Birthstone Jewelry Guide: Shop Birthstones by Month, Meanings & Quality Tips
Birthstone jewelry carries a personal significance that transcends fleeting trends. Whether you are shopping for yourself, a partner, a dear friend, or a family member, a natural earth-mined gemstone tied to a birth month connects the piece directly to identity, memory, and profound meaning. These pieces make unforgettable gifts for absolutely anyone in your life.
This guide walks through all 12 months—and the many spectacular natural stones that belong to them—covering their ancient lore, what makes each one undeniably beautiful, and the strict quality factors to consider when buying. Whether you are exploring our online platform or visiting our physical showroom to see the scintillation in person, we are dedicated to helping you find the perfect match across our collections of rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
For a deeper dive into how our natural stones are graded, visit our Diamond and Gemstone Grading guide.
What is the January Birthstone? — Garnet
Color: Deep red (most common), but also raspberry-pink, purple, green, and orange.
Meaning: Protection, friendship, and trust. Historically carried by travelers as a talisman, garnet is believed to encourage good dreams and promote enduring love.
Quality tip: Look for rich, saturated color with exceptional transparency. Pyrope and almandine garnets offer the classic deep red; rhodolite—a gorgeous blend of pyrope and almandine—displays a distinctive raspberry-pink to purplish-red hue that is heavily prized. Tsavorite (green garnet) remains among the rarest and most valuable varieties in the world.
Anniversary: 2nd | Zodiac: Pisces
Shop our collection: January Birthstone—Garnet
What is the February Birthstone? — Amethyst
Color: Purple, ranging from pale lilac to deep, mesmerizing violet.
Meaning: Clarity of mind, calm, and absolute sincerity. Once considered as precious as natural ruby and emerald, amethyst symbolizes royalty, passion, daring, and dreaminess.
Quality tip: The finest amethysts display a deep, even purple with red and blue flashes. Avoid stones with visible color zoning or brownish tints. Amethyst is a solid 7 on the Mohs hardness scale—making it highly suitable for everyday wear in protective settings. Its rich purple looks equally regal set in white, yellow, or rose gold.
Anniversary: 6th | Zodiac: Aquarius
Shop our collection: February Birthstone—Amethyst
What is the March Birthstone? — Aquamarine
Color: Pale blue to striking blue-green, reminiscent of tropical, crystalline water.
Meaning: Courage, clarity, and pure serenity. Named for the waters of antiquity, aquamarine promotes calm, spirituality, and mental clarity. It has long been hailed as the ultimate stone of sailors and sea voyagers.
Quality tip: Aquamarine is highly prized for its clarity—most fine luxury specimens are entirely eye-clean. Look for a medium-blue to blue-green hue; very pale stones hold far less value. Aquamarine rates 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, making it brilliantly durable for all types of fine jewelry.
Anniversary: 19th | Zodiac: Cancer
Shop our collection: March Birthstone—Aquamarine
What is the April Birthstone? — Natural Diamond
Color: Colorless (most prized traditionally), alongside extraordinary fancy yellow, pink, and blue natural variations.
Meaning: Eternal love, invincibility, and enlightenment. The ancient Greeks called this billion-year-old stone adamas—“unconquerable”—and believed it was a fragment of falling stars. Romans believed Cupid’s arrows were tipped with earth-mined diamonds, linking the stone forever to love and desire.
Quality tip: The only gemstone composed of a single element—pure carbon—diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth (a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale). You must evaluate them by the 4Cs—Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Cut is overwhelmingly the most important factor for maximizing brilliance. See our comprehensive Diamond Cut, Clarity & Color guide for a complete breakdown of heirloom-quality stones.
Anniversary: 60th, 75th
Shop our collection: April Birthstone—Diamond
What is the May Birthstone? — Emerald
Color: Vivid, lush green to breathtaking bluish-green.
Meaning: Rebirth, profound love, and wisdom. The name emerald finds its root in the Sanskrit word marakata, meaning “the green of growing things.” Known famously as Cleopatra’s favorite gemstone, natural emerald symbolizes vitality, absolute honesty, and fidelity.
Quality tip: Color is paramount for emeralds—a vivid, heavily saturated green commands the highest prices on the market. Unlike natural diamonds, inclusions (beautifully called “jardin,” French for garden) are entirely expected and accepted. You should avoid stones with inclusions that reach the surface, as these compromise durability.
Anniversary: 35th, 55th | Zodiac: Aries
Shop our collection: May Birthstone—Emerald
What are the June Birthstones? — Pearl, Alexandrite & Moonstone
Colors: Pearl (white, cream, pink, black); Alexandrite (green in daylight, red in incandescent light); Moonstone (white with a shifting blue adularescence).
Meaning: Purity and wisdom (pearl); immense luck and transformation (alexandrite); intuition and feminine energy (moonstone).
Quality tip: For pearls, prioritize high luster, a smooth surface, and strong nacre thickness—Akoya pearls are among the most globally sought-after. Alexandrite remains one of the rarest gemstones in existence—the stronger its color change, the more valuable the stone. Moonstone is prized for its floating blue glow, known as adularescence—always look for a perfectly centered, vivid phenomenon.
Anniversary: 3rd, 30th (Pearl) | 18th (Alexandrite)
Shop our collection: June Birthstones—Pearl, Alexandrite & Moonstone
What is the July Birthstone? — Ruby
Color: Deep red to intensely rich pinkish-red.
Meaning: Passion, protection, and boundless prosperity. For thousands of years, royalty and the ultra-wealthy have coveted the earth-mined ruby—its mesmerizing hue inspires courage and devotion while fiercely guarding the wearer’s wealth. It is globally recognized as the “king of gemstones.”
Quality tip: The absolute finest rubies display a vivid, pure red historically called “pigeon’s blood.” Large, natural rubies are extraordinarily rare and frequently command prices that rival the finest large diamonds. Heat treatment to improve color and clarity is standard within the industry; always ask for disclosure on unheated stones, which command a massive premium.
Anniversary: 15th, 40th
Shop our collection: July Birthstone—Ruby
What are the August Birthstones? — Peridot & Spinel
Colors: Peridot (radiant lime to olive green); Spinel (red, pink, blue, purple, and beyond).
Meaning: Endless strength and protection (peridot); powerful revitalization and energy (spinel). Famously called the “Evening Emerald” in Ancient Egypt, peridot is believed to heal a broken heart and bring good fortune. Spinel—derived from the Greek spítha meaning spark—was historically confused with ruby; many famous historical crown “rubies” were actually exquisite spinels.
Quality tip: Peridot’s magnificent color is dictated by its iron content—the finest stones are a vivid, pure green completely devoid of yellow or brown. Spinel is gloriously unheated in most cases, making it a natural-color gem of supreme integrity. Pure red and cobalt blue spinels are the most highly valued.
Anniversary: 16th (Peridot) | 65th (Spinel) | Zodiac: Gemini
Shop our collection: August Birthstones—Peridot & Spinel
What is the September Birthstone? — Sapphire
Color: Blue (most iconic), alongside stunning pink, yellow, white, and padparadscha (a rare orange-pink).
Meaning: Wisdom, fierce loyalty, and royal nobility. Ancient lore states that natural blue sapphire brought spiritual enlightenment, inner peace, and the necessary discernment to choose what is right. It is famously the centerpiece of the engagement ring worn by Princess Diana and now Kate Middleton.
Quality tip: For elite blue sapphires, look for a vivid, medium to medium-dark blue—it should be neither washed-out nor inky dark. Sapphire rates a magnificent 9 on the Mohs scale, making it second only to the diamond in sheer natural hardness.
Anniversary: 5th, 45th | Zodiac: Capricorn
Shop our collection: September Birthstone—Sapphire
What are the October Birthstones? — Opal & Tourmaline
Colors: Opal (white, black, or crystal featuring a rainbow play-of-color); Tourmaline (virtually every color on the spectrum, with pink being especially beloved).
Meaning: Endless creativity and hope (opal); deep compassion and healing (tourmaline). Opals were once widely thought to capture the colors of all precious stones combined and served as hypnotic talismans. Pink tourmaline enhances awareness, love, and emotional compassion.
Quality tip: For luxury opals, the play-of-color—the shifting rainbow of spectral hues—is the absolute primary value factor. Opals are relatively soft (5.5–6.5 Mohs) and require highly protective settings. Tourmaline’s financial value depends heavily on its color saturation; rare Paraíba tourmalines are among the most exceptionally valuable colored gemstones on earth per carat.
Anniversary: 14th (Opal) | 8th (Tourmaline)
Shop our collection: October Birthstones—Opal & Tourmaline
What are the November Birthstones? — Topaz & Citrine
Colors: Topaz (icy blue, imperial orange-pink, yellow, and colorless); Citrine (warm yellow to rich orange-brown).
Meaning: Overflowing abundance and radiant warmth. Both of these gorgeous natural stones carry deep historical associations with the sun and powerful positive energy.
Quality tip: Imperial topaz—a rich, glowing orange heavily kissed with pink undertones—is the rarest and most valuable variety on the market. Blue topaz perfectly embodies sophistication and mystery while remaining highly accessible. Citrine is a wonderfully brilliant gemstone; look for a rich, deeply saturated golden-orange hue. Both rank an excellent 7–8 on the Mohs scale.
Anniversary: 4th (Blue Topaz & Mystic Topaz)
Shop our collection: November Birthstones—Topaz & Citrine
What are the December Birthstones? — Tanzanite, Turquoise & Zircon
Colors: Tanzanite (deep violet-blue); Turquoise (vibrant sky blue to earthy blue-green); Zircon (brilliant blue, red, yellow, and colorless).
Meaning: Tremendous good fortune and success (tanzanite); loyal protection and friendship (turquoise); sweeping prosperity (zircon). First discovered in Tanzania in 1967, tanzanite’s luminous glow is said to elevate mood and awaken the heart.
Quality tip: Tanzanite is mined entirely in one small area of Tanzania and is phenomenally rarer than the diamond—seek out a vivid violet-blue with strong trichroism. Natural, entirely untreated turquoise demands a significant premium over stabilized market material.
Anniversary: 4th (Turquoise)
Shop our collection: December Birthstones—Tanzanite, Turquoise & Zircon
Universal Buying Tips for Colored Gemstones
- Color first: For all natural colored gemstones, color is the dominant value driver. The stone’s saturation, specific hue, and tone matter significantly more than absolute clarity.
- Understand the grading scale: Colored gemstones are strictly graded from C (Commercial Goods) straight through AA, AAA, AAAA, and AAAAA. We do not stock Commercial Goods—every single natural gemstone in our vault begins at AA and scales upward because the piece you invest in should be a genuine, heirloom-quality rarity.
- Consider hardness and wearability: Softer stones require carefully crafted protective settings. Sapphires, natural rubies, and spinels are phenomenally durable for daily-wear rings and bracelets.
- Smart Financing: When investing in a heritage piece, flexibility matters. Our structured layaway program allows you to secure the perfect gemstone comfortably, and your down payments are fully refundable within the first 7 days of cancellation.
Whether you are searching for custom engagement rings, vintage rings, breathtaking necklaces, or timeless earrings, we are here to help. Contact our team today—we would be honored to assist you in selecting the ultimate birthstone piece.
Shop: Birthstone Jewelry