Birthstones by Month
A birthstone is the gem associated with a person's birth month. The system has both a modern list, used by most jewellers today, and an older traditional list that sometimes uses different stones. Both are valid, and a few months carry two or three stones.
Use the month guides for the stone, colour, hardness, meaning and care notes. If the piece will be worn every day, hardness matters as much as symbolism. Sapphire and ruby handle daily wear easily. Opal and pearl are softer, so they work better in earrings and pendants than in an everyday ring.
Soft birthstones to wear with care
A birthstone can be meaningful without being a sensible choice for every piece of jewellery. Match the stone to the piece. A soft stone in earrings can outlast a hard stone in a ring that takes daily knocks.
Birthstone by month
- #01
January birthstone: Garnet
Deep red, raspberry, orange, green. 6.5 to 7.5 Mohs.
- #02
February birthstone: Amethyst
Pale lilac to deep violet. 7 Mohs.
- #03
March birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone
Pale blue to blue-green. 7.5 to 8 Mohs.
- #04
April birthstone: Diamond
Colourless, plus rare fancy yellow, blue, pink and other colours. 10 Mohs.
- #05
May birthstone: Emerald
Vivid green to slightly bluish green. 7.5 to 8 Mohs.
- #06
June birthstone: Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone
White, cream, gold, grey, black, pink. 2.5 to 4.5 Mohs.
- #07
July birthstone: Ruby
Pinkish red to deep crimson. 9 Mohs.
- #08
August birthstone: Peridot, Spinel, Sardonyx
Lime green to olive green. 6.5 to 7 Mohs.
- #09
September birthstone: Sapphire
Blue, pink, yellow, green, padparadscha, colourless. 9 Mohs.
- #10
October birthstone: Opal, Tourmaline
Play of colour against white, black, crystal or fire body. 5.5 to 6.5 Mohs.
- #11
November birthstone: Topaz, Citrine
Blue, orange (imperial), pink, yellow, colourless. 8 Mohs.
- #12
December birthstone: Tanzanite, Zircon, Turquoise
Violet-blue, shifting toward blue or violet by viewing angle. 6 to 7 Mohs.
Popular birthstone gemstones
- #01
Sapphire
September birthstone. Mohs 9. Suits engagement rings and daily wear.
- #02
Ruby
July birthstone. Mohs 9. Vivid red and durable enough for everyday rings.
- #03
Emerald
May birthstone. Vivid green beryl. Brittle, so use protective settings.
- #04
Opal
October birthstone. Australian play of colour. Softer, needs careful wear.
- #05
Pearl
June birthstone. Soft and organic. Wears better in earrings and pendants.