Birthstones by Month: The Complete Guide

Each month is traditionally linked to a gemstone, and it is one of the easiest ways to choose a piece when you don't know someone's taste well. Here is the full list as we actually make it, month by month, and what each one is set in.

Birthstones by month

We make all twelve months twice over: once with the traditional colour set in 5A+ American Diamond, and once in a genuine stone. Both are named below, in that order.

• January – Garnet, deep red; genuine garnet in the gemstone line.
• February – Amethyst, violet-purple; genuine amethyst in the gemstone line.
• March – Aquamarine, pale blue-green; natural aquamarine in the gemstone line.
• April – Diamond, clear and brilliant. Ours is American Diamond, never a natural diamond; real clear quartz in the gemstone line.
• May – Emerald, vivid green; green onyx in the gemstone line.
• June – Alexandrite; real moonstone in the gemstone line.
• July – Ruby, deep red; genuine ruby in the gemstone line.
• August – Peridot, yellow-green; labradorite in the gemstone line.
• September – Sapphire, rich blue; sodalite in the gemstone line.
• October – Tourmaline, pink; pink jade in the gemstone line.
• November – Citrine, warm and golden; genuine citrine in the gemstone line.
• December – Tanzanite, violet-blue; genuine blue topaz in the gemstone line.

Tradition, not a promise

These associations come from centuries-old customs across different cultures, and we mention them as tradition and folklore only, never as a claim about what a stone will do for you. Lists also differ: some put opal against October, turquoise against December, pearl against June. The twelve above are the ones we make. Choose a birthstone piece because it appeals to the person it is for, not for any effect beyond how it looks.

What each one is actually set in

Most of our birthstone pieces set the traditional colour of the month in 5A+ American Diamond, top-grade cubic zirconia, rather than the natural gemstone. We say so plainly rather than let the stone's name do the talking. It buys you something real: American Diamond is cut to one specification, so a stud-and-pendant set matches exactly, which a natural stone rarely manages across two pieces.

Where you want the actual mineral, the gemstone line covers the same twelve months in genuine stone, and several of those are rough-cut rather than faceted, so no two are alike. Much of it sits in our natural gemstone jewellery range.

The same twelve, for men

The birthstone line runs in a men's version across all twelve months too, in both the American Diamond and the genuine-stone versions. It is a solitaire stud rather than a set, which suits a single piercing and reads understated enough for work. Most birthstone guides skip men's pieces entirely for no good reason. Start from men's silver earrings if that is who you are shopping for.

How to actually choose one as a gift

The birth-month stone is the right call when you don't know the person's taste well: a colleague, a new in-law, a friend you don't shop for often. It signals thought without needing inside knowledge.

When you do know their taste, their actual favourite colour usually beats the "correct" birthstone. A December-born friend who only wears warm tones will get more use from a citrine piece than a violet-blue tanzanite one, whatever the calendar says.

The setting matters as much as the stone

Our birthstone pieces are set in genuine 925 sterling silver, stamped accordingly, finished with our R-Coat™ anti-tarnish coating. The silver is tested by the Sheffield Assay Office (UK) for what it releases onto skin under prolonged contact, not just for purity, and comes back nickel-free, cadmium-free and lead-free.

Browse the full range in our birthstone jewellery collection, or see the styles set as pendants if you're shopping for something worn every day. For the settings themselves, silver ring designs for women covers ring shapes, and real moonstone vs glass explains how to tell a real stone from a substitute.