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Find a birthstone by month or by gemstone name:

January - Garnet

Most people think of Garnet as a single type of stone that is dark red, but actually Garnet is a family of gems that spans a range of colors. The name Garnet that comes from the Latin 'Granatus' which means "seed-like." Many Garnet crystals have the shape and color of pomegranate seeds. In ancient times it was known as Carbuncle which relates to the color and refers to a boil or blister. The name Carbuncle was also applied to other red gems, but especially to red Garnet.

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February - Amethyst

Amethyst is a purple form of Quartz with a rich coloration, good durability, and relative affordability. These characteristics make Amethyst a popular choice for all types of jewelry. The ancient Greek word Amethystos, from which the name amethyst arises, means 'without wine.' The stone was thought to be an amulet against excessive drunkenness to prevent intoxication.

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March - Aquamarine

The name, Aquamarine, comes from a Latin word for seawater. With its light greenish blue hue, one can easily see why it lives up to its name. Occasionally, Aquamarine is found in large enough pieces to yield finished gemstones in the 1000-plus carat range.

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April - Diamond

Diamond is the most celebrated of all birthstones even though it is not the rarest or most expensive. Why then the long-held fascination with this usually near colorless stone? Simply put, diamonds are hard. A diamond is approximately 140 times harder than any other mineral. The supreme hardness means that Diamond, while it can be shattered, cannot be scratched by anything other than another diamond. This hardness caused the ancient Greeks to name the stone "Adamas", which means invincible. Diamond is distinctive in the way it reflects light. It has a unique brilliance and also breaks the light up into spectral colors, which reflect within the stone as it is moved. Another unusual quality of a Diamond is its purity. A gem quality diamond is among the purest elements found in nature. Diamonds actually occur in all different colors, true red being most rare, followed by blue. Diamonds formed deep within the earth where the pressure and heat are intense.

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May - Emerald

This rich green form of the mineral Beryl gets its name from the Latin and Greek term 'Smaragdus.' The first known Emerald mines were in southern Egypt and show evidence of being worked since 2000 BC.

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June - Pearl

A Pearl is formed when certain types of mollusks secrete nacre and build up a smooth coating around the irritating object. With cultured pearls, the irritant is most likely a grain of sand. Cultured pearls are most prevalent today, but only from the 20th century on. Many layers of nacre, which is composed of tiny interlocked crystals of aragonite, form a Pearl. Although many mollusks form pearls, we value those with 'lustre' a soft sheen of reflected light, formed by certain mollusk species, specifically oysters. Pearls are most commonly thought of as white, but many colors abound such as cream, pink-peach, blue-grey, and black.

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July - Ruby

Ruby's name comes from the Latin root word "Ruber: meaning red, from which also is taken the name rubellite for red tourmaline. It is the red form of the gem corundum and is exceeded in hardness only by diamond. Occasionally, rubies occur with minute inclusions arranged in a pattern which reflects a floating six rayed star when viewed under a single light source. These are known, appropriately enough, as Star Rubies.

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August - Peridot

Peridot is a transparent or translucent gem that ranges in color from light yellow-green to a deep olive-green color. Peridot gets its name from an Arabic word "faridat" meaning 'gem'. It was also some times known as Olivine. In olden times, Peridot was often confused with topaz or emerald. The ancient Egyptians knew it as the gem of the sun, and mined it on an island in the Red Sea, just off Egypt's coast. To develop its full potential it was thought that Peridot must be set in yellow Gold.

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September - Sapphire

When the mineral corundum is red in color, it is known as Ruby. In any other color it is a Sapphire. So, other than color, Ruby shares Sapphire's physical characteristics. The most well known color is blue, but Sapphires are also beautiful in shades of pink, yellow. The most desirable color, blue, is said to be cornflower blue - an intense color, neither too light nor too dark.

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October - Tourmaline

The gem Tourmaline gets its name from the ancient word "Turmali" which means multi-colored gems. This is because Tourmaline occurs in virtually every color of the spectrum. The most popular colors of Tourmaline are green, red, and pink. Although mentioned as far back as the first century, Tourmaline has often been the victim of misidentification. Finds of green Tourmaline brought back from the New World were sold in Europe as "Brazilian Emerald.

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November - Topaz

An island in the Red Sea, known in antiquity as Topazion, gave Topaz its name. True Topaz is found in shades of colorless to yellow, orange, red or brown, and is sometimes artificially treated by radiation to produce blue colors. The term Imperial Topaz refers to stones with a fine peachy to reddish orange color.

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December - Turquoise

Turquoise is closely identified with Native Americans, although its lore and appreciation stretch across the globe. It was discovered by the ancient Egyptians around 3000 BC and was used widely in their finest jewelry and ornaments.

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