What is a birthstone?

A birthstone is the gemstone linked to the month you were born. The idea is old, but the version worn today is a modern, standardised list: the American National Retail Jewelers Association set it in 1912, and the American Gem Society and International Gem Society maintain it now. It has been amended a few times since, most recently when spinel joined peridot as an August stone in 2016.

Because the list has been revised, a handful of months carry more than one official stone, and you will sometimes see an older "traditional" stone quoted alongside the modern one. The table below shows the modern list, with the extra stones noted where they exist.

Birthstones by month

Here is every month with a photo of its stone. Type a month or a stone in the search box, filter by how hard-wearing the stone is, or tap any month for its full guide.

Modern birthstone list standardised by the American National Retail Jewelers Association in 1912 and maintained by the American Gem Society and International Gem Society (spinel added to August in 2016). The bar shows each stone’s Mohs hardness — tap or search any month to open its full guide.

Stone	Month	Birthstone(s)	Everyday durability
	January	Garnet	7	→
	February	Amethyst	7	→
	March	Aquamarinealso: Bloodstone	8	→
	April	Diamond	10	→
	May	Emerald	8	→
	June	Pearlalso: Moonstone, Alexandrite	3.5	→
	July	Ruby	9	→
	August	Peridotalso: Spinel, Sardonyx	7	→
	September	Sapphire	9	→
	October	Opalalso: Tourmaline	6	→
	November	Citrinealso: Topaz	7	→
	December	Turquoisealso: Tanzanite, Zircon	5.5	→

No month matches that search. Try a month (like June) or a stone (like opal).

Pick a birthstone that survives daily wear

If the piece will be worn every day, hardness matters more than tradition. On the Mohs scale, April’s diamond sits at 10, and July’s ruby and September’s sapphire at 9 — those take daily wear without complaint. June’s pearl (2.5–4.5), October’s opal and December’s turquoise are soft and water-sensitive, so they shine as earrings or pendants rather than everyday rings. For the full picture on any stone, see our gemstone guide.

Birthstones and anniversaries overlap

Several birthstones double as wedding-anniversary stones: garnet (2nd), sapphire (5th), ruby (15th), emerald (20th) and pearl (30th) all appear on both lists. If you are marking a birthday and an anniversary in the same piece, that overlap is worth knowing — our anniversary stones guide lays out the year-by-year list.

What we can make for you in Coquitlam

The point of a birthstone is a piece someone wears and keeps. At our Coquitlam studio we design and build in-house, so we can source your month’s stone, set a gem you already own, or design a ring, pendant or pair of earrings around it. Browse bespoke pieces we have made, or bring your idea to the bench.

Frequently asked questions