Birthstone Guide: The Complete List by Month

Birthstones are traditional gemstone associations tied to each month of the year, useful both for understanding gift-giving traditions behind vintage jewelry and for modern reference, though the specific list has genuine variation between different traditions.

The Modern Birthstone List

Why Some Months Have Multiple Options

Several months list more than one recognized stone, reflecting how the modern list evolved over time as additional stones were formally added alongside older traditional choices — worth knowing this variation is normal and expected rather than a sign of conflicting or unreliable information.

Being a Birthstone Doesn’t Determine Value

It’s worth being clear that birthstone status has nothing to do with a gem’s actual rarity or price — garnet and amethyst are genuinely common and affordable stones, while diamond and tanzanite are genuinely rare and expensive, and both categories include birthstones sitting at very different price points.

Birthstones in Vintage Jewelry

A specific gemstone in a vintage piece was sometimes deliberately chosen as a birthstone gift, which can offer genuine context for understanding a piece’s original significance — worth keeping in mind when researching an inherited piece with a documented family history attached to a specific birth month or occasion.

Regional and Historical Variation

Birthstone traditions vary somewhat between different countries and historical periods, and the list presented here reflects the modern list most commonly referenced in current American jewelry retail — an older piece or one from a different tradition may reflect a different historical birthstone association for the same month.

Using This List Practically

This list works well as a quick reference for gift shopping or for understanding context in an inherited piece, but it isn’t a substitute for actually identifying a stone’s composition when precision matters; see our real vs. fake gemstones guide for how to confirm what a stone actually is beyond its traditional birthstone association.

Alternative and Ancient Birthstone Lists

Beyond the modern commercial list, several older traditions — including ancient and medieval European astrological birthstone associations — assigned somewhat different stones to each month, and some cultures maintain their own distinct birthstone traditions entirely separate from the modern American retail list. An older piece of jewelry with an unexpected stone for its wearer’s birth month isn’t necessarily a mismatch; it may simply reflect a different, equally legitimate tradition.

Zodiac and Astrological Stone Associations

Separate from calendar-month birthstones, some traditions assign gemstones to astrological zodiac signs rather than birth months, which is a related but genuinely distinct system worth not confusing with the standard monthly birthstone list — a stone chosen for someone’s zodiac sign may not match their calendar-month birthstone at all.

Birthstone Jewelry as a Vintage Category of Its Own

Birthstone rings and pendants were a genuinely popular gift category throughout the 20th century, which means encountering a piece explicitly marketed or designed around a specific birthstone is common enough in vintage jewelry to be worth recognizing as its own identifiable style; see our costume jewelry identification guide for how birthstone-themed pieces fit within broader mid-century jewelry trends.

Confirming a Stone’s Actual Identity

A piece marketed or remembered as containing a specific birthstone doesn’t guarantee the stone is genuine or even the specific gem type claimed — costume birthstone jewelry commonly used colored glass or synthetic stones standing in for the genuine gem; see our real vs. fake gemstones guide for the checks worth running before assuming a birthstone piece contains a genuine natural stone.

A quick composition check takes only a moment and prevents a genuinely disappointing surprise later.