What Is My Birthstone? Birthstones by Month, Color & Meaning

Everyone's birthday comes with a gemstone — a stone tied to your birth month, rich with color, history, and meaning. Whether you are choosing a meaningful gift, a piece of everyday jewelry, or a truly personal engagement ring, your birthstone is a lovely place to start. This guide gives you the complete birthstone chart, the meaning behind every month's stone, and how to wear it — so you can find yours in seconds.

Ready to find yours? Browse all birthstone jewelry as you read.

What a Birthstone Actually Is

A gemstone for your birth month.

A birthstone is a gemstone associated with the month you were born. Each of the twelve months has one or more assigned stones, each with its own color and symbolism, so your birthstone becomes a small, personal emblem you can wear.

The tradition is ancient. It is often traced to the twelve gems on the breastplate of Aaron described in the Bible, later linked to the twelve months and the twelve zodiac signs. The modern, standardized list most people use today was established in 1912 by the American National Retail Jewelers' Association, meeting in Kansas City, and has been lightly updated since. You can read more about the history in this overview of birthstones, and see the official modern list from the GIA.

The Complete Birthstone Chart

Every month, at a glance.

Your Birthstone, Month by Month

The stone, the meaning, and where to find it.

• January — Garnet. A deep, glowing red stone of protection and constancy, garnet is durable and rich in color. Explore January birthstone jewelry.
• February — Amethyst. The regal purple quartz of calm and clarity, long linked to wisdom and serenity. Explore February birthstone jewelry.
• March — Aquamarine. The serene sea-blue beryl of courage and tranquility. See our aquamarine guide or shop March birthstone jewelry.
• April — Diamond. The hardest gem of all, symbol of strength and eternal love. Explore April birthstone jewelry.
• May — Emerald. Vivid green beryl of rebirth and love. See our emerald guide or shop May birthstone jewelry.
• June — Pearl, Moonstone & Alexandrite. A trio of gentle, glowing gems of purity and intuition. See our moonstone meaning guide or shop June birthstone jewelry.
• July — Ruby. The fiery red corundum of passion, vitality, and protection. Explore July birthstone jewelry.
• August — Peridot. A bright lime-green gem of strength, light, and good fortune. Explore August birthstone jewelry.
• September — Sapphire. The blue corundum of wisdom and faithfulness, and a superb ring stone. See our sapphire guide or shop September birthstone jewelry.
• October — Opal & Tourmaline. Iridescent opal and rainbow tourmaline, gems of hope and creativity. Explore October birthstone jewelry.
• November — Topaz & Citrine. Warm golden-yellow stones of abundance and joy. Explore November birthstone jewelry.
• December — Turquoise, Tanzanite & Zircon. A cool blue trio of friendship and protection. Explore December birthstone jewelry.

Find yours

Birthstone Jewelry

Handcrafted and made to order — rings, pendants, and gifts in every month's birthstone, in silver, vermeil, or solid gold.

Browse Birthstone Jewelry

Traditional vs Modern Birthstones

Why you'll sometimes see two answers.

If you have ever found conflicting birthstone lists, here is why. Traditional birthstones are the older stones used historically, while modern birthstones come from the standardized 1912 list (and its updates), created to make birthstones more consistent and affordable. For most months the two agree.

Where they differ, it is usually a matter of adding options: some traditional lists name bloodstone for March, or list moonstone and alexandrite for June, and newer additions like tanzanite (added to December in 2002) broadened the choices. Both traditional and modern stones are perfectly valid — the modern list is simply the most widely used today, and having options means you can pick the color, price, or meaning you love most.

Zodiac Birthstones

A separate, older system.

You may also come across zodiac (astrological) birthstones, which assign gems to the twelve zodiac signs rather than to calendar months. Because each sign spans parts of two months, they do not line up exactly with the monthly chart. Some people enjoy wearing both — their monthly birthstone and their zodiac stone — but for finding "your" birthstone, the modern monthly chart above is the standard, and the easiest place to start. For every sign's stone and how it compares with the monthly list, see our full guide to zodiac birthstones by sign.

How to Wear Your Birthstone

Personal, meaningful, and yours.

1. As everyday jewelry. A birthstone ring, pendant, or pair of earrings keeps your stone close — browse all birthstone jewelry.
2. As an engagement ring. A birthstone center stone makes a deeply personal ring; durable stones like sapphire, diamond, and ruby are ideal, softer ones lovely in protective settings. Explore gemstone engagement rings.
3. As a meaningful gift. Give a loved one their birthstone for a birthday, anniversary, or milestone — a thoughtful, personal gesture.
4. Mix and stack. Combine family birthstones in a single piece, or stack birthstone rings for a personal, layered look.
5. Choose what you love. There is no rule — wear your own stone, a partner's, or simply the color that speaks to you.

Keep reading: our guides to april birthstone, october birthstone and the May birthstone, pink gemstones cover the next questions most readers have.

Every Birthstone in Depth: Meaning, Colors and Hardness

Twelve months, twelve stories, and how each stone holds up to daily wear.

Hardness is given on the Mohs scale, where 10 is diamond. Anything from 7 upward handles everyday rings comfortably; softer stones are best in pendants, earrings, or protective ring settings.

January: Garnet

Garnet takes its name from the Latin granatum, the pomegranate, for the deep red seeds its crystals resemble. Ancient warriors carried it into battle for protection; today it stands for friendship, trust, and safe travel. Red pyrope and almandine are the classic January stones, but the garnet family also gives green tsavorite, orange spessartite, and purple rhodolite. Colors: deep red, plus green, orange, purple, and yellow. Mohs hardness: 6.5 to 7.5, durable for daily wear. Explore January birthstone jewelry and our January birthstone guide.

February: Amethyst

Purple has always belonged to power, and before Brazilian discoveries made amethyst plentiful it rivaled diamond in value. The name comes from the Greek amethystos, "not intoxicated," because the Greeks believed it kept the mind clear. It symbolizes calm, clarity, wisdom, and protection. Colors: pale lilac to deep violet, with the most saturated purple the most prized. Mohs hardness: 7, suited to everyday wear; keep it out of prolonged strong sunlight, which can fade the color. Explore February birthstone jewelry.

March: Aquamarine

Water of the sea, captured in stone. Aquamarine takes its name from the Latin aqua marina, and sailors once carried it as a talisman against storms. A member of the beryl family alongside emerald, it symbolizes courage, serenity, and clear communication, and it is the stone at the heart of the Aquamarise name. Colors: pale blue to blue-green. Mohs hardness: 7.5 to 8, excellent for rings. Explore March birthstone jewelry.

April: Diamond

Diamond comes from the Greek adamas, "invincible," and it is the hardest natural substance on Earth, scratched only by another diamond. Formed deep in the Earth over billions of years, it has long stood for enduring love, resilience, and strength. Lab-grown diamonds offer the same brilliance with a lighter footprint. Colors: colorless, plus yellow, blue, pink, green, brown, and black. Mohs hardness: 10. Explore April birthstone jewelry.

May: Emerald

Revered in ancient Rome as the gem of Venus, emerald carries meanings of love, renewal, growth, and good fortune, and its vivid green mirrors the energy of spring. Inside most natural emeralds lies a delicate world of inclusions called jardin, French for "garden," a signature of the stone rather than a flaw. Emerald is beryl colored by chromium and vanadium. Colors: light to vivid deep green. Mohs hardness: 7.5 to 8, but its inclusions call for gentle cleaning with warm soapy water only, never ultrasonic or steam. Explore May birthstone jewelry.

June: Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone

June offers a rare trio. Pearl forms inside living mollusks and stands for purity and wisdom. Alexandrite, first found in Russia's Ural Mountains, shifts from green in daylight to red under warm light and symbolizes balance and adaptability. Moonstone glows with adularescence, a drifting inner light, and is linked to intuition, love, and new beginnings. Colors: white and cream (pearl), green to red (alexandrite), milky white with a blue sheen (moonstone). Mohs hardness: 2.5 to 3 for pearl, 8.5 for alexandrite, 6 to 6.5 for moonstone; wipe pearls with a soft cloth and keep all three away from ultrasonic cleaners. Explore June birthstone jewelry and our June birthstones guide.

July: Ruby

Called the "king of gems" in ancient Sanskrit, ruby has long symbolized passion, courage, protection, and vitality. It is corundum, the same mineral as sapphire, colored red by chromium; the most prized shade is a vivid "pigeon blood" red with a subtle blue undertone. Colors: pinkish red to deep red. Mohs hardness: 9, safe for every kind of jewelry and every cleaning method. Explore July birthstone jewelry and our July birthstone guide.

August: Peridot, Spinel and Sardonyx

Ancient Egyptians called peridot the gem of the sun, and its golden-green glow stands for strength, energy, and healing. It is one of the few gems found in a single color and has even been recovered from meteorites. Spinel, long mistaken for ruby, joined the modern list in 2016 and stands for revitalization and inspiration. Sardonyx, with its layered bands of red and white, is the traditional August stone and an old emblem of strength. Colors: yellow-green to olive (peridot), red, pink, blue, and orange (spinel), banded red-brown and white (sardonyx). Mohs hardness: 6.5 to 7 for peridot, 8 for spinel, 6.5 to 7 for sardonyx. Explore August birthstone jewelry and our August birthstones guide.

September: Sapphire

Sapphire has crowned royalty for centuries and symbolizes wisdom, loyalty, nobility, and sincerity. Blue is its signature, but sapphire appears in nearly every color, each shaped by trace elements; only red corundum is called ruby. The rare padparadscha blends pink and orange, and historic Kashmir stones are prized for their velvety blue. Colors: blue, plus pink, yellow, orange, green, and purple. Mohs hardness: 9, ideal for engagement rings and daily wear. Explore September birthstone jewelry and our September birthstone guide.

October: Opal and Tourmaline

No two opals are the same. Each one flashes a play of color that seems alive, and Australia supplies most of the world's precious opal. Opal stands for creativity, inspiration, and hope. Tourmaline, October's second stone, comes in more colors than any other gem; watermelon tourmaline layers pink, white, and green in a single crystal and symbolizes compassion and self-confidence. Colors: rainbow play-of-color (opal), pink, green, blue, and watermelon (tourmaline). Mohs hardness: 5 to 6.5 for opal, which holds water and dislikes heat and impact, and 7 to 7.5 for tourmaline. Explore October birthstone jewelry.

November: Topaz and Citrine

Topaz glows with warmth. Imperial topaz, in fiery orange with pink undertones, is the rarest and most coveted; blue topaz, usually heat-treated, dominates modern jewelry. Topaz stands for joy, abundance, and generosity. Citrine, November's second stone, mirrors sunlight in golden hues and symbolizes success, energy, and warmth; most commercial citrine is heat-treated amethyst. Colors: orange, blue, pink, and colorless (topaz), yellow to orange-brown (citrine). Mohs hardness: 8 for topaz, which has a cleavage plane and should be protected from sharp knocks, and 7 for citrine. Explore November birthstone jewelry and our November birthstone guide.

December: Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise

Tanzanite, discovered in 1967 in Tanzania's Merelani Hills at the foot of Kilimanjaro, is found nowhere else on Earth and became December's newest birthstone in 2002; it stands for transformation and spiritual awareness. Turquoise, one of humanity's oldest gems, has been worn for over 5,000 years and symbolizes wisdom and prosperity. Zircon, a natural stone unrelated to synthetic cubic zirconia, sparkles with classic brilliance and stands for clarity. Some modern lists add blue topaz as a fourth December option. Colors: violet-blue (tanzanite), sky blue to blue-green (turquoise), blue and colorless (zircon). Mohs hardness: 6 to 6.5 for tanzanite, which suits protective ring settings, 5 to 6 for porous turquoise, and 6.5 to 7.5 for zircon. Explore December birthstone jewelry and our December birthstones guide.

Modern vs Traditional Birthstones, Month by Month

The 1912 list, its updates, and the older stones it replaced.

Traditional birthstones grew out of customs recorded in Poland between the 16th and 18th centuries. The modern list was standardized in 1912 and has been updated three times since, in 1952, 2002, and 2016, most recently to add spinel for August. This chart shows both.

Birthstone Colors by Month

Most birthstones come in more than one color.

Birthstones by month tell a rainbow story, but the classic color is rarely the only one. Garnet appears in green, orange, and purple; sapphire exists in every color except red; tourmaline comes in virtually every shade. Color also drives value: green tsavorite garnet outprices standard red, and watermelon tourmaline is prized above single-color stones.

Birthstone FAQ