Birthstone Guide
JANUARY –
Garnet
(Precious Stone)
The word garnet originates from the Latin word granatus, which means seed-like, due to its shape and color resembling a pomegranate seed. While garnets are often recognized to be deep red, you can also find them in other colors, including black (melanite), purple or pink (rhodolite), yellow (topazolite), and others.
FEBRUARY –
Amethyst
(Precious Stone)
Amethyst is deep violet quartz. According to myths, they were known for preventing people from getting intoxicated, hence explaining why the gem’s name comes from the Greek word amethystos, which means not drunken. Amethysts have long been used for jewelry by the ancient Egyptians and continue to be featured in modern designs.
MARCH –
Aquamarine
(Precious Stone)
from Latin: aqua marina
Aquamarine is a blue variant of the beryl mineral and can come in different shades and hues, with richer and deeper blues holding more value. Commonly found in Brazil and Southeast Asia, this stone has often been associated with the sea and skies, invoking a sense of peace and calmness.
APRIL –
Diamond
(Precious Stone)
Known as one of the most popular and expensive gemstones, diamonds are often used in engagement rings due to their beauty and brilliance. Ancient Greeks called the stone Adamas, which meant invincible or indestructible, as it was thought to be a symbol of power and strength for many warriors.
MAY –
Emerald
(Precious Stone)
Emeralds are the most popular green gem, with their vibrant color resembling nature and springtime. They refer to the green variant of the mineral beryl and are commonly found in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Brazil. The stone’s name comes from the Greek word smaragdus, which means green, precisely because of its beautiful color.
JUNE –
Pearl
(Precious Stone)
Perfectly round and smooth
The name pearl comes from the French word Perle, referring to the leg of a mollusk. Compared to the other gemstones, pearls are organic gems since they are not minerals, so when shopping for them in the market, you may find them in their natural state or a cultured version that is grown on a pearl farm.
JULY –
Ruby
(Precious Stone)
Rubies contain chromium, which is responsible for giving the stone its popular deep red shade. While rubies may also appear with a purple, pink, or orange tinge, the deepest and darkest red ones are considered to be the most valuable. These are often called pigeon blood rubies as their color resembles that of blood.
AUGUST –
Peridot
(Precious Stone)
Peridots come from a mineral group called olivine, and they have a yellow-green color, with the darker green ones having more value. One of their trademark characteristics is that their color appears the same, whether you view them under natural or artificial light. Peridots can be found in Myanmar, Pakistan, and China, but most are said to come from the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona, USA.
SEPTEMBER –
Sapphire
(Precious Stone)
The name sapphire comes from the Latin word sapphirus, which literally translates to a bluestone. This is no surprise, given that sapphire is most known for having a deep blue color, despite it coming in many different colors as well. Sapphires are strong and sturdy due to their hardness, so they are popular for long-term jewelry uses.
OCTOBER –
Opal
(Precious Stone)
The most valuable is black
Opal is often credited for being the most colorful gem as it almost resembles a rainbow in that the stone displays a spectrum of many vibrant colors. Like most other gemstones, opals come in many different varieties that each look different. Among all of them, black opals are known to be the most valuable.
NOVEMBER –
Topaz
(Precious Stone)
Topaz is a durable stone that comes in different colors, including pink, blue, yellow, purple, orange, and others. Topaz is colorless in its purest form, but impurities give it unique hues that you may be familiar with seeing. Yellow and amber tones are often the most common, while natural blue topaz is some of the rarest, but colorless topaz can be treated to be made blue.
DECEMBER –
Tanzanite
(Precious Stone)
Tanzanite is a rare, sapphire-like gemstone found in only one place on earth: the hills of Merelani in Tanzania. It was discovered by a Masai tribesman in the 1960’s and was named Tanzanite after the country it was found in. The stone is renowned for its bluish hue – ranging from a deep, royal blue to a lavender-like purple. Its color can also change based on the cut and the angle that the light hits it.