Find Your Birthstone by Month

Find Your Birthstones And Get Interesting Facts About Them

Birthstone is a gemstone associated with a person's birth month, believed to possess symbolic meaning and special significance. These gemstones are often worn as jewelry or kept as talismans, and their properties are thought to bring luck, protection, and other positive attributes to the wearer, based on cultural beliefs and traditions. Each month typically has one or more designated birthstones, with varying historical, astrological, and cultural origins. 

There can be some variation in birthstones depending on the source. Some months have a single birthstone, while others have two or even more options. Ultimately, the choice of which birthstone to wear is a personal one. You can choose the stone that resonates most with you based on its color, symbolism, or any other factor that holds meaning for you.

Birthstones’ Meaning & Significance by Month 

January Birthstone

Garnet, the birthstone of January, comes in a fiery range of colors, from deep red to orange and even green. For centuries, garnets were prized for their symbolic power, believed to represent passion, health, and prosperity. Legends claim warriors wore garnets into battle for protection and invigoration.

Gemology: Garnet is a group name for several silicate minerals with similar crystal structures. The most common garnet varieties for gemstones are pyrope (red), almandine (red-purple), and spessartite (orange). Garnets have a hardness of 6.5 to 7.5, making them durable gemstones suitable for everyday wear.

February Birthstone

Amethyst, the birthstone of February, boasts a captivating range of violet hues, from deep, regal purple to a soft, delicate lilac. Historically, amethyst was associated with royalty and spirituality, believed to promote peace, clarity, and intuition. Evenings spent sipping from amethyst goblets were thought to prevent intoxication!

Gemology: Amethyst is a variety of quartz, a silicon dioxide mineral. Its violet color comes from trace amounts of iron and irradiation. With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, amethyst is reasonably durable for jewelry use but can be susceptible to scratches from harder materials.

March Birthstone 

Aquamarine, the birthstone of March, evokes the calming depths of the ocean with its pristine blue-green hues. Sailors for centuries considered aquamarine a lucky charm, believing it ensured safe passage and protected against storms. Beyond the sea, aquamarine has also been linked to tranquility, courage, and youthful vitality.

Gemology: Aquamarine is a member of the beryl mineral family, which also includes emerald. Its blue-green color comes from trace amounts of iron. With a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, it's a relatively durable gemstone suitable for everyday wear. Aquamarine can be found in various shades, with the most desirable stones displaying a vibrant, transparent blue with a hint of green.

April Birthstone

Diamond, the birthstone of April, reigns supreme as the hardest natural substance known. Its brilliance and enduring sparkle have captivated hearts for millennia. Diamonds have long symbolized everlasting love, purity, and strength. The tradition of diamond engagement rings emerged in the 15th century and continues to be a cherished symbol of commitment.

Gemology: Diamonds are nature's wonder, formed under extreme pressure and heat conditions deep within the Earth's mantle over millions of years. Diamonds are coveted for their exceptional brilliance and fire, a dazzling play of light caused by the way they interact with light. Their hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale makes them incredibly scratch-resistant, allowing them to retain their sparkle for generations. The process of cutting and polishing rough diamonds into the familiar faceted gems we know today is a highly skilled art form that maximizes their brilliance and beauty.

May Birthstone

Emerald, the birthstone of May, embodies the verdant beauty of spring with its captivating green hues. For centuries, emeralds have been associated with love, fertility, and rebirth. Cleopatra, the legendary Egyptian queen, was known for her adoration of emeralds.

Gemology: Emerald is a member of the beryl mineral family, colored green by the presence of chromium and vanadium. Emeralds are known for inclusions and fissures, which contribute to their unique character but can also affect their durability. They have a hardness of 7.5 to 8.

June Birthstone

June boasts two unique birthstones: the luminous pearl and the color-changing alexandrite.

Pearl

Pearl: Formed within living mollusks, pearls are the only gemstones created by living creatures. Their iridescent beauty has symbolized purity, innocence, and wisdom for centuries.

Gemology: Pearls come in a variety of colors, including white, cream, pink, and black. Their luster and value depend on factors like nacre thickness, surface quality, and color.

Alexandrite

Alexandrite: This rare gemstone is known for its dramatic color-change phenomenon, appearing emerald green in daylight and reddish-purple under incandescent light. Alexandrite has become a symbol of creativity, innovation, and individuality.

Gemology: Alexandrite is a rare variety of chrysoberyl, a mineral with the formula BeAl₂O₄. Its color change is caused by the presence of chromium and a unique light absorption property. Alexandrite has a hardness of 8.5, making it a relatively durable gemstone.

July Birthstone

Rubies, the birthstone of July, are considered the king of gems and represent love, health and wisdom. It was believed wearing a fine red Ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner. A Ruby is the most valuable gemstone and its value increases based on its color and quality.

August Birthstone

Peridot, the birthstone of August, carries a lime green color and is one of only a few gemstones that exists in only one color. Peridot is believed to instill power and influence as well as bring the wearer magical powers and properties that protect against nightmares.

Gemology: Peridot is gem-quality olivine. Olivine is a silicate mineral with the formula of (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄. Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one color: an olive-green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on the percentage of iron in the crystal structure, so the color of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow, to olive, to brownish-green.

September Birthstone

Sapphire, the birthstone of September, is most desired in its pure, rich blue color but is present in almost every color including pink, yellow and green. In the Middle Ages the gem was believed to protect those close to you from harm and also represented loyalty and trust.

Gemology: Sapphire is a typically blue gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide. Although blue is the best-known sapphire color, they occur in other colors, including gray and black, and they can be colorless. A pinkish orange variety of sapphire is called padparadscha.

October Birthstone

October also has two birthstones; Tourmaline and Opal. Tourmaline is a favorite gemstone for many because it’s available in a rainbow of beautiful colors. Opal gemstones are truly unique because each individual gem is adorned with a one-of-a-kind color combination.

Opal

Opal: The traditional birthstone of October, opal is known for its mesmerizing play-of-color, an internal light diffraction that creates a rainbow of hues within the stone. Opals have been cherished for centuries, symbolizing hope, purity, and transformation.

Gemology: Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica; its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Because of its amorphous character, it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike the other crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl, and basalt. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline: Nicknamed the "rainbow gemstone" due to its vast color range, tourmaline offers a dazzling array from fiery reds and deep greens to cool blues and even pinks. Historically, tourmaline was believed to possess protective qualities, warding off negativity and promoting inspiration.

Gemology: Tourmaline is a crystalline boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gemstone comes in a wide variety of colors.

November Birthstone

November has two beautiful options: Topaz and Citrine.

Citrine

Citrine boasts a warm and sunny palette of yellow and orange hues, often likened to a captured ray of sunshine. Citrine has been prized for its energizing properties, believed to bring success, abundance, and creativity to the wearer. Historically, citrine was also associated with healing and protection.

Gemology: Citrine is a variety of quartz, a silicon dioxide mineral. Its yellow and orange colors come from trace amounts of ferric iron. Citrine has a hardness of 7, making it a relatively scratch-resistant gemstone.

Topaz

Topaz comes in a dazzling rainbow of colors, from fiery orange and yellow to cool blues and even pinks. In ancient times, topaz was often mistaken for other gemstones due to its variety, but it has earned its own place as a cherished birthstone. Topaz is associated with love, strength, and finding inner peace.

Gemology: Topaz is a silicate mineral with the formula Al2SiO4F2. The presence of various elements like chromium, iron, or titanium causes its diverse color range. Topaz has a hardness of 8, making it a relatively durable gemstone suitable for everyday wear.

December Birthstone

December birthdays are; Zircon, and Turquoise. Each of these gemstones carries a unique blue tone making it a perfect birthstone for Minnesota’s frigid December winters. Zircon can be found in a variety of colors, but blue is the overwhelming favorite.

Turquoise

Turquoise: This gemstone boasts a captivating range of blue hues, from sky blue to a rich, robin's egg blue. Admired for millennia, turquoise has been associated with protection, wisdom, and good fortune.

Gemology: Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·4H₂O. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times, turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market.

Zircon

Zircon: While often confused with the synthetic diamond simulant cubic zirconia, zircon is a natural gemstone that comes in a variety of colors. The most popular variety for birthstones is blue zircon, prized for its fiery brilliance that can rival diamonds. Historically, zircon was believed to promote prosperity, honor, and wisdom.

Gemology: Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is zirconium silicate and its corresponding chemical formula is ZrSiO₄. The crystal structure of zircon is tetragonal crystal system. The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue, and green. Colorless specimens that show gem quality are a popular substitute for diamond and are also known as "Matura diamond".