Birthstones are special gems assigned to each month of the year. Your birthstone correlates to your birth month, and each stone represents specific qualities like joy, creativity, health, and focus. The lore is that these gems bring luck to their owners, which is why many people wear them. Plus, they make really beautiful jewelry pieces. Birthstone jewelry can add a personal touch to a gift or a unique addition to your own collection.
Characteristics of Birthstones
All birthstones are different; not only do they look unique in color and opacity, but they have different chemical compositions, which makes them suitable for different uses in jewelry. One way to understand more about a gemstone is to learn its ranking on the Mohs hardness scale. This scale uses numbers 1-10 to rank how easy or difficult it is for minerals to scratch or damage each other. The higher the ranking, the harder the gemstone, and the lower the number, the softer the stone. Softer stones should be worn in jewelry like necklaces or earrings that don’t see as much daily contact with other surfaces the way that rings and bracelets do.
Each birthstone has different associations depending on the tradition, culture, and history that’s interpreting it. For instance, many people find spiritual meaning in crystal jewelry and believe that different materials contain specific powers. You get to decide what you believe about your birthstone, and there’s also no rule saying that you have to wear the right one based on your birthday! If the meaning doesn’t resonate for you or you just like the look of another gemstone better, don’t hold back.
Here’s your introduction to the meaning behind popular birthstones so you can pick one out for yourself or find the right birthstone jewelry gift for someone else:
January: Garnet
- Color: Deep red
- Meaning: Love, friendship, light, life force, and heart.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 6.5 - 7.5
- Fun Fact: Garnets are popular in jewelry today and have been worn for centuries; a beaded garnet necklace was found in an Ancient Egyptian tomb dating back to around 3100 BC.
February: Amethyst
- Color: Deep purple
- Meaning: Healing, rest, quick wit, love, and royalty.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.0
- Fun Fact: Amethyst has a romantic connotation; the legend has it that the patron saint of love, St. Valentine, wore an amethyst ring with cupid engraved on it.
March: Aquamarine
- Color: Light blue
- Meaning: Youth, happiness, congeniality, and quick intellect.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.5 - 8.0
- Fun Fact: “Aquamarine” means “water of the sea” in Latin; the Ancient Romans believed that this gemstone would protect people traveling across the ocean.
April: White Topaz
- Color: Colorless, bright crystal
- Meaning: Clarity, awareness, strength, and courage.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 8
- Fun Fact: The Ancient Romans believed that white topaz was connected to the Sun God, so they associated it with spiritual and mental illumination.
May: Emerald
- Color: Deep, rich, forest green
- Meaning: Foresight into the future, royalty, heart, and connectedness.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.5 - 8.0
June: Rhodolite
- Color: Light to dark purplish red
- Meaning: Courage, hope, compassion, and creativity.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.0 - 7.5
- Fun Fact: The name of this gemstone comes from the Greek word “rhodon,” meaning “rose-like,” after its lovely color. It is sometimes described as a raspberry garnet.
July: Ruby
- Color: Bright red
- Meaning: Passion, wealth, and success in love.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 9.0
August: Peridot
- Color: Yellowish green
- Meaning: Light, protection, and good luck.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 6.5 - 7.0
- Fun Fact: The Ancient Egyptians called this light green gemstone “the stone of the sun,” and they believed it would ward off evil spirits.
September: Blue Sapphire
- Color: Royal blue
- Meaning: Nobility, sincerity, truth, and faithfulness.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 9.0
October: Pink Sapphire
- Color: Light pink, sometimes with light orange
- Meaning: Love, truth, and feminine power.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 9.0
November: Citrine
- Color: Yellowish orange or blood orange
- Meaning: Prosperity, energy, abundance, and creativity.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.0
December: Blue Topaz
- Color: Bright blue
- Meaning: Long life, intelligence, and beauty.
- Mohs Hardness Rating: 8
Does your birthstone resonate with you? You can find countless variations of birthstone jewelry, honoring when you were born with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Birthstones can make a unique and personal touch in a gift that holds meaning beyond its beauty; give the gift of love, prosperity, or even good luck. Browse through all the stunning ways you can wear birthstone jewelry with Miki & Jane’s collection. Check out the butterfly birthstone necklace, the matching birthstone enamel necklace and bracelet, or the array of earrings in our genuine gemstone collection to find a special piece for yourself or for a loved one!