Birthstones by Month
Pick your birth month to see your birthstones and their colors. Some months have one stone, and some have two or three.
Pick a month.
Your birthstones appear here.
Birthstone chart by month
| Month | Birthstones and colors |
|---|---|
| January | Garnet: deep red, also other colors |
| February | Amethyst: purple |
| March | Aquamarine: pale blue to blue-green Bloodstone: dark green with red spots |
| April | Diamond: colorless or colored |
| May | Emerald: green |
| June | Pearl: white, cream and other soft colors Alexandrite: green in daylight, red in lamplight Moonstone: colorless to white with a blue sheen |
| July | Ruby: red |
| August | Peridot: yellowish green Spinel: red, pink, blue and other colors Sardonyx: bands of brownish red and white |
| September | Sapphire: blue, also other colors |
| October | Opal: flashes of many colors Tourmaline: many colors, including pink and green |
| November | Topaz: yellow to orange, also other colors Citrine: yellow to orange |
| December | Tanzanite: blue to violet Zircon: blue, colorless and other colors Turquoise: blue to green |
The modern US list, as published by the American Gem Society. Colors are checked against GIA.
Birthstone guides by month
Birthstone colors
A month's color usually comes from its best-known stone. January's garnet is deep red, February's amethyst purple and March's aquamarine pale blue. May's emerald is green, July's ruby red and September's sapphire blue. April's diamond is usually colorless, and October's opal shows flashes of many colors.
Many birthstones come in more than one color. Garnet, sapphire, spinel, tourmaline and topaz all have a wide range, so a pink sapphire or a green garnet is still the right stone for its month. Alexandrite even changes color with the light: green in daylight and red under lamplight.
What month is each birthstone?
Every stone on the list, A to Z, with the month it belongs to.
| Stone | Month |
|---|---|
| Alexandrite | June |
| Amethyst | February |
| Aquamarine | March |
| Bloodstone | March |
| Citrine | November |
| Diamond | April |
| Emerald | May |
| Garnet | January |
| Moonstone | June |
| Opal | October |
| Pearl | June |
| Peridot | August |
| Ruby | July |
| Sapphire | September |
| Sardonyx | August |
| Spinel | August |
| Tanzanite | December |
| Topaz | November |
| Tourmaline | October |
| Turquoise | December |
| Zircon | December |
Where the birthstone list comes from
The idea is old. The International Gem Society traces it to the Book of Exodus, which describes a breastplate worn by the high priest Aaron, set with twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Writers later linked the twelve stones to the twelve months, and the custom of wearing one stone for your birth month began around the 16th century, in Germany or Poland.
The modern US list is much newer:
- 1912. American jewelers met to agree on one official list of stones by month. Their association later became Jewelers of America.
- 1952. The Jewelry Industry Council of America added alexandrite to June, citrine to November, pink tourmaline to October and zircon to December.
- 2002. Tanzanite was added to December.
- 2016. The American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America added spinel to August.
Modern, traditional and zodiac birthstones
You will often see two columns, modern and traditional. The modern list is the official one above. The traditional stones come from the older lists jewelers and gem books used before 1912. Most months match the modern list, and where a chart differs, the modern list is the one jewelers in the US go by today.
Lists still differ in small ways. The American Gem Society keeps sardonyx for August while GIA lists only peridot and spinel, and some jewelers sell blue topaz for December even though it is not on either list. BdayChecker follows the American Gem Society list.
Some sites also list stones by star sign. These follow zodiac dates rather than calendar months. None of the main gem societies (GIA, the American Gem Society, the American Gem Trade Association) publishes an official list, so they vary from one site to the next. If you want to know your sign, the Zodiac Sign Calculator finds it from your birthday.
Birthstone gift ideas
- A birthstone ring, necklace or bracelet for a birthday, using the stone or the color of the month.
- A family piece with the birthstones of a partner and children, side by side.
- A matching flower. Every month also has a birth flower, which makes a nice card or bouquet to go with the gift.
- A countdown. If the gift is a surprise, start a birthday countdown to the big day.
Birthstone Finder questions
What is my birthstone?
The stone for the month you were born: pick it above or find it in the chart. The modern US list gives each month one to three stones, and every stone listed for your month is official. So if you were born in March, June, August, October, November and December, you can choose by color, price or taste.
Is blue topaz a December birthstone?
Not on the official US list. Topaz is a November birthstone, and the December stones are tanzanite, zircon and turquoise. Some jewelers still sell blue topaz for December. GIA notes that most blue topaz starts out colorless and is turned sky blue by treatment.
Why does August have three birthstones?
Spinel joined peridot in 2016, added by the American Gem Trade Association and Jewelers of America. The American Gem Society also keeps sardonyx, an older August stone, while GIA lists only peridot and spinel. Spinel had long been mistaken for ruby: the two were not clearly told apart until the 18th century.
Is quartz a birthstone?
Yes, in more than one form. Amethyst, for February, is the purple variety of quartz, and citrine, for November, is the yellow to orange variety; some citrine is heat-treated amethyst. Bloodstone, for March, and sardonyx, for August, are chalcedony, a form of quartz.
Is pearl a birthstone?
Yes. Pearl is one of June's three birthstones, with alexandrite and moonstone. It is the only organic gem on the list, grown by mollusks. At 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale it is also the softest, so GIA advises wiping pearls with a soft, damp cloth after each wear.
Can I wear a birthstone that is not for my month?
Yes. Birthstones are a tradition, not a rule. You can wear a stone you love, or the birthstones of your children or partner.
Related tools
Birth Flower Finder
Your birth month flower and what it means.
Zodiac Sign Calculator
Your sun sign, element and traits.
Anniversary Calculator
Time together, the next milestone and the gift for each year.
Published October 7, 2026. Last updated October 7, 2026. Uses the Gregorian calendar and your device's time zone.