Birthstone by Month Finder
Find the birthstone for any month or birthday: the modern US list (with spinel for August since 2016), the traditional stones, colours, Mohs hardness and a little lore.
Modern list: the US list of Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) as given by GIA, last changed in 2016 when spinel was added for August. Some versions leave out bloodstone for March.
Traditional stone: the first stone named for the month on the original 1912 US list (the National Association of Jewelers, now Jewelers of America). Other old lists vary by country.
| Month | Modern | Traditional | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Garnet | deep red; also orange, green and other colours |
| February | Amethyst | Amethyst | purple |
| March | Aquamarine, Bloodstone | Bloodstone | pale blue to blue-green; dark green with red spots |
| April | Diamond | Diamond | colourless; also yellow, brown, pink, blue |
| May | Emerald | Emerald | green |
| June | Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite | Pearl | white, cream, pink, grey or black; milky white with a blue or white sheen; green in daylight, red to purple in lamplight |
| July | Ruby | Ruby | red |
| August ◀ | Peridot, Spinel, Sardonyx | Sardonyx | yellowish green; red, pink, blue, purple and more; bands of reddish brown and white |
| September | Sapphire | Sapphire | blue; also pink, yellow and other colours |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline | Opal | white or dark with flashes of colour; every colour, often pink or green |
| November | Topaz, Citrine | Topaz | golden, pink, blue or colourless; yellow to orange |
| December | Turquoise, Zircon, Tanzanite | Turquoise | sky blue to green; blue, colourless, golden or brown; violet-blue |
Birthstones link a gem to each month of the year. The list most jewellers use in the United States was first published in 1912 by the national jewellers' association (now Jewelers of America) and has been updated three times, most recently in 2016 when spinel joined peridot and sardonyx for August. This finder gives the modern stones for any month or birth date, the older traditional stone, each gem's colours and Mohs hardness, and a short note on where it comes from.
How to use this tool
- Choose a month, or switch to “Birth date” and enter the date.
- Read the modern birthstones and the traditional one.
- Check each gem's colour, hardness and story; the table lists all twelve months.
Formula
Mohs hardness: 1 (talc) … 7 (quartz) … 9 (corundum) … 10 (diamond)
Mohs is an ordinal scratch scale: a mineral scratches anything with a lower number. Everyday dust contains quartz (7), so stones below 7 — pearl, opal, turquoise, tanzanite — slowly lose their polish if worn daily without care.
Example
Someone born on 12 October has two modern birthstones, opal (Mohs 5.5–6.5, famous for its play of colour) and tourmaline (7–7.5, found in every colour). An August birthday gets peridot, spinel and sardonyx.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my month have more than one birthstone?
Alternatives were added to give choices in colour and price: alexandrite for June, pink tourmaline for October, citrine for November and zircon for December in 1952, tanzanite for December in 2002 and spinel for August in 2016. Moonstone has been a June stone since the first list in 1912.
What is the difference between modern and traditional birthstones?
Traditional lists come from older European and American customs and differ between sources; the modern list is the one agreed by US jewellery trade associations. Many people wear whichever they like best.
Are there zodiac birthstones too?
Yes, but zodiac stone lists differ widely from one source to the next, so this page sticks to the month lists, which are published by the trade associations.
Sources
Birthstones are a jewellery-trade tradition. The gem facts are mineralogy; the lore is shown for interest only, and no stone has any proven healing, protective or lucky power. How we check our calculators · Full disclaimer
Last updated:
Page address with these inputs: https://kakao.mobile/tools/birthstone-meaning-lookup/
Cite or embed this tool
kakaoCalc. (2026, November 8). Birthstone by Month Finder. https://kakao.mobile/tools/birthstone-meaning-lookup/
“Birthstone by Month Finder.” kakaoCalc, 8 Nov. 2026, kakao.mobile/tools/birthstone-meaning-lookup/.
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