Birthstones
A birthstone for every month, and the jewelry it belongs in
The modern American birthstone list is a trade convention rather than an ancient law, and several months carry more than one stone. What matters more than the list is the stone itself: how hard it is, how it was used in the period you are buying from, and what it needs from you once you own it. Each month below covers all three, and ends with the antique pieces we actually have.
January
Garnet
Deep red through to orange, and rarely green
Mohs 6.5 to 7.5
Read and shopFebruary
Amethyst
Pale lilac through to deep reddish purple
Mohs 7
Read and shopMarch
Aquamarine
Pale sea blue to blue green
Mohs 7.5 to 8 · also bloodstone
Read and shopApril
Diamond
Colorless through to warm tints, and rarely strong fancy colors
Mohs 10
Read and shopMay
Emerald
Light to deep green, often with a blue cast
Mohs 7.5 to 8
Read and shopJune
Pearl
White, cream, rose, gray and black, with overtone
Mohs 2.5 to 4.5 · also moonstone, alexandrite
Read and shopJuly
Ruby
Pinkish red to deep purplish red
Mohs 9
Read and shopAugust
Peridot
Yellowish green to olive green
Mohs 6.5 to 7 · also spinel, sardonyx
Read and shopSeptember
Sapphire
Blue above all, and also pink, yellow, green, orange and colorless
Mohs 9
Read and shopOctober
Opal
Body color from white to black, with play of color across the spectrum
Mohs 5 to 6.5 · also tourmaline
Read and shopNovember
Topaz
Golden yellow through orange and brown, and blue in treated topaz
Mohs Topaz 8, citrine 7 · also citrine
Read and shopDecember
Turquoise
Sky blue through to green, often with matrix veining
Mohs 5 to 6 · also zircon, tanzanite, blue topaz
Read and shop
Buying for someone else
Birthstones make the easiest gift brief
A birth month narrows the choice to one stone and takes the guesswork out of it. Our gift guides go a step further and sort by who you are buying for and what you want to spend.
See the gift guides