
October birthstone color: Black, white. Opals have delicate tints of diverse hues when observed from different angles
Symbolism & meaning: hope, innocence, purity. Influences loyalty, confidence, happiness and faithfulness
What is the November Birthstone?
Topaz and Citrine are the birthstones for November, which is among the few months that have more than one birthstone.
TOPAZ
Topaz can come in a variety of colors, but the prized Imperial Topaz, adored by Russian Czars, is orange with pink undertones. Named for an island, Topazos, in the Red Sea where the Romans found the gem, it has come to symbolize consistency, faithfulness and friendship. Topaz is thought to have healing properties to help breathing disorders, like asthma and tuberculosis.
November birthstone color: Reddish-orange-brown, blue (most common), purple
Symbolism & meaning: associated with loyalty, friendship and constancy.
CITRINE
Citrine, the name of November’s second birthstone stands for “lemon” in French, because its color is close to that of the fruit. Naturally, citrine is pale yellow in color, or orange. However, jewelers use heat-treated stones to make citrine ornaments of richer and deeper tones. It belongs to the family of quartz crystal and was originally mined in Topazios Island, Egypt. Also referred to as the “success stone,” wearing citrine can bring prosperity in business, attract wealth, encourage stamina and positive energy, as well as promote positive energy. In ancient times, it was given to women by sun gods to protect them against evil.
November birthstone color: Pale yellow or Orange
Symbolism & meaning: Happiness, positive energy and stamina, success and prosperity
What is the December Birthstone?
December has three birthstones; turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon – collectively known for their dazzling shades of blue.
TURQUOISE
Turquoise, the first birthstone for December, is a green-blue stone with sky blue tones that has existed since the 13th century. It was originally worn by ancient Egyptians and widely recognized as the national gemstone of Tibet. It derives its name from the French expression pierre tourques which means “Turkish stone.” They referred it so because the stone was brought to Europe from Turkey. It symbolizes love, fidelity, joy and delight. Wearing turquoise jewelry is believed to relieve mental tensions and enhance confidence in communication.
December birthstone Turquoise color: Brilliant icy blue, green-blue tint
Symbolism & meaning: Love and fidelity, confidence in communication
TANZANITE
Tanzanite, another December birthstone, derives its name from an East African state, Tanzania, where it was discovered in the 1960's and the only place it has been found up-to-date. It is a brilliant stone which can exist in numerous hues of purples and blues. It is mostly heat treated to amplify its natural color. However, the most valuable tanzanite stones come in vivid violet-blue color. Because of its ability to alleviate stress and reduce blood pressure, it is used to treat anxiety, depression, worry and fear.
December birthstone Tanzanite color: purples and blues
Symbolism & meaning: Intuition, spiritual awareness
ZIRCON
Zircon is the third magnificent gem associated with December birthdays. It comes in various colors including blue, orange, green, yellow and red. Its popular color is blue and can be heat-treated to obtain colorless and gold zircon. Many people confuse this spectacular gem with synthetic cubic zirconia because of their analogous names and common use as diamond stimulants. However, zircon is a natural crystal whose existence on earth dates back over 4.4 billion years. It derives its name from Persian (modern Iran) term zargun that stands for “gold-colored.” The December birthstone zircon symbolizes prosperity, wisdom, honor and self-respect. It has healing powers to cure allergies and asthma, gallbladder and liver complication as well as promote common sense.
December birthstone zircon color: Blue, red, orange, green and yellow
Symbolism & meaning: Prosperity, wisdom, honor and self-respect
