• Diamonds
  • Gemstones
  • Jewellery
  • Famous Jewels
  • Latest
  • Instagram
Diamond Buzz Logo
Birthstones By Month: History And Meaning
Gemstones

Birthstones by Month: History and Meaning

Last updated on May 11, 2022

Everyone has a birthstone regardless of age, gender, nationality and religion. Whether you were born in January or June, each month has a unique birthstone that has a meaning behind it. This article lists birthstones by month to help you find yours and learn more about the history of birthstones.

History of Birthstones

Birthstones are gemstones that represent the month of a person’s birth, where each stone has a unique meaning and is thought to bring good luck, good health, and protection.

The custom of associating a certain gemstone with a specific month traces back to the 1st century to the writings of Romano-Jewish historian Josephus who believed there was a connection between the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate, a ceremonial religious garment, signifying the twelve tribes of Israel, months of the year and the twelve zodiac signs.

Later, in the 8th and 9th centuries, the practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one in a month. This custom was based on a religious treatise connecting twelve specific stones with the twelve apostles (the Foundation Stones of Christianity).

The custom of wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old. However, modern authorities differ on dates. George Frederick Kunz, a famous mineralogist, gemologist and mineral collector, thought that wearing a single birthstone originates in 19th century Poland, while the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) believes the practice starts in mid-16th century Germany. No wonder confusing translations and customs have distanced the modern list of birthstones from their historical origins, and they have little to do with either the twelve stones in Aaron’s breastplate or the Foundation Stones of Christianity. Moreover, different cultures around the world have developed their own birthstone lists over centuries.

In 1912, the Jewelers of America, the leading non-profit jewellery association in the United States, officially adopted a list of birthstones. In 1952, the list was updated by the Jewelry Industry Council of America. They have added alexandrite for June, citrine for November and pink tourmaline for October. December’s lapis lazuli was replaced by zircon. In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite as a December birthstone. In 2016, the American Gem Trade Association, together with Jewelers of America, added spinel as an August birthstone. The choice of the stones has been based on the availability and price of a particular gemstone. That is why some months have more than one birthstone.

Birthstones by Month

Modern Birthstones By Months | Diamond Buzz

MONTHTRADITIONALMODERNMEANING
Januarygarnetgarnetcalm
Februaryamethystamethystpower
Marchbloodstoneaquamarineaquamarine - unity
bloodstone - strength
Aprildiamonddiamondendurance
Mayemeraldemeraldjoy
Junepearl
moonstone
alexandrite
alexandrite - prosperity
moonstone - balance
pearl - clarity
Julyrubyrubyharmony
Augustsardonyxperidot
spinel
peridot - purity
sardonyx - courage
spinel - devotion
Septembersapphiresapphireloyalty
Octoberopaltourmalineopal - hope
tourmaline - strength
Novembertopazcitrine
topaz
citrine - awareness
topaz - prosperity

Decemberlapis lazuli
turquoise
blue zircon
tanzanite
turquoise
blue zircon - wisdom
lapis lazuli - truth
tanzanite - balance
turquoise - peace
Featured image: Akkaradet / Canva

Post navigation

Mohs Scale of Hardness
Bloodstone Properties and Characteristics

Newsletter

By entering your email address, you consent to receive our latest articles. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details.

Thank you for signing up. To complete your subscription, please check your email inbox and follow the instructions.

  • Instagram
  • Contact
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Sponsorship Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2018 - 2022 Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

We use cookies on our website to personalise your user experience and analyse our website traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of all the cookies.

Learn more Settings Accept All

Cookie Settings

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are essential for the website to function properly. This category includes cookies that ensure the basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website, which help in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information on how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected includes the number of visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visited in an anonymous form.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analysed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThis cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearNo description
wccpprocookiepastNo description
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo