July · Birthstone guide
The July birthstone is ruby, the red variety of corundum — the same mineral as sapphire — and second only to diamond in hardness.
Ruby red is passion, courage and life force. In Sanskrit it is ratnaraj — king of gems.
Color is the single biggest driver of value in colored gemstones, and it is also where birthstone symbolism lives. See how every month's color compares in the birthstone color guide.
Ruby is worn for courage, vitality and passionate love. Burmese warriors are said to have embedded rubies in their skin before battle.
Ruby has been mined in Myanmar's Mogok valley for over a thousand years and traveled the Silk Road into Chinese and European courts. 'Pigeon's blood' remains the trade term for the finest color.
For the origin of the twelve-month tradition itself — Aaron's breastplate, Josephus, Polish gem traders and the 1912 American jewelers' list — read the full history of birthstones.
Modern birthstone · 9 Mohs
Traditional birthstone · 6.5–7 Mohs
Spiritual and healing associations are traditional lore, recorded here for cultural interest — they are not medical advice.
Color is everything: pure red with a hint of blue outranks orangey or dark stones. Heat treatment is near-universal; glass-filled rubies are far cheaper and much less durable — always ask.
Very durable. Warm soapy water, ultrasonic safe for untreated stones, but never for glass-filled ones.
A pendant is the most forgiving setting for softer stones, because a necklace takes far fewer knocks than a ring. Bezel settings protect the girdle of the stone and suit everyday wear, which is why a bezel-set july birthstone necklace is the piece most people start with.
If you want the stone on your hand instead, a slim july birthstone ring keeps the setting low enough to survive daily wear, and a personalized birthstone bracelet lets you line up one stone for every family birthday.
Shop July birthstone necklaces, rings and bracelets in 18K gold — each one made with the July birthstone and engraved with the name, initial or date you choose. Choose a piece, then pick your finish.
A short film on ruby, the july birthstone — its color, its meaning and how it is worn.
More answers in the birthstone questions and answers guide.
