The Birthstones by Month List: Stones, Alternates and Care

A birthstones by month list looks simple at first: one gem for each month, January to December. Then you notice that June has three stones, August has three, December has three, and older charts disagree with newer ones. This article sets out the modern list clearly, shows the traditional and alternate stones beside it, explains where the whole idea came from, and then walks through each month’s stones, their lore and how to look after them.

The birthstones by month list at a glance

Here is the current American list, the one most jewelers in the United States follow, with the main alternates and a few older traditional stones that still turn up on charts. The “color” column describes the typical look of each stone, since many people choose by color first.

If you only need the short version of the birthstones by month list, read the “modern birthstone” column straight down. If you want a choice of color or price, the alternates are every bit as official. For a version organized purely around shade, the journal’s colors for birthstones by month chart is a handy companion, and the birthstones chart by month sets modern and traditional stones side by side.

Where the birthstones by month list came from

The roots of birthstones are old and a little tangled. In the first century, the historian Josephus connected the twelve stones of the high priest’s breastplate, described in the Book of Exodus, with the twelve months and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Translations of that passage have varied so much that Josephus himself gave two different lists. Later, St. Jerome suggested that the twelve Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation would suit Christians, and medieval writers linked particular stones to particular apostles.

For centuries the custom was to own all twelve stones and wear a different one each month. The idea of wearing a single stone tied to your own birth month is much younger. Historians disagree on where it began: one account places it in eighteenth-century Poland, another in Germany in the 1560s.

The modern birthstones by month list owes far more to the jewelry trade than to scripture. A few key dates:

• 1870: a pamphlet of anonymous poems pairing each month with a gem was published, helping fix the stones of English-speaking tradition.
• 1912: the American National Association of Jewelers, now Jewelers of America, met in Kansas City and adopted a standard list.
• 1937: Britain’s National Association of Goldsmiths created its own standardized list.
• 1952: the Jewelry Industry Council of America added alexandrite for June, citrine for November and pink tourmaline for October, swapped December’s lapis lazuli for zircon, and reversed the main and alternate stones for March.
• 2002: tanzanite was added for December.
• 2016: spinel was added as an August birthstone.
• 2021: Japanese industry associations added ten new birthstones to their own list.

One writer famously dismissed the 1912 list as salesmanship, and it is fair to say that modern lists have drifted far from the breastplate. That does not make them meaningless. A tradition can be young and still be loved. It simply helps to know that no single list is the “true” one, a theme the journal explores further in true birthstones by month.

January to June: stones, meanings and lore

Below, each month’s stones are described as they look and as crystal traditions and folklore see them. Meanings are beliefs held by many people, not proven properties. Several of these stones have their own deeper articles in the crystal library.

January: garnet

Garnet is best known as a deep wine red, though garnets also come in other colors. In crystal traditions it is linked with commitment, steady energy and friendship, and it has a long history as a travelers’ stone in folklore. Many people wear it as a ring or pendant for the whole winter. The full story is in January’s garnet, colors and lore.

February: amethyst

Amethyst is the purple member of the quartz family, ranging from pale lilac to deep violet. Its name comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “not intoxicated,” and old lore held that it kept the wearer clear-headed. Today it is one of the most popular stones for meditation, and many people keep a raw cluster (a group of crystals still joined to their base) or a tumbled stone (one polished smooth in a rotating barrel) by the bed as part of an evening routine they find calming. You can read about its relatives in Quartz & family.

March: aquamarine and bloodstone

Aquamarine is a pale, clear sea blue, and its lore is almost entirely maritime: sailors were said to carry it for safe passage. In crystal practice it is associated with calm communication. Bloodstone, the older March stone, is dark green flecked with red, and in traditions it stands for courage and vitality. March is a good example of how the main and alternate stones were swapped in 1952.

April: diamond and rock crystal

Diamond is the colorless April stone and the famous top of the Mohs hardness scale (a 1 to 10 ranking of how well a mineral resists scratching, explained in the journal’s definition of the Mohs hardness scale). It symbolizes constancy and enduring love. The British list also offers rock crystal, clear quartz, as a far more affordable April choice. See April’s diamond, rock crystal and lore.

May: emerald and chrysoprase

Emerald is the rich green May stone, tied in many traditions to renewal, spring and loyal love. The UK list adds chrysoprase, an apple-green stone often worn by people who love emerald’s color in a more casual setting.

June: pearl, moonstone and alexandrite

June has three official stones. Pearl is an organic gem rather than a mineral crystal, long linked with purity and calm. Moonstone has a soft, floating glow and in crystal traditions is associated with intuition and the cycles of the moon; it belongs to the journal’s Moon & light group. Alexandrite, added in 1952, is prized for appearing to change color between daylight and lamplight, and many people see it as a symbol of balance between two sides of life.

July to December: stones, meanings and lore

July: ruby and carnelian

Ruby is the red July stone, long called a king among gems and tied in folklore to passion, protection and courage. The British list adds carnelian, an orange-red stone in the quartz family that many people carry for motivation. There is more in July’s ruby, carnelian and onyx.

August: peridot, spinel and sardonyx

Peridot is a bright yellow-green, and old lore held that it chased away night fears. Spinel, added in 2016, comes in reds, pinks and blues and offers August a second bold color. Sardonyx, the oldest August stone, is banded in reddish brown and white and is associated with strength and steady relationships. The journal covers peridot’s toughness in the Mohs hardness scale peridot rating, and all three stones in August’s peridot, spinel and sardonyx.

September: sapphire and lapis lazuli

Sapphire is best known in deep blue, and in many traditions it stands for wisdom, truth and faithfulness. The UK list adds lapis lazuli, a royal blue stone often flecked with gold-colored specks, linked with insight and honest speech. Read more in September’s sapphire, lapis and lore.

October: opal and tourmaline

Opal is loved for its flashes of shifting color, and in folklore it has been both a stone of hope and, in some periods, a stone of ill luck. Tourmaline, added in its pink form in 1952, comes in a wide range of colors and is linked with compassion in crystal practice.

November: topaz and citrine

Topaz, the classic November stone, is often golden or orange in birthstone jewelry, and it is associated with strength and clear thinking. Citrine, a sunny yellow quartz added in 1952, is widely used in crystal traditions for warmth, optimism and abundance, which is why it often appears in luck rituals like those in what crystals are good for luck.

December: turquoise, zircon and tanzanite

Turquoise is the opaque sky-blue December stone with a long history as a protective amulet for travelers. Zircon replaced lapis lazuli in 1952, and tanzanite, a violet-blue gem, joined in 2002. Between them, December has one of the broadest color ranges on the modern birthstones by month list.

Why some months have two or three birthstones

The extra stones are not a mistake or a disagreement. They were added on purpose, mostly by American trade groups, for a few practical reasons:

• Choice of color. Not everyone born in October wants a multicolored opal, so pink tourmaline gave a second look.
• Choice of price. Citrine is often a gentler purchase than fine topaz, and moonstone and pearl give June birthdays options besides alexandrite.
• Durability. Some primary stones are delicate, and a harder alternate can suit an everyday ring better.
• Keeping old traditions alive. Sardonyx and bloodstone stayed on the list beside newer choices rather than being dropped.

The trade-off is confusion. Two people can each be “right” about their month’s stone while naming different gems. When a gift matters, it is worth asking which stone the person identifies with rather than assuming the first line of any birthstones by month list.

Modern, traditional and other birthstone systems compared

The American birthstones by month list is not the only system in use. The British list differs in several months, and other traditions do not use months at all.

Zodiac stones are worth a special note because they cross month lines. Someone born on 10 April is an Aries, whose traditional zodiac stone is bloodstone, while their month stone is diamond. Many people happily wear both. The journal’s zodiac birthstones by month article has the full set of signs and dates. For a broader look at how the journal treats traditions like these, see our editorial approach.

How to choose and care for a stone from the birthstones by month list

A simple way to choose

1. Start with your month. Find your row in the table above and note every stone, not just the first.
2. Decide how it will be worn. A ring on a working hand meets knocks and soap daily; a pendant or earrings lead a quieter life.
3. Pick by color and feel. In crystal practice, people often say a stone “chooses them.” Whatever you believe, liking the color is a good reason in itself.
4. Consider raw or tumbled pieces. If you want a birthstone for a desk, altar or meditation corner rather than jewelry, a rough or tumbled specimen is often an easy, affordable route. Shops such as Spirit Magicka are one place to start looking at crystals and minerals.

A worked example

Say you want a gift for a friend born on 3 June who gardens every weekend. Pearl is classic but delicate, and a ring would face soil and scrubbing. Moonstone has the same soft glow and suits a pendant well. Alexandrite is the most unusual and most expensive of the three. A moonstone pendant, perhaps with a small tumbled moonstone for their windowsill, respects the birthstones by month list, suits their life, and keeps the budget sensible. If they are also a Gemini, a piece of agate could be a thoughtful extra.

Care basics

• Store pieces separately. Harder gems like diamond, sapphire and ruby can scratch softer ones if they share a pouch.
• Treat pearl, opal and turquoise gently. These are the delicate ones. Put them on after perfume, hairspray and lotion, and wipe them with a soft, dry or barely damp cloth rather than soaking them.
• Prefer dry energetic cleansing. In crystal traditions, people “cleanse” stones with moonlight, sound or smoke. Choose dry methods for anything soft or porous, and keep stones away from long sunlight if you are unsure whether the color might fade.
• Keep small stones away from children and pets. Tumbled birthstones are the right size to be swallowed, so store them out of reach.

Mistakes people make

• Assuming there is one “correct” stone for each month, when several lists are equally valid.
• Buying a delicate stone for an everyday ring without thinking about wear.
• Mixing up month and zodiac stones, then feeling the gift was “wrong.”
• Using water rituals on stones that should stay dry.
• Treating birthstone meanings as guarantees. They are traditions to enjoy, not promises, and no stone replaces medical or mental-health care.

For more depth on individual stones, the Earth treasures collection covers the gems beyond quartz and moonstone, the top ten rare gemstones explains why some birthstones are so scarce, and 12 birthstones by month goes further into each stone’s meanings and care. If you would like a birthstone of your own to hold or display, Spirit Magicka, the journal’s own crystal shop, is there when you are ready to browse.