Birthstone Jewelry: What Does Your Gemstone Mean?

Birthstone Jewelry: What Does Your Gemstone Mean?

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

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
  • Fun Fact: Queen Cleopatra of Egypt was known for her love of emeralds, and she used them to adorn many of her precious belongings. 

    • 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
  • Fun Fact: Rubies indicate passion and romance, and they are the traditional wedding anniversary gift for couples celebrating 40 years of marriage.

    • 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
  • Fun Fact: Kings and queens in Ancient Rome and Greece wore them to protect themselves from harm. The royal tradition of wearing sapphires has continued into modern times; Prince Charles (now King Charles) gave Lady Diana Spencer an iconic sapphire engagement ring in 1981, inspired by a brooch worn by Queen Victoria. 
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    October: Pink Sapphire

      • Color: Light pink, sometimes with light orange
      • Meaning: Love, truth, and feminine power.
      • Mohs Hardness Rating: 9.0
  • Fun Fact: Pink sapphire is also known as “padparadscha,” which means “lotus flower” in Sinhala; these gemstones are historically associated with Sri Lanka and can take after the national flower.

    • November: Citrine

      • Color: Yellowish orange or blood orange
      • Meaning: Prosperity, energy, abundance, and creativity.
      • Mohs Hardness Rating: 7.0
  • Fun Fact: Citrine has been worn and revered for thousands of years; in the Middle Ages it was called “the merchant’s stone” because people believed it would bring wealth. It was popularized in the 1950s by Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. 

    • December: Blue Topaz

      • Color: Bright blue
      • Meaning: Long life, intelligence, and beauty. 
      • Mohs Hardness Rating: 8
  • Fun Fact: Topaz can come in all different colors, and is allochromatic. This means that its color comes from impurities in the gemstone or defects in the crystal, whereas most gemstones’ coloring is derived from their chemical composition. 

    • 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!

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