Discover Your Birthstone
It’s a symbol of you
4 Reasons to Love your Birthstones
self
Often the little things in life can pass on strong subconscious messages. A look upon your birthstone is a reminder that you are valuable and unique like the gemstone itself.
value
For centuries the wealthy have treasured and collected birthstones and gemstones alike. Their natural rarity has elevated these gems into symbols of status and success.
symbolic
Birthstones and jewelry are often symbols of love and commitment. The durability of gemstones make them a perfect representation of self love and the eternal love of another.
BeautY
It's no secret birthstones are a magical part of nature's beauty. Subtlety is not lost on these gems. Like people, their beauty is often discovered when we look beneath the earth's skin.
What Is Your BIrthstone
Your birthstone is important for many reasons. It inspires beauty and celebrates the importance of your relationships. It’s a valuable treasure that can have a positive impact on your health happiness, and wellness. To discover more about your birthstone select your month below.
Birthstones By Month
Although there are many ways to choose your birthstone, the most popular option is by birth month. Many months have more than one birthstone. Let’s take a look at the modern and traditional gemstones that honor our births.
JANUARY BIRTHSTONE- GARNET
The beautiful garnet is both the traditional and modern birthstone for January. When people think of garnet, they envision a red stone. This gem ranges in color from deep red to dark pink, purple, yellow, orange, and many shades of green. Incredibly rare is the blue garnet. Garnets symbolize trust and friendship, peace, prosperity and healthfulness. This birthstone protects people while traveling. People who suffer from bad dreams may find that garnet relieves them from night terrors.
February Birthstone- Amethyst
Amethyst is the treasured birthstone for February. This gem varies in color with a wide range of violet hues, from pale lavender to deep, rich purple. Amethyst inspires courage and strengthens relationships as it promotes peace, serenity and temperance. Amethyst has also been a traditional symbol of royalty. In ancient times, the Greek people believed that this gemstone protected against drunkenness. Amethyst helps with keeping a clear head and balanced mindset.
March Birthstones- Bloodstone and Aquamarine
Bloodstone
March’s traditional birthstone is bloodstone. Bloodstone is green with orange and red spots.Bloodstone symbolizes good health, youthfulness, hope and love.
Aquamarine
Named for the ocean, March’s modern birthstone is aquamarine. Aquamarine presents in a variety of shades. This gemstone can range from an almost clear shade of blue to a deep pastel blue. Aquamarine brings youth, health, hope, fidelity and love.
April Birthstone- Diamond
MAY BIRTHSTONE- EMERALD
Emerald is the brilliant birthstone of May. This gemstone usually has inclusions, but it’s expected and not considered a flaw. Green is the color of the emerald. This birthstone is most valuable when it has an intense bluish hue and is vivid green. Emeralds represent fertility, foresight, health, and faithfulness. They represent rebirth and love, renewed youth, good fortune and healing.
JUNE BIRTHSTONES- PEARL, MOONSTONE AND ALEXANDRITE
Pearl is one of 2 traditional June birthstones. This birthstone is the only gem that’s formed within a living creature. Pearls are grown inside of fresh and saltwater mollusks. These include oysters, clams and mussels, with oysters being the most common. The color of a pearl ranges from pale creamy white to black. There are many hues to choose from, including rose, lilac, green, gold, gray, black, cream and white. Pearls are symbols of fertility, love, chastity and modesty as well as marriage.
MOONSTONE
Alexandrite
June’s modern birthstone is the relatively new gem Alexandrite. Alexandrite is a color-changing stone. It looks bluish-green in daylight but shifts to a purple-red under incandescent lighting. Alexandrite brings elevated pleasure and intuition, increases imagination and creativity. It supports learning and concentration and attracts good omens.
July Birthstone- Ruby
The ruby is the traditional and modern birthstone of July. This beautiful stone varies in shades from deep reddish-purple to orangish-red. The Burmese Ruby is the most valuable color and the brightest. It’s a rich red color with a slightly blue hue. The ruby symbolizes passion, wealth, love, courage, wisdom, health, peace, emotion and power. This gemstone increases harmony and energy and brings heightened awareness.
August Birthstones- Sardonyx, Peridot and Spinel
SARDONYX
The traditional birthstone is Sardonyx. Sardonyx is a beautiful stone composed of alternating layers of onyx and sard. These layers of chalcedony create a striped stone. This gemstone is typically reddish with white bands. Sardonyx can also range in color from yellowish red to reddish-brown. Sardonyx inspires happiness, strength, courage and clear communication. It also provides protection from evil.
PERIDOT
SPINEL
The third and most modern birthstone for August is Spinel. Spinel is usually recognized as red, but can also be shades of orange, pastel pink and purple and rarely blue. This birthstone is most desirable in the vivid red color. Spinel protects its owner from harm, helps to heal sadness and aids in reconciliation.
SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONES- SAPPHIRE AND LAPIS LAZULI
SAPPHIRE
Sapphire is a modern and traditional birthstone of September. This gemstone comes in every color except red but is most thought of as blue. Sapphire represents trust, sincerity, integrity, purity, faith, wisdom and honesty. It protects those close to its owner from harm. A very powerful gemstone, Sapphire has both spiritual and medicinal healing properties.
LAPIS LAZULI
OCTOBER BIRTHSTONES- OPAL AND TOURMALINE
OPAL
TOURMALINE
NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONES- CITRINE AND YELLOW TOPAZ
Citrine is a modern and traditional birthstone for November. The most popular citrine gems are bright yellow to brownish red and very clear. The stone also ranges from yellow to orange-brown. Citrine represents imagination, success, healing, personal will and manifestation. This is a stone of strength of mind and body.
YELLOW TOPAZ
Another modern birthstone for November is yellow topaz. There are many shades of topaz ranging from green, blue, red, pink, colorless and even more. The yellow version is the birthstone for November. Topaz represents love, health, protection, healing and wealth.
DECEMBER BIRTHSTONES- LAPIS LAZULI, BLUE ZIRCON, TURQUOISE, TANZANITE AND BLUE TOPAZ
LAPIS LAZULI
TURQUOISE
BIRTHSTONES ARE A CELEBRATION OF YOU!
You can choose your birthstone for aesthetic appeal or healing properties. It’s a symbol of you! You are rare, there’s no one else in the world like you and no birthstone like yours. Your contributions to society are valuable, and your birthstone embodies your value. You persevere everyday and your birthstone’s durability is a symbol of your strength. Your birthstone is the representation of the beauty of your life, your soul and your work.
Discover yourself in your birthstone today.
Alternative Birthstones
- Birthstones by Zodiac
- Birthstones by Day
- Birthstones by Time of Birth
- Birthstones by Season
- Birthstones by Chinese Zodiac
- Birthstones by Season of Birth
- Birthstones by Apostles
- Birthstones by Guardian Angels
- Mystical Birthstones
- Ayurvedic Birthstones
- Numerology Birthstones
The Origin of Birthstones
Birthstones are a collection of gemstones that relate to a person’s birth. There are a variety of ways to choose your birthstone. History records how these precious gemstones were first identified as powerful. Traced to the book of Exodus, birthstones appear in the Bible. The breastplate of Aaron was inlaid with 12 gemstones, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. These stones included:
Emerald – Sapphire – Diamond – Topaz – Carbuncle – Sardius – Agate – Ligure – Amethyst – Onyx Jasper – Beryl
“There were twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.” (Exodus 28:17-20)
A scholar in the first century created the idea of birthstones. Flavius Josephus associated the breastplate stones with the 12 signs of the zodiac. In the fifth century Saint Jerome referenced Flavius Josephus and agreed that the stones were appropriate.
This discovery was later questioned by George Frederick Kunz. He argued that Josephus saw the breastplate of the Second Temple, not the one described in Exodus.
Jewish gem traders in Poland introduced birthstones (when?) as we know them today. They began selling each gemstone by birth month, which caught on in the United States as well. Selling birthstones by month became standard practice in 1912. Kunz and the National Association of Jewelers played a big part in this.
Kunz wrote the definitive book on birthstones and their folklore. He felt that birthstones should be protected from becoming a commercial interest because this would weaken the history and meaning of these precious gems.
Kunz wrote a pamphlet about natal stones, published by Tiffany and Company. This described each stone and its special properties. This event led to the modern belief that the qualities of gemstones can transfer to the wearer. The National Association of Jewelers then called for an official list of birthstones.
Birthstones today have changed greatly from their origins. A look back at history will reveal many different birthstone lists.
wHat is a birthstone
- A birthstone is a gem that symbolizes a person’s birth. The characteristics of a gemstone mean they are rare, beautiful, durable and valuable.
- A gemstone is usually a mineral such as a diamond or an emerald. An example of a non-mineral birthstone is the pearl.
- A gemstone is also identified as being semi-precious or precious. The Big Four precious stones are diamond, sapphire, emerald and ruby. Generally speaking, any gemstones outside of The Big Four are semi-precious.
- Don’t let the words “precious” and “semi-precious” fool you. There are some semi-precious birthstones that are as valuable as the precious gemstones.
- A gemstone, cut, polished, and used in jewelry, is a traditional birthstone gift. Other types of gifts can include the stones in their raw state, which are also known as specimens. Any item that contains the birthstone would be a special gift.