SearchBirthstones by month: the birthstone chart, each month's stone, and how it wears
The birthstones by month are January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl or alexandrite, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal or tourmaline, November topaz or citrine, and December tanzanite or turquoise. That is the modern list American jewelers use; the traditional list differs in two months, with bloodstone for March and sardonyx for August.
The short answer
- Four months carry two stones: June, October, November and December. Many jewelers give blue topaz to December as well.
- For a ring worn every day, the hardest stones wear best: diamond, then sapphire and ruby.
- Opal, pearl and emerald want a gentler hand, and come off for the gym and the sink.
- Natural or lab-grown: most of our colored-stone titles do not say, so ask before you pay.
Looking for one month's stone? Ask in the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692; a person answers from 10 AM ET.
Women's Birthstone Jewelry
All women's birthstone jewelry
The colors are drawn, not photographed, and every stone comes in more than one shade.
Birthstone chart: modern and traditional stones, color and hardness
The modern stone is the one on the list American jewelers use today; the traditional stone is the one the month carried before that list grew. Hardness is the scratch scale jewelers use, from 1 to 10, with diamond at the top. The higher the number, the harder the stone is to scratch; how it takes a knock is its own question, below.
| Month | Modern birthstone | Traditional | Color | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Garnet | deep red | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| February | Amethyst | Amethyst | purple | 7 |
| March | Aquamarine | Bloodstone | pale sea blue | 7.5 to 8 |
| April | Diamond | Diamond | colorless | 10 |
| May | Emerald | Emerald | green | 7.5 to 8 |
| June | Pearl or alexandrite | Pearl | cream white; green that turns red under warm light | 2.5 to 4.5; 8.5 |
| July | Ruby | Ruby | red | 9 |
| August | Peridot | Sardonyx | yellow green | 6.5 to 7 |
| September | Sapphire | Sapphire | blue | 9 |
| October | Opal or tourmaline | Opal | flashes of color; pink or green | 5.5 to 6.5; 7 to 7.5 |
| November | Topaz or citrine | Topaz | golden; yellow to orange | 8; 7 |
| December | Tanzanite or turquoise | Turquoise | blue violet; sky blue | 6 to 7; 5 to 6 |
The modern list began in 1912 with the National Association of Jewelers, now Jewelers of America. Alexandrite, citrine and pink tourmaline joined it in 1952, and tanzanite in 2002. In 1912 March led with bloodstone and August with sardonyx; today's lists lead with aquamarine and peridot. We do not carry bloodstone or sardonyx, so for those two months we set the modern stone. Color and hardness are for the modern stone, on the Mohs scale, as general figures for each mineral. Many jewelers also give blue topaz, at 8, to December.
Which birthstones wear best
- Every day, no fuss: diamond, then sapphire and ruby at 9. Sapphire and ruby are one mineral, corundum: ruby is the red, sapphire the blue and every other color.
- Every day, with some care: alexandrite, topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, amethyst, citrine, garnet and peridot. They wear well; take them off for hard work.
- A gentle hand: emerald is hard enough but brittle, and emeralds are often oiled to hide fine cracks. Opal holds water, pearl and turquoise are soft and porous, and tanzanite can chip. Keep perfume and lotion off them, and skip hot water and ultrasonic cleaners.
Pearl and opal need some humidity, so do not seal them airtight. How to wash a stone-set piece at home is in the stone-set row of our cleaning guide.
The birthstones we set, month by month
September's sapphire has the widest choice in our case: earrings, pendants, rings and tennis bracelets. Ruby comes next, then opal, with its own opal jewelry page, and emerald. Garnet, amethyst, topaz and citrine sit mostly in rings and pendants, pearl mostly in earrings and necklaces; aquamarine, peridot, tourmaline, tanzanite, turquoise and alexandrite are in a few pieces each, so ask us for your month.
Shop by piece: birthstone rings, birthstone necklaces, birthstone earrings, birthstone bracelets, or all women's birthstone jewelry.
One word on names: emerald cut is a shape. An emerald-cut diamond is a diamond and an emerald-cut ruby is a ruby; for May, the stone on the listing has to read emerald.
Each month's stone, in our case
One piece for every month, pictured from its listing, and the page that holds the rest.
One design, eight months. Our 14K heart-shape earrings come in garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, diamond, peridot, pink tourmaline, citrine and blue topaz, so a family can give the same heart, each in its own month. See them side by side on our heart earrings page.
Natural or lab-grown?
A stone grown in a lab is the same mineral as one mined from the ground, and only a gem lab tells them apart. Most of our colored-stone titles do not say which. If yours has to come out of the ground, ask us before you pay.
From the store
“The jewelry business is about trust. You will not learn everything there is to know before you buy, so buy from someone who will still be around, and who treats you with dignity. I have seen customers start over with a new jeweler because they picked the one who fooled them best: the one who made them feel good at the store and bad once they understood what they bought.”
A birthstone as a gift
- Two stones for one month? Pick by how she wears it. Alexandrite, tourmaline or blue topaz for a ring worn every day; pearl, opal or turquoise for a pendant or earrings.
- A mother's piece with one stone for each child is custom work: a deposit starts the 3D design, and nothing is made until you approve. Start on our AI Jewelry Designer page or ask the desk in the live chat; the desk gives the timing.
- A ring needs her size. Borrow one she wears and read it against our ring size chart.
Chat, text or call
Tell us the month and the piece.
The live chat answers at night too; calls and texts are answered from 10 AM ET.
Birthstone questions
What are the birthstones by month?
Garnet for January, amethyst for February, aquamarine for March, diamond for April, emerald for May, pearl or alexandrite for June, ruby for July, peridot for August, sapphire for September, opal or tourmaline for October, topaz or citrine for November, and tanzanite or turquoise for December.
Which months have more than one birthstone?
On our list, four: June is pearl or alexandrite, October opal or tourmaline, November topaz or citrine, and December tanzanite or turquoise, with blue topaz given to December by many jewelers too. Longer lists add a few more, such as moonstone for June, spinel for August and zircon for December.
What is the difference between modern and traditional birthstones?
The traditional stone is the month's older one. American jewelers set the modern list in 1912 and have added to it since, so March now leads with aquamarine rather than bloodstone, and August with peridot rather than sardonyx. The other ten months kept their old stone, and some gained a second, such as alexandrite for June.
Which birthstone is best for an engagement ring?
After diamond, sapphire and ruby. Both rate 9 on the hardness scale, so they stand up to daily wear. Alexandrite and topaz wear well too; opal, pearl and emerald ask for more care than an everyday ring gets.
Can you wear a birthstone that is not your month?
Yes. The month list is a custom, not a rule. Plenty of people wear a child's or a partner's month, or simply the color they love.
What is my birthstone if I was born on a certain day?
The list goes by month, not by day: anyone born in April, on the 1st or the 30th, has the diamond. Where a month has two stones, as June, October, November and December do, either one is yours.
Keep reading
More answers from the store: all TraxNYC buyer's guides.
See the stones in person
We are at 64 W 47th St, Booth F-1, New York, NY 10036, on 47th Street since 2004. Monday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm ET, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm ET; around a holiday, text first. Ask for the stones you want to see in the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET, and read our showroom page before you come.
