Last updated: 13 July 2026
Your birthstone is the gemstone traditionally linked to your birth month — garnet for January, emerald for May, turquoise for December, and so on. The tradition goes back centuries, and it's still one of the most personal ways to mark a birthday, choose a gift, or simply feel a little more connected to your own story.
We're asked “what's my birthstone” more than almost any other question in our Skerries studio — by email, by phone, and by visitors who drop into the workshop. So we've put together this complete guide: birth month, colour, meaning, and a little of the history behind each one.
Use the table below for a quick answer, or scroll down for the full story behind your month.
| Month | Stone | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Red |
| February | Amethyst | Purple |
| March | Aquamarine | Pale blue |
| April | Diamond (worn in crystal quartz) | Clear |
| May | Emerald | Green |
| June | Pearl, Moonstone & Alexandrite | White / ivory |
| July | Ruby & Carnelian | Red / orange |
| August | Peridot | Green |
| September | Sapphire & Lapis Lazuli | Deep blue |
| October | Opal & Pink Tourmaline | Pink |
| November | Citrine & Topaz | Golden yellow |
| December | Turquoise | Blue-green |
We love how a birthstone can turn a piece of jewellery into something more personal. It's why we've added birthstone charms across many of our designs, including our initial necklaces and personalised jewellery — and why one of our most-loved combinations is a mum necklace carrying both a child's initial and their birth month stone. You don't have to love your own birthstone to wear one; plenty of our customers choose a birthstone simply because they like the colour, or because it represents someone else entirely.
A note from our workshop: birthstone charms are one of the most requested additions to our name necklaces, especially from new mums wanting to carry a child's initial and birth month together in one piece.
The idea of a gemstone for each month is centuries old. The earliest known reference comes from the Book of Exodus, where the breastplate of Aaron, the High Priest of the Hebrews, was set with twelve gemstones — including emerald, sapphire, diamond, topaz, amethyst and onyx. Those twelve stones later became linked to the twelve signs of the zodiac, and for a time it was believed a person should own all twelve and wear the one matching the current month.
The birthstone-by-month tradition we recognise today is thought to date back to 18th-century Poland, when gem traders began selling stones based on a customer's birth month rather than their star sign.
Some birthstones are precious gemstones, most often found in fine jewellery. Others are semi-precious alternatives, worn in demi-fine pieces at a more accessible price — we've noted both where they exist below.
The birthstone for January is garnet, a deep red gemstone traditionally associated with friendship, trust and lasting love.
Garnet takes its name from the 14th-century word “gernet,” meaning dark red. Beyond jewellery, garnet is prized for its abrasive strength — mixed with water pressure, it's used industrially to cut steel and other hard materials.
Shop January Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for February is amethyst, a purple variety of quartz traditionally believed to bring the wearer clarity.
The name comes from the Greek “amethystos,” meaning “not intoxicated” — amethyst was once believed to protect its wearer from the effects of drink. It has long been associated with royalty, appearing in royal crowns through history, and is considered sacred to the Buddha in Tibet, where it's used in prayer beads.
Shop February Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for March is aquamarine, a pale blue gemstone named for the Latin words for “water of the sea.”
Aquamarine was carried by sailors in Greek and Roman times as a stone of protection for voyages, and its soft, clear blue is still associated with calm and clarity today.
Shop March Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for April is diamond, prized for its clarity, strength and long association with eternal love.
Diamond's name comes from the Greek “adamas,” meaning invincible — fitting for the hardest natural substance on Earth. As precious diamonds aren't practical for everyday demi-fine jewellery, our April collection is handcrafted in crystal quartz, a clear stone that shares diamond's brightness and clarity at a more everyday price.
Shop April Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for May is emerald, a rich green gemstone traditionally linked to good fortune.
Emerald has been treasured for centuries for its rarity — fine emeralds can cost many times more than a diamond of the same size — and was famously the favourite gemstone of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Green stones such as jade and green onyx are sometimes worn as semi-precious alternatives for May, thanks to their similar depth of colour.
Shop May Birthstone Jewellery →
June is one of the few months with more than one traditional birthstone: pearl, moonstone and alexandrite.
Pearls form when a mollusc, such as an oyster, coats an irritant in layer upon layer of nacre — the Ancient Greeks believed they were the tears of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Moonstone is loved for its soft, glowing iridescence, while alexandrite is prized as one of the rarest gemstones in the world for its unusual colour-changing effect. Pearl remains the most traditional choice, worn throughout history as a symbol of purity.
Shop June Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for July is ruby, with carnelian worn as a semi-precious alternative.
Ruby has been worn for centuries as a symbol of passion and courage. Carnelian takes its name from the Latin “cornum,” after the cornel cherry, which its red-orange colour resembles — it was widely used in Roman times for engraved signet rings and wax seals.
Shop July Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for August is peridot, a bright, vibrant green gemstone.
In Hawaiian folklore, peridot was said to be the tears of the goddess Pele, as the mineral forms along volcanic plate boundaries such as Hawaii. Today, most of the world's peridot comes from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona.
Shop August Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for September is sapphire, a deep blue gemstone, with lapis lazuli worn as a semi-precious alternative.
Lapis lazuli has a rich blue colour, often flecked with gold and white, and was highly prized by the Ancient Egyptians — it was found in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun and later ground into pigment used by Renaissance painters such as Vermeer.
Shop September Birthstone Jewellery →
October has two traditional birthstones: opal and pink tourmaline.
Opal shifts and flashes with colour, while pink tourmaline holds a steady, soft rose tone — two stones that tell very different stories from the same month. Pink opal is sometimes called “a stone of hope” and has been considered sacred in the Andes for thousands of years.
Shop October Birthstone Jewellery →
November has two traditional birthstones: citrine and topaz.
Citrine takes its name from the French “citron,” meaning lemon, for its warm yellow tone. In ancient times, it was believed to manifest wishes and prosperity, and was worn as a talisman by the Ancient Egyptians and in decorative rings by Roman priests.
Shop November Birthstone Jewellery →
The birthstone for December is turquoise, one of the oldest gemstones worn in jewellery.
Turquoise has been treasured for thousands of years, from the tombs of Ancient Egypt to Persian royal jewellery and the craftsmanship of Native American artisans. It's traditionally seen as a stone of protection, friendship and calm — often described as grounding and quietly steadying to wear.
Shop December Birthstone Jewellery →
If you're representing more than one person — a child, a partner, a whole family — our Family Birthstone Jewellery collection lets you bring together two to five birthstones in a single necklace or bracelet.
You can also browse birthstone jewellery by type, or explore the full birthstone collection for every month in one place:
What's my birthstone?
Your birthstone is decided by your birth month, not your star sign. Find your month in the quick-reference table near the top of this guide, or scroll to your month's section for the full colour and meaning.
What is my birth stone?
“Birthstone” and “birth stone” are simply two ways of writing the same thing — both refer to the gemstone traditionally linked to the month you were born. Use the quick-reference table above to find yours.
What colour is my birthstone?
It depends on your birth month. Birthstone colours (or “birthstone colors,” if you're spelling it the US way) range from January's deep red garnet to April's clear crystal quartz and December's blue-green turquoise — check the table above for your month at a glance.
Is jade a birthstone?
Jade isn't one of the twelve traditional birthstones. However emerald jade is often worn as a semi-precious alternative for May, thanks to its rich green colour, which sits close to May's official birthstone, emerald.
Whatever your birth month, your birthstone is a simple, personal way to add meaning to a piece of jewellery — whether you're choosing something for yourself or for someone you love. Explore the collection to find a piece that represents your story.
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