Original Birthstones by Month: The 1912 List and Older Lore

The original birthstones by month come from a list that American jewelers agreed on in Kansas City in August 1912, and it looks a little different from the chart on most jewellery counters today. Bloodstone, not aquamarine, stood first for March. Sardonyx, not peridot, led August. December belonged to turquoise and lapis lazuli, with no tanzanite in sight. Behind that list sits an even older layer of European and biblical lore, where months often had two, three or four stones each.

So “original” can mean two things. For most people it means the 1912 list, the first formal standard. For history lovers it can also mean the older traditions that list was drawn from. This guide covers both, then walks through each month’s stone, how the chart changed, and how to choose between an old stone and a new one.

What Are the Original Birthstones by Month?

The 1912 list was an attempt to settle a confusing mix of customs into one standard that jewellers could share. Some months had a single stone; others had a first choice and an alternate. Here are the original birthstones by month as that list set them out, with the look of each stone so you can picture it.

A small note on October: the commonly reproduced 1912 table pairs opal with tourmaline, and a 1952 revision later named pink tourmaline specifically. Either way, opal was the month’s first stone.

If you want the modern list in full, the journal’s chart of the birthstones by month sets it out, and colors for birthstones by month groups them by shade.

Where the Idea of Birthstones Began

The story starts long before anyone wrote down the original birthstones by month. The Book of Exodus describes a breastplate worn by the high priest Aaron, set with twelve stones that stood for the twelve tribes of Israel. In the first century, the historian Josephus linked those twelve stones to the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac. Translating the names of ancient stones proved slippery, and Josephus himself gave two different lists, so there was never one agreed set.

Later, St Jerome suggested that Christians might look instead to the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelation. By the eighth and ninth centuries, religious writings were pairing each stone with an apostle. The custom that grew from this was charming and quite different from ours: people who could afford it kept all twelve stones and wore a different one each month.

Wearing a single stone for the month you were born is much newer, only a few centuries old. Historians disagree about where it began; some place it in Germany in the 1560s, others in Poland in the eighteenth century. In the English-speaking world, a set of short poems by an unknown author, pairing each month with a gem, was printed by a jeweller in 1870 and helped fix the idea in popular imagination.

Then came 1912. The American National Association of Jewelers, now known as Jewelers of America, met in Kansas City and adopted an official list. Not everyone admired it. At least one later writer dismissed it as little more than a sales exercise with no real roots in the breastplate or the foundation stones. That criticism is fair in one sense, since modern lists owe more to taste and trade than to scripture, but the 1912 list is still the first shared standard, and that is why it is usually called the original.

The Older Lists Before 1912

If you think of the original birthstones by month as the lists used in Europe from roughly the fifteenth to the early twentieth century, the picture becomes richer and looser. Months often carried several stones, and some of them, like chrysolite and hyacinth, were old trade names used for more than one mineral.

A few things stand out. January’s garnet has barely moved in centuries. June and July changed completely in 1912, trading cat’s eye, turquoise and onyx for pearl and ruby. Several older stones, including agate, jasper, onyx and carnelian, belong to what the journal’s library calls the Quartz & family group, which may be why they feel familiar to crystal collectors even though they slipped off the modern chart. For more on these earlier customs, see traditional birthstones by month.

Original Birthstones by Month and Their Lore

Here is each month’s 1912 stone, with what it looks like, the meanings it carries in crystal traditions and folklore, and how people tend to use it. The meanings below are beliefs and customs, not proven effects.

January: Garnet

Garnet is best known as a deep wine red, though it appears in other colours too. In crystal traditions it is linked with commitment, warmth and steady energy, and it was long believed to protect travellers on the road. People wear it as a ring or pendant through winter, or keep a tumbled piece (a stone smoothed by rolling in a drum with grit) in a coat pocket. More in January’s garnet, colours and lore.

February: Amethyst

Amethyst is the violet member of the quartz family. Its name traces to a Greek word meaning “not drunk”, and the old belief that it kept the wearer clear-headed still shapes how people use it: as a stone for calm, quiet reflection and meditation. Many keep a cluster (a group of crystals grown together on one base) on a bedside table. Like many purple quartzes, it can fade if left in strong sun for long periods.

March: Bloodstone

Bloodstone is dark green with small red spots, which inspired its name. A Christian legend says the red flecks came from drops of blood at the crucifixion, and older folklore tied it to courage and endurance. It was the first March stone in 1912, with aquamarine as the alternate. Bloodstone is often carried as a tumbled pocket stone or carved into seals and signet rings.

April: Diamond

Diamond is the colourless, brilliant stone everyone knows. Its old name comes from a word meaning unconquerable, and in folklore it stands for strength, constancy and lasting love, which is why it settled into engagement rings. It is the hardest natural material on the Mohs hardness scale, the 1 to 10 scale that ranks how well a mineral resists scratching.

May: Emerald

Emerald is a rich, grassy green. In many traditions it represents renewal, love and spring, and old lore credited it with helping the wearer see the truth. People often wear it as a ring or keep it near a window as a reminder of growth. Emeralds commonly contain tiny natural inclusions, which jewellers sometimes call the stone’s garden.

June: Pearl and Moonstone

Pearl is not a mineral at all but a gem grown inside a mollusc, which makes it unusual on the list. It is linked with purity, calm and the moon. Moonstone, its 1912 alternate, has a soft blue-white sheen that seems to float under the surface; in crystal traditions it is tied to intuition and new beginnings. Both sit well in the journal’s Moon & light group, and both are popular for moonlight rituals and simple jewellery.

July: Ruby

Ruby is the vivid red of the list. Old traditions called it the king of gems and linked it with passion, courage and protection, and warriors were said to carry it into battle. Today people wear it as a symbol of devotion. Older lists gave July turquoise and onyx instead; the journal’s guide to July’s ruby, carnelian and onyx covers all three.

August: Sardonyx

Sardonyx shows layered bands of reddish brown and white, which made it a favourite for carved cameos and seals in the ancient world. In folklore it is linked with courage, happy marriage and clear speech. It was August’s first stone in 1912, with peridot as the alternate; read more in August’s peridot, spinel and sardonyx.

September: Sapphire

Sapphire is the classic deep blue, though it occurs in other colours. It is tied to honesty, loyalty and wisdom, and medieval clergy wore it as a sign of heavenly devotion. Older European lists gave September chrysolite instead. The British list also accepts lapis lazuli; see September’s sapphire, lapis and lore.

October: Opal

Opal is famous for its play of colour, the shifting flashes of green, blue and fire that move as you turn it. Many traditions link it with hope, creativity and imagination. It is one of the more delicate stones on the list, so it suits pendants and earrings better than daily-wear rings. October’s own guide lives at October’s opal and tourmaline in the library.

November: Topaz

Topaz on the 1912 list meant the warm golden variety, though the mineral comes in many shades. Folklore links it with warmth, strength and friendship, and it was once believed to cool tempers. People wear it as autumn jewellery or keep a crystal on a desk. Citrine joined it as a November alternative in 1952.

December: Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli

Turquoise is an opaque sky blue to blue-green stone, honoured across many cultures as a protective stone for travellers. Lapis lazuli is a deep blue flecked with gold-coloured specks, linked with wisdom and truth since antiquity. Both were December’s stones in 1912. Both are fairly soft and porous, so they should be kept away from water soaks, oils and perfume.

If you’d like to hold a few of these stones yourself rather than only read about them, Spirit Magicka is the journal’s own crystal shop, and the full crystal library has individual articles on many of the stones above.

How the Birthstone List Changed After 1912

The original birthstones by month did not stay fixed for long. Each revision added choice, and sometimes shuffled the order.

• 1937: Britain’s National Association of Goldsmiths drew up its own standard list, which is why British and American charts still differ slightly.
• 1952: The Jewelry Industry Council of America added alexandrite for June, citrine for November and pink tourmaline for October. It replaced December’s lapis lazuli with zircon and swapped March’s order, so aquamarine became the main stone and bloodstone the alternate.
• 2002: The American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite for December.
• 2016: The same association and Jewelers of America added spinel as an extra stone for August.
• 2021: Industry groups in Japan added ten new stones to their national list.

The British list kept some of its own touches too: rock crystal as an April alternative, chrysoprase for May, carnelian for July and lapis lazuli for September. Separately, Hindu tradition follows a different idea altogether. Rather than one stone per month, it links nine gems, the Navaratna, with celestial bodies such as the Sun, the Moon and the planets, chosen from a person’s birth chart.

The other six months, January, February, April, May, July and September, have kept the same single stone from 1912 to today. For a side-by-side history of every change, see true birthstones by month.

Should You Choose the Original or the Modern Stone?

There is no rule that says one list is more correct. Each is a tradition, and many people simply pick the stone that speaks to them. Still, choosing among the original birthstones by month has some real appeal and a few trade-offs worth weighing.

Reasons to choose the original stone

• Heritage: a 1912 stone links a gift to the first formal list, which suits heirloom pieces and anniversary gifts.
• Character: bloodstone, sardonyx and lapis lazuli are earthy, opaque and patterned, so no two pieces look alike.
• Story: older stones often carry deeper folklore, from carved Roman seals to medieval legends.

Reasons to choose a modern alternative

• Colour: if someone loves clear, transparent gems, aquamarine or peridot may suit better than an opaque stone.
• Wear: delicate stones such as pearl, opal and turquoise need more care in everyday rings, so an alternate can be the practical choice.
• Range: newer additions like spinel and tourmaline come in many colours, giving more freedom to match a person’s taste.

A worked example

Say you are choosing a gift for a friend born on 9 March who loves vintage jewellery and wears earthy colours. The modern chart points to aquamarine, a pale sea blue. The original birthstones by month point to bloodstone, deep green with red flecks. Given her taste, bloodstone is the better fit: it matches her wardrobe, has a strong story about courage, and, being opaque, makes a handsome pocket stone or signet ring. You might add a small card explaining that bloodstone was March’s first stone in 1912, which turns a simple gift into a piece of history.

Now take someone born in late August who prefers bright, sparkly pieces. Here peridot or spinel would likely please more than sardonyx. The original list is a lovely option, not an obligation.

If your friend follows astrology more than the calendar, the zodiac birthstones follow a different set of dates and stones entirely. When you are ready to start a small collection of month stones, Spirit Magicka is a good place to browse.

Common Mistakes With Birthstone Lists

• Assuming there is one fixed list. The chart has been revised several times, and American, British and Japanese lists differ. When someone says “the” birthstone, ask which list they mean.
• Mixing up “traditional” and “original”. Some charts call the older European stones traditional, while others use the word for the 1912 list. The original birthstones by month usually means 1912, but check the dates on any chart you use.
• Blending month and zodiac stones. Zodiac stones run from roughly the 20th of one month to the 20th of the next, so a person born on 25 March has bloodstone as a zodiac stone under Aries but aquamarine or bloodstone as a month stone.
• Treating newer stones as fake or older stones as outdated. Both are legitimate traditions. Choose the one with meaning for the person wearing it.
• Treating meanings as promises. Birthstone meanings are folklore and personal symbolism. They can make a gift more thoughtful, but a stone is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care.
• Using water or elixirs on the wrong stones. Soft or porous stones like turquoise, lapis lazuli, opal and pearl should not be soaked, and no stone should be placed in drinking water unless you are certain it is safe.

Caring for Original Birthstones

The original birthstones by month mix very tough gems with quite delicate ones, so a single cleaning habit will not suit them all. A few simple practices go a long way.

1. Wipe, don’t soak, the delicate ones. Pearl, opal, turquoise and lapis lazuli are best cleaned with a soft, barely damp cloth, then dried at once. Keep them away from perfume, hairspray, lotions and household cleaners, and put them on last when dressing.
2. Clean tougher gems gently too. Diamond, ruby, sapphire and garnet can usually be washed in warm water with a little mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid harsh chemicals, and ask a jeweller before using any ultrasonic or steam cleaner, since many stones are treated or included.
3. Store stones apart. A diamond will scratch almost anything it rubs against. Keep each piece in its own pouch or a lined compartment so harder stones cannot mark softer ones.
4. Mind light and heat. Amethyst and some topaz can fade with long sun exposure, and opal dislikes sudden temperature changes. A drawer or box is a safer home than a sunny windowsill.
5. Choose gentle energetic cleansing. Many people like to refresh their stones in crystal traditions by leaving them in moonlight, resting them on a bed of dry rice or near a clear quartz cluster, or using sound from a bell or bowl. These dry methods suit every stone on the list.
6. Keep small stones safe. Tumbled stones and loose beads are small enough to be a choking hazard, so store them out of reach of children and pets.

For the journal’s broader thinking on how it writes about stone meanings, see our editorial approach. And if you’d like to compare these stones with others outside the birthstone chart, the Earth treasures collection gathers many of them, while Spirit Magicka is there when you want a stone to hold in your hand.