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Birthstones

Birthstones are a fun way to say "Happy Birthday" to a special someone. Birthstones are sometimes used as anniversary gifts as well -- for example, if you married in June your anniversary stone would be pearl. Birthstone jewelry is great for birthday presents, Christmas gifts, Mother's Day or anytime. For moms and dads, jewelry featuring the birthstones of their children are popular choices as well. While jewelery is a great gift idea, birthstones can also be incorporated into various types of ornaments, pendants, brooches, and even picture frames. The number of ways that birthstones can be incorporated into a gift is endless and what's even better is that a birthstone gift shows thoughtfulness and brings about a more personal element that many simple store-bought gifts lack. Many also beleve that the birthstone that pertains to an individual's month brings good luck. 

Birthstones at a Glance

January: Garnet 

February: Amethyst 

March: Aquamarine 

April: Diamond 

May: Emerald 

June: Pearl  or Moonstone  or Alexandrite 

July: Ruby 

August: Peridot 

September: Sapphire 

October: Opal  or Tourmaline 

November: Yellow Topaz  or Citrine 

December: Blue Topaz  or Turquoise 

By Month

January

The birthstone for January is the rich red garnet.  Garnets come in many delightful colors, and the Red Garnets are a deeper, warmer shade of red than rubies; they are more like the pomegranates for which they are named. Garnet was thought to be linked to blood, and is believed by some to protect individuals from nightmares, as well as provide guidance. A striking, beautiful stone, red garnets are great for rings.  White metals  will emphasize this garnet's beautiful color depth, while a yellow gold  setting is the ultimate in regal style. Red Garnets are relatively inexpensive, so have a ball -- deck your favorite January birthday girl in red stones from head  to toe.  For January guys, consider a pair of red garnet cuff links : they add a flash of color without being too showy.

February

The birthstone for February is the regal purple amethyst.  Amethyst has been valued since ancient times; its name comes from the Greek for "not drunk" because it was believed to counteract the effect of alcohol! This old belief has been translated so that amethyst currently stands for tranquility and peace. In modern times, large amethyst deposits in Brazil have made this bright purple stone accessible to everyone. It can be tumbled into cabochons  (left) or cut into faceted  gemstones -- either way, it is sure to look regal. Pair it with gold, silver, or just about anything else -- the deep violet shade looks good with most shades of metal and many colorful gemstones.

March"

The sun warms the earth, spring approaches, and the sky turns the color of the March birthstone, aquamarine.  Although its name suggests that it should be a deep blue-green, aquamarine is usually a light blue. Aquamarines are the Beryl family, along with emeralds, but are far more common; large stones or untreated ones may be expensive, but overall, the aquamarine is not a pricey gem. Aquamarine was once believed to protect those at sea, and many link the stone to love, hope, and health. White metal  settings allow the clarity and brilliance of the stone to shine. Aquamarine was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s; a vintage necklace  or cocktail ring  makes a great gift.

April

April showers should look so good! The April birthstone is the diamond,  the perfect ten of the gem world. Diamonds aren't just for engagement rings; there are all kinds of ways to wear ice, from a pair of stunning solitaire earrings  to a gold and diamond anklet.  Thought to stand for love and eternity, it's no surprise that it is the most popular and wanted gift from loved ones. There's plenty to know about buying diamonds in any configuration; check out the Diamond Buying Guide for more info.  Diamonds come in a variety of colors, from the near colorless to rich, warm cognac, and then to the bright hues of blue, red, green and yellow.  A colored diamond is a joy to behold!

Want to buy a gift but don't have the dough for diamonds? Can you tell which of these two pictures is the real diamond? Cubic zirconia  and moissanite  are both good substitutes. They sparkle almost as well as the real thing at a fraction of the price. They make especially good gifts for young people who might not be up to wearing real diamonds on a regular basis just yet. (The earrings on the right are cubic zirconia.)

May

The world becomes green and lush after the spring rain; Emeralds  are surely the most appealing choice for the May birthstone. Expensive, rare, and richly colored, good-quality natural emeralds often cost more than diamonds. They are also fragile, so they don't make a good gift for young people, and should be carefully cleaned. Synthetic emeralds  are often less expensive than natural emeralds, as they are grown in a lab but are identical in chemical composition to natural emeralds with fewer inclusions. In the past, emeralds were linked to the ability to see into the future. However, in the present, the gem is believed to stand for good health. 

A stone as richly colored as an emerald needs very little to show it off; yellow  or white gold  are both excellent. (Skip the silver; for such an expensive stone, get a gold setting.) Emeralds also look stunning (and a tiny bit Irish) when paired with diamonds|sapphires. 

June

June is unique in that it has not one, not two, but three birthstones. The easiest to come by, pearls  are the traditional gift and stands for chastity. Buying pearls can be tricky, so check out the Pearl Buying Guide. The other two stones are Moonstone, and also the most expensive, Alexandrite. Moonstone  (right) is white, sometimes with a greenish or bluish tinge. Pearls (left), of course, come in a wide range of natural and artificial colors but are most commonly seen in white,  cream,  pink,  gold  and grey-black,  and the expensive salt-water tahitian.  Alexandrite  is a very unusual gemstone that changes color depending on the type of light hitting it (pleochroic). Most gems change between green, red, and purple. It is extraordinarily rare and therefore difficult to find a clean stone, thus very expensive, but it will certainly surprise a June birthday girl!

July"

Nothing says high summer like a fresh, ruby-red strawberry... or just a ruby. The red-hot ruby  is the perfect stone to embody the sweltering heat of July. Regal and bold, it is sure to make a statement, whether it is set in yellow gold  or white,  with diamonds,  sapphires,  or all by itself.

Rubies vary in color from pinkish-red to vivid scarlet. They are corundums, the same mineral as sapphires; any corundum with a color is a sapphire except for the red ones, which are rubies. They are very hard and durable, ranking below only diamonds on the hardness scale. Some of the finest rubies come from south Asia. The ruby is associated with harmony and believed by some to provide protection.

August

Nothing refreshes on a hot August day like a cool glass of peridot -colored limeade. The inviting green color is cool and refreshing, just the thing when the summer has gone on too long. A gift of cool green peridot jewelry  will keep the birthday girl relaxed all summer.

Peridot is unusual in that it is one of the few gemstones that comes in only one color. It can vary from a light yellow-green to a deep olive but is always green. Its striking color blends easily with many other stones, including topaz  and citrine.  Peridot looks good both as a cut stone (right) and as polished chips (left), so there is no shortage of ways to wear it.  Some of the finest peridot is mined in and around China. Similar to the Garnet, Peridot is believed to provide protection from nightmares.

September

September's birthstone is the intense blue sapphire.  Sapphires are one of the few gemstones that can exhibit an asterism, which is an inclusion that resembles a star. Star sapphires,  like the one at right, are usually polished into cabochons to display the star; it would not be easily visible in a faceted stone.

Most of the sapphires on the market, however, are cut and polished similarly to diamonds. Their rich blue color is unmistakable, but sapphires also come in a number of other colors, including green,  purple,  pink,  orange,  and white  (clear).  Some sapphires are also pleochroic, and will change in color like Alexandrites. Saphires are believed to represent faith and purity. There is also a myth that the brighter the sparkle of the gem, the more faithful the individual wearing the gemstone. 

October

In October the leaves are bright and change color from day to day. Two gemstones also show off a diversity of colors, making them well-suited to being the October birthstone. Opals  (left) display what is known as play of color - caused by tiny water molecules trapped within. They flash different iridescent colors depending on the angle of the light. Often, they have a bluish cast, but the range of color they display is unlimited, with red being the most desirable.  A black opal is also prized, and can command a very high price.  Ask an expert about black opals before investing. Opals are believed to stand for innocence and purity. 

Tourmaline,  on the other hand, can display any of the colors of the rainbow one (or a few) at a time. It comes in every shade from pastel pink, deep blue to a gorgeous dark green. One of the most popular variations is the watermelon tourmaline,  which displays a band of pink sandwiched between two bands of green. Delicious.


November

The birthstones for November are yellow topaz  (right) and citrine  (left), two deep golden to sunlit yellow stones. Topaz tends to be a very clear stone, while citrine can be clear or cloudy, with a clear bright yellow being highly prized. Pair them with silver or white gold for the most brilliant display of color -- yellow gold may make the stone look washed out depending on the design.

December

The birthstones for December are three true blue rocks: blue topaz,  tanzanite  and turquoise.  Deeper in color than aquamarine, blue topaz is a clear blue stone that can vary from pale blue (Sky), medium (Swiss) to a deep rich blue (London), and looks great set in white gold or silver. It is made by irradiating blue, yellow or clear topaz. Turquoise, with its connotations of the American Southwest, is loved by many. It comes in shades of baby blue to dark blue-green, and looks great set in silver ; a little tarnish actually gives the piece a great rugged look that many people love. Turquoise also looks fantastic in a chunky necklace  like the one pictured at right. However you decide to wear them, these stones are sure to drive your winter blues away.  Some of the finest turquoise is found in the Sleeping Beauty mines in Arizona and the mid-east - it has no matrix and needs no treatment.  Others like the deep veins (matrix) of turquoise, as it adds variety and interest. Prices vary greatly from stones that have been stabilized and enhanced to the untreated. It was especially popular in the past because it was believed to bring about happiness and good fortune. Tanzanites are a blue-purple, with flashes of red highly prized.  They range from a deep blue hue to a light blue or lavender, with the darker color being the most desirable, and expensive.  Prices can range from about $50 to $5,000 a carat, depending on color, clarity, and cut.  The mines are found in only place in the world, making this stone far more rare than diamonds or even emeralds.  It's every woman's dream!  Understand turquoise and tanzanite before investing a great deal of money on a piece, and you will be delighted for years to come.

Anniversary Stones

Although not commonly given as gifts (most couples follow the usual anniversary gift list), certain gemstones correspond with wedding anniversary years. Actually, there are several lists, and they don't often agree. Have fun perusing the different lists in the External Links section below, but don't put too much stock in them. A quick glance is enough to show you that they vary considerably. You're probably better off with the traditional or modern gifts if you are bent on an "appropriate" gift for a particular anniversary; those lists are more or less standardized.

External Links