Find her month's stone, pick a cross or a heart, then see whether the chain is included
Start with her birth month, then the shape. Sapphire, the September stone, took more than half of the pieces sold here, and pink was its color bought most. A small gold cross about an inch tall is the easy gift. Read the title before you pay, because a pendant comes alone unless it says set or necklace. For March, August or December, take the starburst heart set and choose her stone from its menu.
Her month: birthstone pendants by month, garnet to opal
Look up her month in the table below and start with that stone. September runs deepest, with 21 sapphire pieces in pink, blue, red, green and yellow. May's emerald sold second most in the year, led by the 10K gold lion. October brings three opal crosses, and January has two silver crosses in rhodolite, a red garnet.
For July, choose a title that names ruby without sapphire, like the 14K ruby cross or the scarlet ruby cross. A cross called blood red sapphire is sold as sapphire. March, August and December have no piece of their own, so go to the mini starburst heart set, whose stone menu covers all twelve months.
Cross or heart: sapphire cross pendants, birthstone hearts and the lion
If you are unsure, a cross is the safe start. Crosses are 32 of the 54 pieces and more than half of what sold. The mini pink sapphire cross, one inch of round stones, was the cross bought most.
Hearts are the softer gift, in blue topaz, citrine and pink sapphire, and most arrive on their chain. For a piece with character, look at the emerald lion, the sapphire-eyed owl or the Hello Kitty with pink rubies and diamonds.
Chain or not: does a birthstone pendant come with a chain
Read the title first. A piece comes alone unless it says set or necklace, and most here come alone. On ten sets and necklaces you choose 18, 20, 22 or 24 inches from the menu. If you cannot ask her, 18 inches sits at the collarbone. The mini cross set rides a 1 mm chain, while the big silver cross sets hang on 2.5 mm. No listing prints the opening of the bail, so tell the live chat the width of her chain before you order.
Size and gold: mini crosses to 2.5 inches, in 14K, 10K or silver
Check the inches, not the word mini. The mini sapphire crosses stand about an inch and weigh close to 1.5 grams. The two row princess crosses run 1.25 inches at about 6 grams. The biggest run 2.5 inches tall, and the Sanctity and Aqua Aura crosses weigh about 17 grams in silver, a piece made to be seen.
Choose 14K for a pendant worn day and night. It covers most of the 54, and 10K carries the lions. Silver is 13 pieces, nearly all crosses. On almost every gold piece you pick yellow, white or rose, and white gold reads bright white, close to silver.
Natural or lab-grown: the colored stones and the diamonds
If she needs a mined stone, check with us before paying, because no title here says how a colored stone was made. The diamonds are clearer. Every listing that names a side diamond's origin says natural, and the two starburst hearts say lab-grown. Sapphire and ruby take daily wear best. Opal and pearl are soft, so keep them clear of perfume and knocks. Put the question to the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.