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June 3, 2026
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As seen in Vogue | Handmade in London | Hypoallergenic Materials | Secure Payments | Delivery Nationwide & Worldwide | Shipped from UK
As seen in Vogue | Handmade in London | Hypoallergenic Materials | Secure Payments | Delivery Nationwide & Worldwide | Shipped from UK
Picking a birthstone gift should be simple, but search “birthstones by month” and you get a different answer on nearly every site. One page says June is pearl, another says moonstone, a third throws in alexandrite. Buy the wrong stone and a thoughtful present quietly misses the mark. This guide clears it up: the UK birthstone list, what each gemstone means, and how to choose one that actually lasts.
A birthstone is a gemstone linked to the month a person was born. Each stone carries its own colour, history, and set of meanings, and the idea is that wearing your own birth month’s gem is a small, personal way to mark who you are or who you love.
The custom is old. Many historians trace it back to the Breastplate of Aaron described in the Bible, a piece set with twelve gemstones for the twelve tribes of Israel. The habit of wearing one stone for your own birth month, though, is much more recent and is thought to have taken hold in Poland somewhere between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The UK birthstones by month are: January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal, November topaz or citrine, and December turquoise or tanzanite. A few months carry more than one stone, which we explain below.
Here is the part most guides skip, and it causes real confusion.
There is no single worldwide birthstone list. The American list was standardised first, in 1912, by the National Association of Jewelers. The UK followed later, in 1937, when the National Association of Goldsmiths set out its own version with both main stones and alternatives. The two lists agree on most months, but they part ways on a few, which is why you will see December listed as turquoise on a British site and tanzanite on an American one.
Other cultures have their own systems entirely. The Hindu Navaratna tradition, for example, links nine gemstones to celestial bodies rather than to calendar months. None of these versions is “wrong.” They simply grew from different places and times.
If you are buying in Britain, the UK list below is the sensible one to follow, with alternatives noted so you have options.
| Month | Birthstone | Colour | Common alternatives | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Deep red | Rose quartz | Protection, friendship, energy |
| February | Amethyst | Purple | Onyx | Calm, clarity, wisdom |
| March | Aquamarine | Pale sea blue | Bloodstone | Courage, calm, fresh starts |
| April | Diamond | Clear | White sapphire, rock crystal | Strength, lasting love |
| May | Emerald | Green | Chrysoprase | Renewal, hope, growth |
| June | Pearl | White, cream | Moonstone, alexandrite | Purity, gentleness |
| July | Ruby | Rich red | Carnelian | Passion, courage, vitality |
| August | Peridot | Lime green | Sardonyx, spinel | Strength, positivity |
| September | Sapphire | Blue | Lapis lazuli | Loyalty, wisdom, trust |
| October | Opal | Shifting rainbow | Pink tourmaline | Hope, creativity, confidence |
| November | Topaz, Citrine | Golden yellow | — | Warmth, friendship, abundance |
| December | Turquoise, Tanzanite | Blue to violet-blue | Blue topaz, lapis | Luck, protection, friendship |
Save or print this chart if you are shopping for a gift. It covers all twelve months at a glance.
A deep, warm red that looks wonderful against both silver and gold. Garnet stands for protection, friendship and energy, and was once carried by travellers for safe passage.
A stone of soft lilac to deep purple. Amethyst has been worn for centuries as a symbol of calm, clarity and a clear head.
A pale, watery blue named after sea water. Linked to courage, calm and fresh starts, it suits early spring birthdays. The older alternative is bloodstone.
Clear, bright and the hardest natural material on earth. That toughness is part of why diamond came to stand for strength and lasting love. White sapphire and rock crystal are gentler-priced alternatives.
A rich green stone tied to renewal, hope and growth. Emerald is a classic for a spring birthday, though it can be a little brittle, so it wants some care.
Soft and classic. Pearls are organic, grown inside oysters, which gives them a glow no cut stone can copy. Moonstone, with its blue sheen, is the popular modern alternative for June.
One of the most prized red gems and second only to diamond for hardness. Ruby means passion, courage and vitality, and it wears beautifully every day.
A bright, citrus green that is lighter and more yellow than emerald. Peridot is said to keep negativity away and to lift confidence.
Famous in deep royal blue, though it comes in many colours. Sapphire stands for loyalty, wisdom and trust, and it is hard enough for daily wear.
A stone that shifts colour as it catches the light, so no two are ever the same. Opal is tied to creativity and hope. Pink tourmaline is the common alternative.
Both warm and golden, glowing like late autumn sun. They are linked to warmth, friendship and good cheer, and either is a valid November stone.
Turquoise is the older UK choice, an ancient protective stone. Tanzanite is newer, found only in Tanzania, and rarer than diamond. Blue topaz is a budget-friendly third option.
This matters more for a bracelet than for any other piece of jewellery, and almost no one mentions it. A ring or pendant sits fairly still. A bracelet knocks against desks, doorframes, and shopping bags all day, so the stone needs to cope.
Gem hardness is measured on the Mohs scale, where talc is 1 and diamond is 10. The higher the number, the better a stone resists scratches and daily wear. Here is how the birthstones compare.
| Birthstone | Mohs hardness | Good for daily bracelet wear? |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond (April) | 10 | Excellent |
| Ruby, Sapphire (July, September) | 9 | Excellent |
| Topaz (November) | 8 | Very good |
| Emerald, Aquamarine (May, March) | 7.5 to 8 | Good, but emerald can be brittle |
| Amethyst, Citrine (February, November) | 7 | Good |
| Garnet (January) | 6.5 to 7.5 | Good |
| Peridot (August) | 6.5 to 7 | Reasonable, avoid hard knocks |
| Tanzanite, Turquoise (December) | 6 to 7 | Wear gently |
| Opal (October) | 5.5 to 6.5 | Delicate, treat with care |
| Moonstone (June alt.) | 6 to 6.5 | Delicate |
| Pearl (June) | 2.5 to 3 | Soft, special-occasion wear |
None of this means you should avoid the softer stones. A June pearl or an October opal can be the most beautiful charm on a bracelet. It just means a pearl charm is happier coming out for dinners and celebrations than for the gym, and a softer stone deserves the gentle-care routine further down this page. If you want a piece for constant, everyday wear, the corundum family (ruby and sapphire), topaz, and quartz stones (amethyst and citrine) are the easy winners.
This is the kind of thing a maker thinks about that a mass producer rarely does. When every piece is made by hand in London, the stone and the setting are chosen together so the gem is protected, not just pretty.
People often search for their real or true birthstone, worried they have been shown the wrong one. The honest answer is that your real birthstone depends on which list you follow. In Britain, your true birthstone is the one on the UK list above. Modern lists then add alternatives, often to give a more affordable or more durable option. So if your month has two stones, both are genuine. Neither is a fake. You simply pick the one you prefer.
Birthstones follow calendar months, but some people prefer to choose by star sign instead. There is no single official zodiac stone list, yet these are the most widely recognised pairings.
| Star sign | Dates | Commonly linked stones |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | 21 Mar to 19 Apr | Diamond, bloodstone |
| Taurus | 20 Apr to 20 May | Emerald, sapphire |
| Gemini | 21 May to 20 Jun | Pearl, agate |
| Cancer | 21 Jun to 22 Jul | Ruby, moonstone |
| Leo | 23 Jul to 22 Aug | Peridot, onyx |
| Virgo | 23 Aug to 22 Sep | Sapphire, carnelian |
| Libra | 23 Sep to 22 Oct | Opal, peridot |
| Scorpio | 23 Oct to 21 Nov | Topaz, aquamarine |
| Sagittarius | 22 Nov to 21 Dec | Turquoise, topaz |
| Capricorn | 22 Dec to 19 Jan | Garnet, ruby |
| Aquarius | 20 Jan to 18 Feb | Amethyst, garnet |
| Pisces | 19 Feb to 20 Mar | Aquamarine, amethyst |
There is no single official zodiac stone list, so these are the most widely recognised pairings. Because star signs cross two months, a zodiac stone gives a little more choice than a strict month stone.
A birthstone gift lands hardest when it tells a story. A family bracelet that holds a stone for each child, or for a couple, turns a simple piece into a small, wearable family tree. Charm bracelets suit this well because they are built to grow, with room to add a stone when a new baby arrives or a milestone comes round.
You can mix the main month stone with its alternative too. If a June pearl feels too formal for someone’s style, a moonstone keeps the month while matching their everyday look. Meaning first, rules second. At Sarah Valley our birthstone pieces are made to order so the stones can be chosen month by month, and the same idea works in birthstone necklaces if a pendant suits her better than a bracelet.
They were set by different bodies at different times. The US list was standardised in 1912 by the National Association of Jewelers, and the UK list in 1937 by the National Association of Goldsmiths. Most months match, but a few differ, such as December.
Traditional stones are the older ones tied to each month by long custom. Modern lists, drawn up in the twentieth century, added or swapped in stones that were easier to find and set, like tanzanite for December. Both are valid.
The roots are often traced to the Breastplate of Aaron in the Bible, set with twelve gemstones. Wearing one stone for your own birth month is a later custom, thought to have started in Poland between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Tanzanite, one of December’s stones. It is found in only one place on earth, near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which makes it rarer than diamond.
Yes. There is no rule that ties you to your own month. Many people choose a stone by colour, by meaning, or to represent a loved one.
For the practical side, which stones suit everyday wear, how to care for them, and which pieces work best as gifts, our birthstone charm bracelets collection covers it.
Not quite. Birthstones are tied to calendar months, while zodiac stones are tied to star signs, which each cross two months. Plenty of people wear both, and a piece can be designed around either system.
A birthstone is a small, personal way to carry a month, a person or a memory with you. Once you know which gem matches the birth month, the colour that suits them, and which stones stand up to daily wear, the rest is simply choosing the piece that feels like them.
When you are ready, our handmade birthstone jewellery is made one at a time, with each stone chosen to suit both the wearer and the way they live.
Sarah Mubarrak is the founder of Sarah Valley, a handmade jewellery brand based in the UK. She designs unique pieces using natural gemstones, crystals, and pearls, all crafted by hand with skin-safe materials. Inspired by nature, Sarah creates jewellery for women who want to feel confident and stand out.
Sarah Mubarrak is the founder of Sarah Valley, a handmade jewellery brand based in the UK. She designs unique pieces using natural gemstones, crystals, and pearls, all crafted by hand with skin-safe materials. Inspired by nature, Sarah creates jewellery for women who want to feel confident and stand out.
