Birthstones by Month: Chart, Colors, Meanings and Care
Your birthstone is the gem, or choice of gems, linked with your birth month. Find yours in the chart below, then open the monthly guide for colors, traditional meanings, buying questions and care. A birthstone can be a personal gift, a piece of jewelry or the beginning of a gemstone collection.
Choose your birth month
JanuaryGarnet
FebruaryAmethyst
MarchAquamarine
AprilDiamond
MayEmerald
JuneMoonstone
JulyRuby
AugustPeridot
SeptemberSapphire
OctoberOpal
NovemberCitrine
DecemberTurquoiseEach photo shows one representative gem for its month. Some months have more choices, listed in the complete chart below. These are educational reference photos, not store inventory. Photo credits and licences.
Birthstone chart: all 12 months
This guide follows the month-and-gem choices shown by GIA and the American Gem Society. The color notes describe familiar examples, not every possible variety. A photograph or color alone cannot confirm a gem's identity.
| Month | Birthstone choices | Color or appearance notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Red; also orange, green and other colors |
| February | Amethyst | Purple |
| March | Aquamarine and bloodstone | Blue aquamarine; green bloodstone with red markings |
| April | Diamond | Colorless and fancy colors |
| May | Emerald | Green |
| June | Pearl, alexandrite and moonstone | Pearl: varied; alexandrite: color-change; moonstone: floating sheen |
| July | Ruby | Red |
| August | Peridot, spinel and sardonyx | Peridot: yellowish green; spinel: varied; sardonyx: bands |
| September | Sapphire | Blue and many other colors |
| October | Opal and tourmaline | Opal: varied; tourmaline: many colors |
| November | Topaz and citrine | Topaz: varied; citrine: yellow to orange |
| December | Turquoise, tanzanite and zircon | Turquoise: blue/green; tanzanite: blue/violet; zircon: varied |
Why do some months have several birthstones?
Birthstone lists are traditions, not a mineral classification system. Different lists and periods may give different choices. Use a named reference list when you compare charts, rather than assuming that every difference is a mistake. Multiple choices also let you pick the gem that suits the person receiving it. June, for example, offers very different appearances in pearl, alexandrite and moonstone.
What do birthstone meanings mean?
Words such as love, courage and wisdom belong to the stories people attach to gems. They can make a gift feel personal. They are not laboratory measurements and do not prove that wearing a stone changes health, luck or personality. Enjoy the history while keeping the science separate: gem identification concerns what the material is, not what someone hopes it will bring.
Choose a birthstone gift for the person
Begin with three simple questions: What colors do they enjoy? How will they use the stone? What is the total budget, including a setting and delivery? A large loose gem is not automatically a better gift than a smaller, well-chosen piece.
Think about the setting before buying a loose stone. Ask a jeweler whether its measurements suit the planned design. For a collector, a well-described specimen may be more interesting than jewelry. If you are unsure, compare two or three examples in the same month guide and write down what you prefer about each.
Read the listing before you buy
Ask whether the material is natural, laboratory-created, cultured where relevant, or an imitation. A laboratory-created gem is made by people; an imitation is a different material made to resemble another gem. Those descriptions should be clear before you compare offers.
Also ask about treatments, weight, dimensions and care needs. Treatments may change appearance and can affect cleaning or value. Request clear photographs, useful written details and the seller's return terms. For an important purchase, ask what an independent laboratory report does and does not establish. A report is not a promise of future value.
Care starts with knowing the stone
Hardness describes resistance to scratching. It does not tell the whole story about chipping, breaking or damage from heat and chemicals. The stone, its internal features, any treatments and its setting all matter. Store pieces separately to reduce scratching. Do not use steam, an ultrasonic cleaner or a household chemical until the cleaning method has been confirmed for that particular piece. Each monthly guide explains the main care points.
Birthstone questions, answered simply
What is my birthstone?
Start with your birth month in the chart. If it has several gems, all are choices in the reference list used here.
Must I wear only my own birthstone?
No. The calendar is a way to choose a meaningful gem, not a rule about what you may wear or collect.
Is there one birthstone color for each month?
No. Some months have several gems, and many gem types occur in more than one color. Read the gem name as well as the color.
Where should I begin?
Open your month above. Then compare the next monthly guide, or return to this chart whenever you want to explore another gem. Choose with clear information, a realistic budget and your own taste.
Sources and further reading
Photo credits and licences
- January: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- February: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- March: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- April: Photo: Mauro Cateb, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- May: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- June: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- July: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- August: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- September: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- October: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- November: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
- December: Photo: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size adjusted; image otherwise unchanged.
Explore the birthstone series
Published by Lavish Gems & Mineral Store. Birthstone associations follow the reference lists linked above. This independently written guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by GIA. Gem descriptions are educational and do not identify an untested stone.
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