The complete birthstone guide
Birthstones by month: every stone, color and meaning
Twelve months, twenty gemstones and three thousand years of belief. Earth Stone Guide explains what each birthstone is, what its color means, where it comes from, who invented the tradition and how to choose a birthstone necklace you can wear every day.
Every guide ends with the jewelry worth buying for that month, from a birthstone ring in 18K gold to a family birthstone necklace holding one stone for each child.
Birthstone chart: all 12 months
JanuaryGarnetDeep red
FebruaryAmethystViolet purple
MarchAquamarineSea blue to blue-green
AprilDiamondColorless white
MayEmeraldVivid green
JunePearlWhite, cream, silver — and color-changing
JulyRubyRich red
AugustPeridotYellow-green olive
SeptemberSapphireRoyal blue (and every color but red)
OctoberOpalPlay-of-color; pink to watermelon
NovemberTopazGolden yellow to warm orange
DecemberTurquoiseBlue — from robin's-egg to violet-blue
Start with the essentials
What birthstone colors mean
Red for vitality, green for renewal, blue for truth — the symbolism behind every birthstone color, month by month.
The history of birthstones
From Aaron's breastplate and Josephus to Polish gem traders and the 1912 American jewelers' list.
Birthstone questions answered
Why some months have several stones, whether pearl counts, what your zodiac stone is, and how to care for each gem.
The most-asked birthstone months
December birthstone: Turquoise
December is the blue month, with more birthstones than any other: turquoise, tanzanite, blue zircon, blue topaz and — traditionally — lapis lazuli.
June birthstone: Pearl
June is the richest month for choice: it has three birthstones — pearl, alexandrite and moonstone. Pearl is the traditional and most-worn June birthstone.
August birthstone: Peridot
August has three birthstones: peridot, spinel and sardonyx. Peridot is the modern favorite — a yellow-green gem that is one of the very few found in only one color.
Birthstones on film
A short film on the twelve birthstones — their colors, their meanings and how they are worn.
Birthstone questions, answered
More answers in the birthstone questions and answers guide.
- What is a birthstone?
- A birthstone is a gemstone associated with the month a person was born. Each of the twelve months has at least one stone, and some months — June, August, October, November, December and March — have two or more.
- What are the birthstones for each month?
- January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal, November topaz and December turquoise.
- Who came up with birthstones?
- The idea traces to the twelve stones in the breastplate of Aaron in the Book of Exodus, was linked to birth months by 18th-century Polish gem traders, and was standardised into the modern list by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912.
- What is my birthstone?
- Find your birth month in the chart on this page and open its page for the stone, its color, its meaning and how to wear it.
- Are birthstone necklaces a good gift?
- They are one of the most personal gifts in jewelry: the stone names the month someone was born, and family necklaces can hold one stone per child or parent.