What Is My Birthstone? The Complete Birthstone Chart
Over the years, we’ve received a number of queries regarding birthstones and the meanings behind them; particularly for those meaning to gift a special someone. Birthstones have a rich history and a captivating allure, with each gemstone believed to possess special properties and significance for those born in its corresponding month.
Whether you’re curious about what your birthstone is, wish to know what your birth gem is, or are simply fascinated by the world of gemstones, this comprehensive birthstone guide will shine light on the traditional and modern gems associated with each month of the year. Discover what all the birthstones for each month are and the meaning behind these colourful, natural treasures.
What Are Birthstones?
The origins of birthstones can be traced back to ancient times, even with religious references. This early association laid the groundwork for the later tradition of linking specific gems to different times of the year.
Furthermore, in various ancient cultures, gemstones were highly revered and attributed with a range of special properties, considered charms for attracting luck, good health, and prosperity. These beliefs further solidified the idea of a special connection between individuals and particular gemstones.
Over the years, and even across centuries, the association of specific gemstones with the twelve months evolved, influenced by various cultural beliefs, astrological connections, and even the availability of certain gems in different regions. This gradual development eventually led to the more structured tradition we recognise today, where each month is distinctly linked to one or more specific gemstones, although there are times when the gemstones by month differ, mostly depending on which country you reside in.
Traditional vs Modern Birthstones
In 1912, the National Association of Jewellers in the United States formalised a “modern” birthstone list. This pivotal decision was driven by several factors. Firstly, the traditional birthstone list, while rich in history, sometimes featured gemstones that were exceptionally rare, making them inaccessible to the majority of the population.
Secondly, the modern list aimed to standardise the selection of birthstones, creating a more consistent and easily understood system for consumers. This standardisation also helped to promote certain gemstones that were more readily available in the market, ensuring a wider selection for those wishing to acquire their birthstone.
In some cases, traditional birthstones were less popular in the prevailing fashion or market, leading to the adoption of more contemporary and equally beautiful alternatives in the modern list, reflecting changing tastes and gem availability.
What Is January's Birthstone?
January has the Garnet as its birthstone, a gem steeped in history and often associated with passion and vitality. Traditionally, Garnets were believed to keep the wearer safe during travel and bring them good health.
This vibrant gemstone comes in a spectrum of colours, from deep red to vibrant green, but the most well-known is the rich, deep red variety. Garnets have been found in ancient Egyptian jewellery dating back to 3100 BC, highlighting their long and storied past. While Garnets are mostly associated with the colour red, it comes in various colours such are rare blues, or a Mali Grossular garnet like the ones we crafted with this, for this pair of Deco Pop Garnet Studs.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for January?
The meaning behind January's garnet is often linked to energy, passion, and creativity. It is said to inspire devotion, bring vitality, and promote self-confidence. The deep red hue is also associated with the heart and blood, symbolising life force and strength.
What Is the Best Way to Wear January’s Gem?
Given the Garnet's commendable hardness and durability, ranking between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale, its resilience allows it to withstand daily wear, making it a lasting and meaningful way to showcase your birthstone. You can consider incorporating Garnet into rings, pendants, or bracelets for a touch of vibrant colour.
What Is February's Birthstone?
February is associated with the Amethyst, a gemstone revered for its captivating purple colour and believed to possess calming and protective qualities. This beautiful gem, a variety of quartz, ranges in colour from pale lilac to deep violet. Ancient Greeks believed that this birthstone could prevent intoxication, and it was often worn by royalty. Today, Amethysts are found in various locations worldwide.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for February?
The meaning behind February's Amethyst is often linked to peace, serenity, and spiritual awareness. It is said to promote calmness, balance emotions, and enhance intuition. The purple hue is also associated with royalty and wisdom.
What Is the Best Way to Wear February's Gem?
With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, the Amethyst is quite durable and suitable for various jewellery styles. You can use amethyst to embellish rings, necklaces, earrings, or bracelets for a touch of elegant purple. Its resilience allows for frequent wear, making it a beautiful and lasting way to celebrate your birth month.
What Is March's Birthstone?
March claims the Aquamarine as its birthstone, a gemstone celebrated for its serene blue-to-blue-green colour reminiscent of the sea. Traditionally, Aquamarine was believed to protect sailors and ensure safe voyages. This beautiful beryl gemstone gets its name from the Latin words "aqua" (water) and "marina" (sea).
Aquamarine is found in various locations, including Brazil and Madagascar, and its delicate colour makes it a popular choice for springtime.These gems are prized for their intense, saturated blue colour, which is considered exceptionally rare and highly desirable.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for March?
The meaning behind March's Aquamarine is often linked to calmness, clarity, and harmony. It is said to promote courage, reduce stress, and enhance communication. Its association with the sea also symbolises tranquillity and hope.
What Is the Best Way to Wear March's Gem?
With a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, Aquamarine is a durable gemstone suitable for everyday wear. Its elegant and soothing blue hues make it a beautiful addition to necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets.
If you’re considering an aquamarine ring, consider a bezel setting, like you see with our Deco Pop Aquamarine Necklace, to provide extra protection against potential impact, ensuring this serene gem remains a cherished piece to cherish for years to come.
What Is April's Birthstone?
April's birthstone is the Diamond, a timeless gem renowned for its brilliance, strength, and enduring beauty. These precious gemstones are formed deep within the Earth under immense pressure and heat and are prized for their exceptional hardness and ability to refract light.
Diamonds come in a variety of colours, but the classic colourless, or white Diamond is the most well-known. They are a symbol of everlasting love and commitment.
There have been many famous Diamonds in the history of gemstones. The mesmerising Hope Diamond, with its deep blue hue and storied past, is one of the world's most famous diamonds. Similarly, the legendary Koh-i-Noor, meaning "Mountain of Light," has a rich and complex history, having been part of numerous royal collections. More recently, the Pink Star, an exceptionally large and vivid pink Diamond, fetched record-breaking prices at auction, showcasing the allure of coloured diamonds.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for April?
The meaning behind April's Diamond is often linked to purity, strength, and everlasting love. It is said to bring clarity, courage, and abundance to its wearer, symbolising resilience and enduring beauty.
What Is the Best Way to Wear April's Gem?
The versatility of the Diamond almost needs no introduction. With a remarkable 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds possess exceptional durability, making them ideal for any jewellery form. From elegant stud earrings that catch the light to sophisticated bracelets, timeless solitaire pendants, and, of course, iconic engagement rings, the diamond remains a universally adored and enduring choice, capable of withstanding the rigour of daily wear.
What Is May's Birthstone?
May is associated with the Emerald, a gemstone celebrated for its vibrant green colour and often linked to renewal and growth. This precious beryl gemstone gets its rich green hue from the presence of chromium. Emeralds have been treasured for centuries, with Cleopatra being famously fond of them.
Colombian Emeralds are often considered the most coveted. They are prized for their intense, vivid green colour and exceptional clarity.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for May?
The deep green colour of emeralds evokes the lushness of spring and symbolises vitality and new beginnings. The meaning behind May's Emerald is often linked to rebirth, fertility, and good fortune. It is said to promote love, compassion, and healing, symbolising growth and renewal.
What Is the Best Way to Wear May's Gem?
With a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8, emeralds are relatively durable but we always advise for them to be handled with care. Their rich green hue makes them a stunning addition to rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
If you're looking at a jewellery design for an Emerald keepsake, a bezel setting would be our suggestion, especially for rings worn daily, to safeguard this vibrant gemstone and ensure its lasting beauty.
What Is June's Birthstone?
June boasts three birthstones: Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone. The Pearl is the traditional June birthstone, while Alexandrite and Moonstone are modern additions.
Pearls are unique as they are organic gems formed within molluscs. They come in various colours, shapes, and sizes and have been valued for their natural beauty for centuries. From classic white Akoya pearls, renowned for their lustre and roundness, primarily cultivated in Japan, to the luxurious South Sea pearls with their large size and satiny sheen, found in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the variety is extensive. Tahitian black pearls, with their exotic dark hues, are another prized variety cultivated in French Polynesia.
Alexandrite is a rare, colour-change gemstone, appearing greenish in daylight and reddish-purple under incandescent light. This dramatic colour shift, caused by the presence of chromium, makes it highly sought after. Natural Alexandrite is rare.
Moonstone is known for its ethereal glow, a phenomenon called adularescence. The Blue Sheen Moonstone in particular, is a signature gemstone here at B.P.’s., and have a full suite of jewels in our Moonlight Collection that feature this beautiful gem, with Blue Sheen Moonstones from a kindred family business.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for June?
Pearls are often associated with purity, innocence, and wisdom. Meanwhile, Alexandrite is linked to good fortune, change, and balance. As for Moonstones, they are believed to promote calmness, boost intuition, and symbolise new beginnings.
What Is the Best Way to Wear June's Gem?
Pearls, with a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 4.5 require thoughtfulness and care. They are best worn as necklaces, earrings, and brooches. Due to the porous nature of Pearls, it is essential for them to avoid direct contact with water, harsh chemicals, and perfumes.
Alexandrite, with a hardness of 8.5, is quite durable and suitable for rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, making it a versatile choice for regular wear.
The Moonstone, with a hardness of 6 to 6.5, is relatively durable as well but would still require more careful wearing. It is best worn in pendants, earrings, and brooches or in rings with bezel settings to minimise the risk of damage.
What Is July's Birthstone?
The Ruby is July’ birthstone, a gemstone celebrated for its vibrant red colour and often associated with passion and courage. The fiery red colour of the Ruby makes it a captivating and highly valued gemstone.
Ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum, the same mineral that produces sapphire. It is the presence of chromium that gives ruby its characteristic and highly sought after red hue. Rubies have been revered throughout history, symbolising love, energy, and power. Major sources include Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Mozambique. However, Burmese rubies, particularly those with a rich, pigeon-blood red colour, are considered the rarest and most sought-after. This specific hue, combined with exceptional clarity and saturation, commands the highest prices in the gem market.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for July?
The meaning behind July's birthstone, the Ruby is often linked to passion, courage, and vitality. It is said to promote energy, increase motivation, and bring good fortune, symbolising strength and love.
What Is the Best Way to Wear July's Gem?
With a Mohs hardness of 9, ruby is an exceptionally durable gemstone, making it ideal for all types of jewellery types: rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets for everyday elegance or special occasions. While durable, one should still avoid exposing Rubies to harsh chemicals or extreme temperatures to maintain its vibrant colour and lustre.
What Is August's Birthstone?
August is associated with Peridot, a gemstone celebrated for its vibrant green colour and often linked to strength and protection. This birthstone gets its green hue from the presence of iron. Peridot is one of the gemstones that occur in only one colour, though the intensity of the green can vary.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for August?
The meaning behind August's peridot is often linked to strength, protection, and good health. It is said to bring peace, attract good luck, and promote emotional balance, symbolising vitality and warmth.
What Is the Best Way to Wear August's Gem?
With a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7, peridot is moderately durable and suitable for various jewellery styles. Its bright green colour looks particularly striking in earrings and necklaces. While it can be worn on rings, it's advisable to choose a bezel setting to minimise the risk of scratching or abrasion, especially for daily wear. It's also best to avoid exposing Peridots to harsh chemicals and extreme temperature changes.
What Is September's Birthstone?
September claims B.P. de Silva’s hallmark gemstone, the Sapphire as its birthstone, a gemstone long known as a royal gem.
This precious variety of corundum comes in a spectrum of colours, from blues to the rare Padparadscha Sapphire’s sunset hue. Sapphires have been treasured for centuries, symbolising truth, sincerity, and nobility. From our first generation, we have crafted with only the finest of Sapphires from Sri Lanka, where may of the world’s most prized Sapphires come from.
One of the most famous ones is the Star of India, a massive 563.35-carat Star Sapphire discovered in Sri Lanka. Its remarkable size and distinct asterism (star effect) have made it a legendary gem.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for September?
The meaning behind September's Sapphire is often linked to wisdom, loyalty, and truth. It is said to promote clarity of thought, enhance intuition, and bring peace of mind, symbolising sincerity and faithfulness.
What Is the Best Way to Wear September's Gem?
With an impressive Mohs hardness of 9, Sapphires are incredibly durable gemstones, making them suitable for all types of jewellery, especially pieces crafted to one day be family heirlooms such as engagement rings, or an entire suite of bridal jewellery.
It is suitable for daily wear, however, as with all fine jewellery, it's best to avoid exposure to harsh chemicals to maintain its beautiful colour and shine.
What Is October's Birthstone?
October celebrates with two birthstones: The Opal and the Tourmaline. Opal is the traditional birthstone, celebrated for its unique play of colour, a phenomenon caused by the intricate diffraction of light within its structure. Opals come in a wide variety of base colours with flashes of different hues, such as fiery reds, electric blues, vibrant greens, and shimmering yellows.
Tourmaline is the modern birthstone for October, a gemstone known for its diverse range of colours, from pinks and greens to deep blues. The sheer variety makes it a versatile and popular choice for jewellery.
Another interesting fact is that Tourmalines also have popular bi-colour and watermelon varieties. Rubellite (red tourmaline) and indicolite (blue tourmaline) are other highly valued colours.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for October?
Opal is often associated with creativity, inspiration, and hope. It is said to enhance imagination and bring good luck.
Tourmaline, on the other hand, with its many colours, is believed to promote compassion, self-confidence, and healing, with each colour carrying its own specific properties.
What Is the Best Way to Wear October's Gem?
Opals, with a Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6.5, require thoughtful wearing and care. They are best worn as pendants, or earrings.
Tourmaline, with a Mohs hardness of 7 to 7.5, is more durable and suitable for all jewellery types, including rings for daily wear. However, it's still best to avoid harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures for both gemstones to maintain their beauty.
What Is November's Birthstone?
November has birthstones as well: The Topaz and the Citrine. Topaz is the traditional birthstone known for its beautiful golden to yellow-brown colours, though it also occurs in blue, pink, and clear varieties.
Citrine is the modern birthstone for November, a vibrant yellow-to-orange variety of quartz, often associated with joy and abundance. The most sought-after Citrines often display a deep, saturated orange colour.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for November?
The meaning behind November's birthstones is often linked to joy, abundance, and strength. Topaz is said to promote vitality, courage, and healing. Citrine is believed to attract prosperity, boost self-esteem, and bring happiness.
What Is the Best Way to Wear November's Gem?
Topaz has a Mohs hardness of 8, making it a durable gemstone suitable for all types of jewellery, including rings for daily wear.
Citrine, with a Mohs hardness of 7, is also quite durable and can be worn in various jewellery styles. As with all gemstones, you should avoid exposing both Topaz and Citrine to harsh chemicals and extreme temperature changes to maintain their colour and brilliance.
What Is December's Birthstone?
December boasts three birthstones: Turquoise, Tanzanite, and Zircon. Turquoise is the traditional birthstone, an opaque blue-green mineral revered for its beauty and believed to offer protection.
Tanzanite is a modern December birthstone, a vibrant blue-to-violet gem found only in Tanzania. Its trichroic nature means it displays different colours when viewed from different angles. This rarity and its rich colour intensity make it a highly desirable gemstone.
Zircon, also a modern addition, comes in various colours, including blue, white, and brown, and is known for its brilliance. Blue zircon, particularly the vibrant "Starlite blue" variety often heat-treated from brown zircon, is amongst the most popular.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Gemstone for December?
Turquoise is often associated with protection, good fortune, and wisdom, dating back to ancient Egypt, where it adorned pharaohs and was believed to bring prosperity.
Tanzanite is linked to spiritual awareness, intuition, and transformation, a relatively recent discovery in the late 20th century, quickly gaining popularity for its unique colour and rarity.
Meanwhile, zircon is believed to bring prosperity, honour, and wisdom, with historical use dating back to the Roman era, prized for its brilliance and available in colours that resembled other precious gems.
What Is the Best Way to Wear December's Gem?
Turquoise, with a Mohs hardness of 5 to 6, requires careful wearing, care, and storage. It is best suited for earrings, or pendants.
Meanwhile, Tanzanite, with a Mohs hardness of 6 to 7, is more durable but still benefits from gentle wear, especially in rings. One may consider having them in bezel settings as a protective layer from all sides.
Zircon, with a Mohs hardness of 6 to 7.5, is also relatively durable and can be worn in various jewellery styles, though, as always, to be worn and treated with care.
Discover Your Birthstone at B.P. de Silva
Now that you know what your birth gemstone is, you can discover fine jewellery featuring your birth gemstone at B.P. de Silva. Established in 1872, B.P. de Silva Jewellers is amongst Singapore’s first luxury labels, renowned for crafting exquisite pieces designed to be cherished for generations.
From delicate diamond earrings to stunning sapphire bracelets, explore our ready-to-wear and custom birthstone pieces that reflect your unique style. Visit our flagship boutique or book a virtual concierge appointment today.
