Zodiac stones
Zodiac Birthstones: Stones by Star Sign
Star signs had their stones centuries before the calendar did. Here is every sign, its date range, the gems traditionally assigned to it, and the month birthstone it overlaps.
Zodiac stones came first
The twelve stones of Aaron's breastplate were tied to the twelve signs of the zodiac by ancient writers, and medieval lapidaries kept that pairing. Wearing one stone per sign, and rotating them through the year, was normal practice long before anyone wore a single stone for a birth month. The month system we use today only settled in 1912 — the full story is on the history of birthstones page.
Why your two stones may not match
Each sign straddles two calendar months, so a birthday on August 25 is Virgo — sapphire — while the month list gives peridot. Neither is wrong. If you want both, a two-stone birthstone necklace holds the month stone and the sign stone together.
Zodiac birthstones by star sign
Aries
March 21 – April 19
Diamond, bloodstone, carnelian
Stones of drive and courage, matched to a fire sign that starts things.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Emerald, sapphire, rose quartz
Green and blue stones for steadiness, loyalty and long attachments.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Agate, pearl, alexandrite
Changeable stones for a changeable sign — alexandrite literally shifts color.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Pearl, moonstone, ruby
Moon-linked stones for intuition, home and protection of family.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Peridot, ruby, onyx
Sun stones: warmth, confidence and visible color.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Sapphire, peridot, carnelian
Clear, well-cut stones for discernment and careful work.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Opal, tourmaline, lapis lazuli
Balanced, multicolored stones for harmony and fairness.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
Topaz, citrine, obsidian
Deep golds and dark stones for intensity and transformation.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
Turquoise, tanzanite, blue topaz
Traveler's stones — turquoise has guarded riders and sailors for centuries.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
Garnet, ruby, black onyx
Enduring red stones for persistence and long-term ambition.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
Amethyst, garnet, jasper
Violet stones for clear thinking and independence.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
Aquamarine, amethyst, bloodstone
Water-colored stones for calm, empathy and safe passage.
Zodiac birthstone questions
More answers in the birthstone questions and answers guide.
- What is a zodiac birthstone?
- A zodiac birthstone is a gem linked to a star sign rather than to a calendar month. Because each sign spans parts of two months, a zodiac stone often differs from the modern month birthstone for the same birthday.
- Are zodiac birthstones older than monthly birthstones?
- Yes. Stones were assigned to the signs of the zodiac in the ancient and medieval world, long before the American National Association of Jewelers standardized the twelve-month list in 1912.
- Should I wear my zodiac stone or my month birthstone?
- Either. Most jewelers use the month list because it is unambiguous, but many people wear both — one stone for the birth month and one for the star sign.
- Which zodiac signs share a stone with their month?
- Aries shares diamond with April, Taurus shares emerald with May, Leo shares peridot with August, Virgo shares sapphire with September, Libra shares opal with October, Scorpio shares topaz with November, Sagittarius shares turquoise with December and Pisces shares aquamarine with March.