Ask two jewellers which stone belongs to your birth month and you may get two different answers. That is not a mistake in the trade — it is the point. This page gives you the modern list, notes where older traditions disagree, and links to the natural stone we actually carry for each month. Where we carry nothing for a month, we say so rather than substituting something and hoping you will not notice.
What is a birthstone?
A birthstone is a gem assigned to the month you were born. The twelve-stone list in use today was standardised in 1912 by the American National Retail Jewellers' Association, and it grew out of older lists that never agreed with each other: the twelve stones of the biblical breastplate, Roman and Arabic lapidaries, and Indian and Tibetan traditions each attached different gems to different months. So "your" birthstone depends on which list you read first.
The month-by-month guide below follows the modern Western list, with the older alternatives noted beside it. Every stone we link to is in stock and listed with its own origin and care facts; nothing here is a placeholder.
Birthstones by month
| Month | Modern birthstone | Older alternatives | What we carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | — | Garnet bracelet |
| February | Amethyst | — | Amethyst bracelet |
| March | Aquamarine | Bloodstone | Aquamarine bracelet |
| April | Diamond | Clear quartz | Clear quartz bracelet |
| May | Emerald | Green aventurine, chrysoprase | Green aventurine bracelet |
| June | Pearl | Moonstone, alexandrite | Moonstone bracelet |
| July | Ruby | Carnelian | Carnelian ring |
| August | Peridot | Spinel, sardonyx | Not stocked — see note below |
| September | Sapphire | Lapis lazuli | Lapis lazuli bracelet |
| October | Opal | Tourmaline | Pink tourmaline bracelet |
| November | Topaz | Citrine | Citrine bracelet |
| December | Turquoise | Zircon, tanzanite | Turquoise bracelet |
January — garnet
Garnet is not one mineral but a group: almandine, pyrope, spessartine and several others, which is why garnet turns up in reds, oranges, greens and occasionally no colour at all. Deep wine-red almandine is the variety most often set in jewellery. At hardness 7 to 7.5 it takes daily wear well. Traditionally associated with vitality, and with a safe return from long journeys. See our deep wine-red garnet bracelet or the garnet passion bracelet.
February — amethyst
Amethyst is purple quartz, coloured by trace iron and natural irradiation, and it is the stone most people picture when they hear the word birthstone. Hardness 7, so it is comfortable for everyday wear. Two things worth knowing: prolonged direct sunlight can slowly fade the colour, and a great deal of what is sold as citrine is in fact heat-treated amethyst — the Material & Treatment Guide explains how to tell them apart. Browse the amethyst bracelet or an amethyst ring in 925 silver.
March — aquamarine
Aquamarine is the blue to blue-green variety of beryl — the same mineral family as emerald, but tougher and far easier to live with. Hardness 7.5 to 8. Its colour comes from trace iron, and stones are routinely heated to drive off a greenish cast; that is accepted trade practice and does not make a stone synthetic. Traditionally associated with calm water and clear speech. See the aquamarine bracelet.
April — diamond and clear quartz
Diamond is the modern April stone; clear quartz is the traditional alternative, which is convenient given the difference in budget. Clear quartz is silicon dioxide at hardness 7 — colourless, transparent, and capable of taking an unusually sharp polish. In crystal tradition it is described as an amplifier, worn alongside other stones rather than on its own. See the clear quartz bracelet.
May — emerald, green aventurine and chrysoprase
Emerald is the modern May stone; green aventurine and chrysoprase are the traditional stand-ins, and neither is a compromise in the way that word suggests. Aventurine is a green quartzite whose metallic shimmer — aventurescence — comes from mica inclusions, at hardness around 7. Chrysoprase is a green chalcedony, softer at 6.5 to 7, with an apple-green translucency that is difficult to photograph and easy to recognise in person. It dislikes acids and household chemicals. See the green aventurine bracelet or the chrysoprase bracelet.
June — pearl, moonstone and alexandrite
June gives you more choices than any other month: pearl as the traditional stone, moonstone and alexandrite as the modern alternatives. Moonstone is a feldspar with adularescence — a blue-white sheen that appears to float beneath the surface and shifts as the light moves. Hardness 6 to 6.5, so keep it away from hard knocks. Its association with the moon recurs independently in Roman, Indian and European sources, which is rarer than it sounds. See the moonstone bracelet or the 925 silver moonstone ring.
July — ruby and carnelian
Ruby is the modern July stone; carnelian, a red-orange chalcedony, is the traditional alternative and has been carved since antiquity. Hardness 6.5 to 7. Its colour runs from pale orange to deep brick red, and some of it is deepened by heating — standard practice, and disclosed on the treatment guide. Because it is a chalcedony rather than a crystal, it holds a polish well and wears comfortably. See the carnelian ring in 925 silver.
August — peridot
We do not currently carry peridot. We would rather say that plainly than list a substitute as though it were the same thing. Peridot is unusual in gemmology because its olive-green colour is intrinsic to the mineral itself rather than caused by trace elements, and most of it forms in the upper mantle rather than the crust. If you want the August slot filled with a green stone we do stock, the closest options are green aventurine, chrysoprase or prehnite.
September — sapphire and lapis lazuli
Sapphire is the modern September stone; lapis lazuli is the traditional one, and it is a genuine alternative rather than a consolation. Lapis is a rock, not a single mineral: a mixture dominated by lazurite, with pyrite producing the gold flecks and calcite the white veining. Hardness 5 to 6, softer than its solid look suggests, so it prefers a bracelet that is not constantly knocking against a desk. See the lapis lazuli bracelet.
October — opal and tourmaline
October offers two. Tourmaline is the easier of the pair to wear, at hardness 7 to 7.5, and it occurs in almost every colour because its crystal structure accommodates a very wide range of elements. Pink tourmaline takes its colour from manganese. Because tourmaline is pleochroic, the same stone can look noticeably different from two angles — worth knowing before you decide a photograph is inaccurate. See the pink tourmaline bracelet or the rainbow tourmaline bracelet.
November — topaz and citrine
Topaz is the modern November stone; citrine is the traditional alternative and a good deal friendlier on price. Here is the detail most listings leave out: much of the citrine on the market is heat-treated amethyst or smoky quartz, and natural citrine is comparatively uncommon. Hardness 7 either way. Colour runs from pale lemon to deep amber, with the darker material more often being the treated one. See the citrine bracelet or the citrine ring in 925 silver.
December — turquoise, zircon and tanzanite
December gives you turquoise, zircon and tanzanite. Turquoise is the traditional choice, and it is a phosphate rather than a silicate, at hardness 5 to 6 — soft enough that a large share of the turquoise on the market is stabilised with resin to make it wearable at all. Natural turquoise shows a matrix of veins; a perfectly uniform blue surface is usually a sign of treatment. See the turquoise bracelet.
How to choose a birthstone piece
- Match it to what they wear. A birthstone is only worn if the colour suits the person. Silver or gold tone, delicate or bold, bracelet or ring — start there. The Size Guide covers beads and wrist measurements.
- Check the hardness. Anything under 6 Mohs is a piece to wear carefully, not to sleep in. Every product page lists it.
- Decide whether treatment matters to you. Treated stone is still real stone. What matters is that it is disclosed. See the Material & Treatment Guide.
- If the month's stone is unavailable, choose by colour. The gesture survives the substitution; a forced purchase does not.
More gift-specific advice is in the Crystal Gifts guide, and if you are weighing two stones against each other, the Comparisons Hub puts them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is my birthstone?
Under the modern Western list: January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal, November topaz, December turquoise. Older lists differ, and for several months there is more than one accepted answer — June has three.
Are birthstones real, or just a marketing invention?
Both, honestly. The twelve-month list as it stands today was standardised by a trade association in 1912, which is a commercial origin. But assigning gems to months is much older than that, and it appears independently in several cultures, which is why the lists disagree. Treat it as a tradition with a commercial wrapper rather than a rule of nature.
Do I have to wear the stone for my own birth month?
No. Plenty of people wear a stone for a child's month, a partner's, or a month that matters for personal reasons. It is a mnemonic, not a regulation.
You do not carry my birthstone. What should I do?
For August we carry no peridot, and we say so on this page. The practical answer is to choose a stone in the same colour family — green aventurine, chrysoprase or prehnite for peridot — or to pick a stone by meaning instead of by month.
Is a birthstone bracelet a good gift?
It is one of the safer jewellery gifts, because the recipient's birth month is a fact you already know. Combine it with the right fit and a short note explaining why you chose that stone, and it lands better than a more expensive piece chosen at random.