Birthstones by month: the full chart

The modern birthstone for every month, the traditional alternatives, and what each stone is said to mean. Enter a birth date to highlight yours.

JanuaryGarnet—FebruaryAmethyst—MarchAquamarineBloodstone AprilDiamond—MayEmerald—JunePearlAlexandrite, Moonstone JulyRuby—AugustPeridotSpinel, Sardonyx SeptemberSapphire—OctoberOpalTourmaline NovemberTopazCitrine DecemberTanzaniteTurquoise, Zircon

Birthstone chart with meanings

Month	Modern birthstone	Alternatives	Colour	Said to symbolise
January	Garnet	—	deep red	protection, constancy
February	Amethyst	—	violet	clarity, calm
March	Aquamarine	Bloodstone	sea blue	courage, calm seas
April	Diamond	—	colourless	strength, lasting love
May	Emerald	—	green	rebirth, loyalty
June	Pearl	Alexandrite, Moonstone	white / colour-change	purity, balance
July	Ruby	—	red	passion, vitality
August	Peridot	Spinel, Sardonyx	lime green	light, good fortune
September	Sapphire	—	blue	wisdom, truth
October	Opal	Tourmaline	play-of-colour	hope, creativity
November	Topaz	Citrine	golden	warmth, friendship
December	Tanzanite	Turquoise, Zircon	blue-violet	success, protection

Where the birthstone list comes from

The idea goes back to the breastplate of Aaron described in the Book of Exodus, set with twelve stones, later linked to the twelve months. The list most jewellers use today was standardised by the (American) National Association of Jewelers in 1912, and has been updated since: alexandrite (June), citrine (November) and pink tourmaline (October) were added in 1952, tanzanite (December) in 2002, and spinel (August) in 2016.

Britain's National Association of Goldsmiths published its own list in 1937, which differs slightly (for example, rock crystal is an April alternative). Several months have more than one "official" stone, so choose the one you like.

Birthstones by zodiac sign

Some traditions assign stones to zodiac signs instead of months, which can give a different result for birthdays in the second half of a month. Month birthstones are far more widely used.

More from your birth date

Birthday calculatorEverything about one birth date, on one ticket Age calculatorExact age in years, months and days Days livedDays, hours, heartbeats and milestones What day was I born?Your birth weekday, worked out by hand Age on other planetsYour age in Mercury, Mars or Neptune years What generation am I?Boomer to Gen Beta, by birth year Birthday countdownLive timer + a shareable link Half birthdayThe date six months after your birthday Birthday message writerA card message built from their birth date

Questions people ask

What are the birthstones for each month?

January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine (or bloodstone), April diamond, May emerald, June pearl (or alexandrite and moonstone), July ruby, August peridot (or spinel and sardonyx), September sapphire, October opal (or tourmaline), November topaz (or citrine), December tanzanite (or turquoise and zircon).

Why do some months have two or three birthstones?

Alternatives were added over time to offer more affordable or available stones, for example alexandrite and moonstone for June alongside pearl, and citrine for November alongside topaz.

Who decides the official birthstones?

No single authority. The widely used modern list began with the US National Association of Jewelers in 1912 and has been updated by the Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association.