Birthstone Guide · Every Month · Jewelry · Asset Appeal Las Vegas
The Complete
Birthstone
Guide.
Twelve months. Twelve stones. Each one with its own color, history, symbolism, and meaning — and each one worth understanding before you buy. The complete birthstone reference, from garnet in January to blue topaz in December.
One Stone
for Every
Month.
The birthstone tradition connects a specific gemstone to each month of the year — and has roots that go back to the breastplate of Aaron described in the Book of Exodus, which carried twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The connection between those stones and the calendar months evolved over centuries, passed through multiple cultural traditions, and was formally standardized for the modern jewelry trade by the American National Retail Jewelers Association in 1912. Several months have since gained alternate stones to expand accessibility and choice.
Each stone carries its own color, its own mineral character, its own origin story, and its own body of symbolism accumulated across cultures and centuries. Knowing your birthstone — or the birthstone of someone you're shopping for — is the beginning of a jewelry decision that carries meaning beyond aesthetics.
This guide covers every month with the stone's full profile: what it looks like, where it comes from, what it has meant historically, how it wears, and what to know before you commission a custom birthstone piece at Asset Appeal in Las Vegas.
Every Month.
Every Stone.
The Full Story.
Each month's profile covers the primary stone, its alternates, its historical symbolism, its practical wear characteristics, and what to look for when buying or commissioning a piece.
Garnet
January · Primary StoneGarnet is not a single stone but a family of related silicate minerals — and while most people picture a deep burgundy-red, garnet actually spans nearly the entire color spectrum. The January birthstone tradition draws on the deep red pyrope and almandine varieties: rich, warm, and saturated with a color that has been associated with protection, vitality, and safe travel across cultures for more than a thousand years. Medieval warriors wore garnet into battle believing it would protect them from wounds. Travelers carried garnet to light their way in the dark.
For January babies, the choice of garnet variety is worth understanding. Red pyrope and almandine are the classic options — deep, saturated, and highly accessible at excellent sizes and quality for the price. Rhodolite garnet offers a brighter pinkish-red that many find more contemporary. Tsavorite (vivid green grossular garnet from Kenya) and mandarin spessartite (vivid orange) are rarer and pricier, but equally valid January birthstones. Demantoid garnet — a green andradite with fire exceeding diamond — is among the rarest and most valuable gems in the entire garnet family.
At 6.5–7.5 on the Mohs scale depending on variety, garnet is appropriate for most everyday jewelry. Red garnets are excellent in rings; the rarer colored varieties benefit from more protective settings.
Amethyst
February · Primary StoneAmethyst — purple quartz — was once among the most precious stones in the world, placed alongside ruby and sapphire in the hierarchy of gemstones worthy of royalty and clergy. The discovery of vast Brazilian deposits in the 19th century democratized it completely, turning what was a stone of kings into one of the most accessible and beloved colored gemstones available. For February birthdays, this means the month's stone delivers extraordinary color at an extraordinary price-to-quality ratio.
The color ranges from pale lilac (Rose de France) to deep, saturated purple (the finest "Siberian" material) with every shade between. The most prized amethyst shows a rich, vivid purple with red and blue flashes — a depth of color that reads as genuinely regal even at the price point the stone commands today. Fine material from Zambia produces some of the deepest contemporary amethyst; Brazilian material tends lighter and is valued for its clarity and size accessibility.
February's association with St. Valentine makes amethyst particularly meaningful as a romantic gift — the stone's historical connection to passion and love (it was believed to prevent intoxication and keep the wearer clear-headed in love, as well as in drink) adds a layer of symbolism to what is already a visually striking stone. At Mohs 7, amethyst is appropriate for everyday wear with normal care, though prolonged UV exposure can fade the color over time.
Aquamarine
March · Primary Stone · Alternate: BloodstoneAquamarine — blue-to-blue-green beryl, named for the Latin "aqua marina" — is one of the most elegant birthstones in the calendar. Its pale, transparent blue carries a coolness and clarity that no other stone quite replicates: it looks like captured seawater, like clear sky, like distance itself compressed into a gem. For March births at the edge of winter and spring, the stone's color carries an unmistakable seasonal resonance.
The finest aquamarine — "Santa Maria" material from the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Brazil — shows a deep, saturated blue with exceptional clarity that commands significant premiums. Most commercial aquamarine is lighter, which is not necessarily a flaw: the pale blue of a large, clean aquamarine has its own quiet beauty that the more intense stones don't always share. Aquamarine's great practical advantage is its combination of hardness (7.5–8 Mohs), excellent natural clarity, and accessibility at large sizes — it is one of the few fine gemstones where a genuinely impressive carat weight is achievable at a reasonable price.
Bloodstone — a dark green chalcedony spotted with red iron oxide — is the traditional alternate for March and has a long history as a talisman of courage and endurance. Less commonly used in contemporary jewelry, it remains a meaningful choice for anyone drawn to its history over aquamarine's aesthetics.
Diamond
April · Primary StoneApril has the most valuable birthstone in the calendar — and the most versatile. Diamond is colorless at its finest (D–F on the GIA color scale), which makes it the one birthstone that works with any metal color, any setting style, and any occasion without carrying the visual specificity of a colored stone. For April birthdays, this is either the best or most obvious gift depending on perspective — but there is no denying that a well-chosen diamond is among the most enduringly beautiful and financially significant pieces of jewelry anyone can own.
The 4Cs — cut, color, clarity, and carat — govern diamond quality in ways that genuinely matter visually. Cut is the most important: a well-cut diamond in a lower color grade will outshine a poorly cut stone in D color. At Asset Appeal, every diamond meets VS+ clarity and D–F colorless grading as our baseline, so April birthdays shopping here are working with stones that meet a high standard without navigating a quality spectrum. Beyond colorless, fancy colored diamonds — yellow, pink, blue — are technically also April birthstones and represent some of the rarest and most valuable gemstones on earth.
At Mohs 10 — the hardest natural substance — diamond is unmatched for everyday durability. April babies have the most practical birthstone in the calendar.
Emerald
May · Primary StoneEmerald is among the most historically significant gemstones in the world — and May, arriving at the height of spring, could not have a more fitting stone. The particular green of a fine emerald — vivid, slightly bluish, with a depth that seems lit from within — has been the reference point for the color "green" in virtually every culture with a word for it. Cleopatra's emerald mines. The Mogul emerald engraved with prayers. The Spanish conquest of Colombian mines. No stone has been at the center of more history, more desire, and more ambition.
The finest emeralds come from Colombia — Muzo and Chivor mining districts in particular — and fine Colombian material commands prices per carat that rival the finest rubies and sapphires. Emeralds are almost always included, and the trade accepts this with a term unique to the stone: "jardin" (garden), acknowledging the internal characteristics as part of the stone's character rather than a defect. An eye-clean emerald of fine color is extraordinarily rare and priced accordingly. Zambian emeralds offer excellent color with typically better clarity than Colombian material at lower prices; Brazilian material is lighter and more accessible.
At 7.5–8 Mohs, emerald is durable but brittle — most stones have internal fractures that can propagate under impact. Bezel settings are preferred over prongs for ring use. Many emeralds are oiled to improve clarity, which is standard and disclosed by any reputable seller.
Pearl
June · Primary Stone · Alternates: Alexandrite · MoonstonePearl is unique among birthstones — it is the only one produced by a living creature rather than formed by geological processes. Cultured freshwater and saltwater pearls dominate the contemporary market; natural pearls (formed without human intervention) are extraordinarily rare and command significant premiums at auction. The luminous quality of a fine pearl — its "orient," the iridescent shimmer that seems to come from within — is unlike any gemstone surface. Pearls have represented purity, wisdom, and feminine elegance across virtually every culture with access to them.
For June birthdays, pearl offers an elegance that colored stones cannot replicate. Akoya pearls from Japan produce the classic round white pearl with high luster. Tahitian pearls offer gray, green, and peacock colors. South Sea pearls — the largest and rarest cultured variety — produce satiny whites and golds that represent the pinnacle of pearl quality. Freshwater pearls offer excellent value in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Pearl care is specific: the organic surface scratches more easily than stone, and the nacre deteriorates with contact with perfume, hairspray, acids, and even perspiration over time.
Alexandrite — a color-change chrysoberyl that shifts from green in daylight to red in incandescent light — is June's most dramatic alternate. Fine alexandrite from Russia's Ural Mountains is among the rarest and most valuable gems in existence. Moonstone, with its ethereal adularescence, is June's most quietly beautiful alternate.
Ruby
July · Primary StoneNo birthstone carries a more powerful emotional charge than July's ruby. The stone's deep red — produced by chromium in corundum — has been associated with passion, power, protection, and royal authority across every major culture for more than two thousand years. In Sanskrit, ruby is "ratnaraj" — king of precious stones. Hindu tradition held that those who offered rubies to the god Krishna would be reborn as emperors. Burmese warriors believed rubies made them invincible in battle. The ruby does not whisper its symbolism — it declares it.
The color standard for exceptional ruby is "pigeon's blood" — a vivid, slightly bluish red with the fluorescence that makes the stone appear to glow from within in sunlight. Burmese rubies from the Mogok Valley achieve this most reliably and command the highest prices — fine unheated Burmese ruby at significant sizes is among the most expensive gemstones per carat in the world, regularly exceeding equivalent-quality diamonds at auction. Mozambique has emerged as a strong secondary source producing vivid stones with excellent transparency. Thai rubies tend darker; they're more affordable but less valued for the pigeon's blood quality.
At Mohs 9 — identical to sapphire — ruby is excellent for everyday wear in any setting. Heat treatment to improve color and clarity is standard and accepted. For July birthdays, ruby is one of the most meaningful and visually arresting stones in the entire birthstone calendar.
Peridot
August · Primary Stone · Alternates: Spinel · SardonyxPeridot is one of the few gemstones that occurs in only one color — a distinctive yellow-green produced by iron, ranging from pale yellowish-green to a deep, rich olive. The ancient Egyptians called it "the gem of the sun" and mined it on the volcanic island of Zabargad (St. John's Island) in the Red Sea, where it was used in royal jewelry for more than three thousand years. The finest peridot today comes from the Suppatt region of Pakistan — large, deeply colored stones of exceptional clarity that represent the pinnacle of the variety. Arizona's San Carlos Apache Reservation is the world's largest single source of fine peridot.
Peridot is the only birthstone formed under conditions found in the earth's mantle rather than the crust — it arrives at the surface through volcanic activity, and has even been found in meteorites. For August birthdays, this origin story is as remarkable as the stone's distinctive color. The yellow-green is immediately identifiable and pairs exceptionally well with yellow gold, which amplifies the warmth of the stone's hue.
Spinel is August's most significant alternate — a stone that spent centuries being misidentified as ruby or sapphire (the "Black Prince's Ruby" in the British Imperial State Crown is actually spinel). Fine red and pink spinel rival ruby in color intensity at a fraction of the price. At Mohs 6.5–7 for peridot and 8 for spinel, both are appropriate for most everyday jewelry.
Sapphire
September · Primary StoneSeptember's sapphire is the birthstone with the most powerful contemporary cultural moment of any stone in the calendar — Princess Diana's 12-carat oval blue sapphire engagement ring, passed to Prince William and now worn by Princess Catherine, remains one of the most photographed pieces of jewelry in the world and directly drives sapphire engagement ring demand decades after the original commission. For September birthdays, this means the stone carries both deep historical significance and acute contemporary relevance.
Sapphire is blue corundum — but "blue" covers enormous range, from the pale milky sky-blue of Sri Lankan stones to the vivid, velvety "cornflower blue" of Kashmir sapphires (the most prized and rarest origin, producing stones with a distinctive velvety quality from fine silk inclusions) to the deep royal blue of Burmese material. The color standard that commands the highest prices in sapphire is "Kashmir" — a vivid, slightly violet-blue that appears to glow with its own internal light, most commonly described as "blue velvet." Fine unheated Kashmir sapphire is among the most valuable gemstones per carat in existence.
September babies have the broadest color range of any birthstone month — pink, yellow, orange, white, and padparadscha sapphires are all valid September stones, giving enormous flexibility in designing a piece around personal style. At Mohs 9, sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and is excellent for any jewelry context.
Opal
October · Primary Stone · Alternate: TourmalineOctober has the most visually extraordinary birthstone in the calendar. Opal's "play-of-color" — the shifting, iridescent spectral display produced by the diffraction of light through microscopic silica spheres — means that no two opals look alike, and no other gemstone produces the same optical phenomenon. The ancient Romans called it "opalus" and considered it the most precious of all stones because it contained the colors of every other gem simultaneously. The play-of-color shifts and moves as the stone and the viewer move — wearing an opal is a continuous, changing visual experience.
Black opal from Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, is the most valuable variety — the dark body color makes the play-of-color appear dramatically more vivid against a dark background, and fine black opals with broad color patterns (large, unbroken flashes of red, orange, and green across a dark base) command prices that rival fine rubies and sapphires per carat. White opal is the most common variety. Boulder opal preserves the stone in its natural ironstone matrix, producing organic, irregular forms that many find more compelling than the more conventional cut stones.
Tourmaline — October's alternate — is itself one of the most color-varied stones in the mineral kingdom, ranging from watermelon (pink center, green border) to chrome green to the extraordinary neon blue-green Paraíba tourmaline from Brazil, which commands prices among the highest of any colored stone. Opal at 5.5–6.5 Mohs requires careful handling; tourmaline at 7–7.5 is considerably more practical for everyday wear.
Citrine
November · Primary Stone · Alternate: Yellow TopazCitrine is yellow-to-orange quartz — named from the French "citron" for its warm, sunny color — and it is one of the most underappreciated stones in the birthstone calendar. Its color ranges from the palest lemon yellow through rich amber to a deep, reddish-orange called Madeira citrine (named for the wine). The warmest, most saturated material approaches the color of imperial topaz and is sometimes mistaken for it; the two stones are visually similar enough that the distinction requires gemological testing rather than visual inspection alone.
Historically, citrine was believed to carry the power of the sun — a warmth and positivity that dispelled negative energy and brought clarity of thought. For November birthdays at the turning of the year toward winter, the stone's warmth and golden color carry an unmistakable seasonal resonance. Large, eye-clean citrine is readily available at accessible prices — November babies can own genuinely impressive stones in significant carat weights without the premium that comparably sized rubies or sapphires would command.
Yellow topaz — November's alternate — is the rarer and more expensive option, with imperial topaz (vivid orange with pink overtones, from Brazil) commanding significant premiums and representing one of the most beautiful warm-toned stones in the entire gemstone calendar. At Mohs 7 for citrine and 8 for topaz, both are suitable for everyday wear.
Blue Topaz
December · Primary Stone · Alternates: Tanzanite · TurquoiseDecember has three birthstones — blue topaz, tanzanite, and turquoise — covering a range from the sky-blue clarity of topaz to the vivid violet-blue of tanzanite to the ancient, opaque warmth of turquoise. Blue topaz is the primary modern stone: almost all commercial blue topaz is produced by irradiating and heat-treating colorless topaz into "Sky Blue" (pale), "Swiss Blue" (vivid medium blue), or "London Blue" (deep, slightly gray-toned blue). At Mohs 8 and with excellent clarity, blue topaz is one of the most practical birthstones in the calendar — hard, clean, and available in impressive sizes at accessible prices.
Tanzanite — discovered only in 1967 in a single deposit in Tanzania — is December's most distinctive and rarest alternate. Its violet-blue color shifts between blue and purple depending on lighting, a trichroic quality that makes it visually extraordinary in changing light conditions. The deposit is estimated to exhaust within decades, which drives investment interest alongside aesthetic appeal. At Mohs 6.5, tanzanite requires more careful handling than topaz — bezel settings and occasional wear rather than daily ring use are advisable for fine stones.
Turquoise — one of the oldest ornamental stones in human history, worn by Egyptian pharaohs and Native American peoples alike — is December's most ancient alternate. Its opaque blue-green, veined with matrix, is immediately recognizable and carries a warmth and history that the transparent stones cannot replicate. December birthdays have more variety in their stone options than any other month in the calendar.
Tanzanite: Mohs 6.5 · Violet-blue · High price · Handle with care. | Turquoise: Mohs 5–6 · Blue-green opaque · Ancient history · Moderate price.
The History
of the Birthstone
Tradition
The birthstone tradition is older than most people realize — and stranger. Its origins run through ancient biblical texts, Roman astrology, Polish gemological scholarship, and a 1912 meeting of American jewelry retailers that standardized everything into the modern list we use today.
The Breastplate of Aaron
The Book of Exodus describes the breastplate of Aaron — the high priest of the Israelites — as set with twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The stones were arranged in four rows of three, each engraved with a tribal name. This breastplate is the foundational document of the birthstone tradition, though the original Hebrew stone names have been debated and mistranslated for centuries, making exact identification of the original twelve stones uncertain. What is clear is that the idea of twelve specific gemstones carrying specific significance entered Western culture through this text.
Josephus and the Zodiac
The Jewish historian Josephus (1st century AD) and the early Christian bishop St. Jerome (4th–5th century AD) both made the connection explicit: the twelve stones of Aaron's breastplate corresponded to the twelve months of the year and the twelve signs of the zodiac. This connected gemstones to the astrological calendar in a way that proved enormously durable. The practice of wearing a stone associated with your birth month — as a talisman or a statement of identity — evolved from this connection over the following centuries, though the specific stone-to-month assignments varied considerably by culture and era.
The American List
The modern standardized birthstone list was established at a meeting of the American National Retail Jewelers Association in Kansas City in 1912. The goal was commercial clarity — a single, agreed-upon list that retailers could use consistently. The 1912 list drew on earlier traditions but made specific choices where traditions conflicted. It has been revised twice since: in 1952 (adding alexandrite, citrine, and others as alternates) and in 2002 (adding tanzanite for December). The current list reflects both ancient tradition and commercial pragmatism — some months gained alternates specifically to provide more affordable options alongside expensive primary stones.
How to Give
a Birthstone
Gift That Lands.
Birthstone jewelry is one of the most consistently well-received gift categories in fine jewelry — because it's personal in a way that most jewelry isn't. A piece chosen because of someone's birth month says something that a generic necklace doesn't. Here's how to make the gift count.
The most important decision is the piece type, not the stone. A birthstone ring has different implications than a pendant. A stackable band with a birthstone has different wearability than a statement cocktail ring. Think about how the person actually wears jewelry before choosing the format.
Birthstone Pendant
The most versatile format. A simple gold setting with the birthstone — in a solitaire bezel or prong setting — works with any neckline, any outfit, and any other jewelry the recipient wears. Choose 14K yellow or white gold for longevity. A pendant is the safest birthstone gift choice for someone whose taste you're not entirely certain of.
Birthstone Ring
More specific in its statement, more visible in its wear. A birthstone ring works best when you know the recipient's ring style — whether they prefer delicate bands or statement pieces. A simple bezel-set birthstone in a thin band is the safest ring choice for an unknown taste; a three-stone design flanking the birthstone with diamonds is a strong choice for a more significant occasion.
Stacking Bands
A birthstone set into a delicate stackable band — thin yellow gold, bezel-set stone — is one of the most contemporary and collectible birthstone formats. It invites layering with other bands, it's understated enough for everyday wear, and it can be the start of a collection — one band per significant year, one per family member's birth month, or one per personal milestone.
Family Birthstone Pieces
Multi-stone pieces incorporating the birthstones of children, grandchildren, or siblings have a specific sentimental power that single-stone pieces don't reach. A pendant set with three children's birthstones. A ring with a mother's stone flanked by her children's. These are the pieces that get kept for generations because they carry family identity in a way that no other jewelry does.
Custom Birthstone Pieces
The most meaningful birthstone gift is one that doesn't exist in a case — designed and built specifically for the recipient. A custom birthstone piece from Asset Appeal starts with a free consultation, a fixed quote, and a 3–6 week build time. Walk into our Las Vegas showroom with a concept — a sketch, a reference image, or just a description — and we'll design it from there.
Occasions That Work
Birthdays are obvious, but birthstone jewelry works equally well for: mother's day (family birthstone combination pieces), milestone birthdays (significant stone in a serious setting), new baby gifts (parent's or baby's birth month), anniversaries (partner's birthstone), and graduation. The personal connection makes the gift legible without explanation.
Custom Birthstone
Jewelry at
Asset Appeal
Every birthstone in this guide can be set into a custom piece designed and built from scratch at Asset Appeal in Las Vegas. Our custom jewelry process starts with a free consultation — no appointment needed, walk in during business hours at 9460 W Flamingo Rd, Suite 110. You describe what you want, we design it, you approve a fixed quote before any work begins, and most pieces are ready in 3–6 weeks.
Birthstone pieces are among our most personally meaningful commissions. We source the stone for your specific design — whether that's a classic garnet for January, a fine Kashmir sapphire for September, or a rare alexandrite for a June birthday that wants something extraordinary. The stone and the setting are chosen together, which is the only way to ensure they work as a unified piece rather than a stone dropped into a generic setting.
Free Consultation
Walk in at 9460 W Flamingo Rd, Suite 110 — Mon 12–6, Tue–Fri 10–6, Sat 11–5. No appointment, no commitment. Tell us the month, the piece type, and any style references you have.
Stone Sourcing
We source the birthstone specifically for your design — choosing the right origin, color grade, and size for the piece. You see the stone before we set it.
Fixed Quote Before We Start
You approve the complete cost — stone, setting, labor — before any work begins. No surprises at pickup. No scope creep. The number you agree to is the number you pay.
3–6 Week Turnaround
Most custom birthstone pieces are ready within three to six weeks. Rush timelines are sometimes available — call (702) 374-5033 to discuss if you have a specific date in mind.
Family Pieces Welcome
Multi-stone family pieces — three children's birthstones, a grandmother's collection, a partner combination — are a specialty. Bring the list of birth months and we'll design around the combination.
Birthstones —
Questions Answered
What is the rarest birthstone?
Alexandrite — June's alternate birthstone — is widely considered the rarest in the birthstone calendar. Fine Russian alexandrite from the Ural Mountains, with strong color change from green to red, is extraordinarily scarce and commands some of the highest per-carat prices of any colored gemstone. Among primary stones, fine unheated Burmese ruby (July) and Kashmir sapphire (September) are also genuinely rare at top quality levels.
Can I wear a birthstone that isn't my birth month?
Absolutely. The birthstone tradition is a guide to meaningful stone choices, not a rule. Many people choose a stone based on color preference, a partner's or child's birth month, or simply because a particular stone resonates with them. There is no wrong way to engage with the tradition — wear what you love and what carries meaning for you personally.
What is the most expensive birthstone?
At the finest quality levels, July (ruby) and September (sapphire) produce the most expensive birthstones — fine unheated Burmese ruby and Kashmir sapphire routinely command higher per-carat prices than equivalent-quality diamonds. April's diamond is the most expensive birthstone at the commercial level. June's alexandrite alternate is among the rarest and most expensive per carat of any birthstone.
Which months have multiple birthstones and why?
Several months have alternate birthstones, added in 1952 and 2002 to the original 1912 list. The alternates were added for two reasons: to provide more affordable options (March's bloodstone alongside aquamarine, November's citrine alongside yellow topaz), and to recognize significant gemstones that were discovered or became commercially available after the original list (December's tanzanite, added in 2002, was only discovered in 1967). June, October, and December all have three recognized stones.
Where can I get custom birthstone jewelry made in Las Vegas?
Asset Appeal at 9460 W Flamingo Rd, Suite 110 in Las Vegas designs and builds custom birthstone pieces — pendants, rings, stacking bands, family multi-stone pieces, and more. Free consultation, no appointment needed. Mon 12–6, Tue–Fri 10–6, Sat 11–5. Fixed quote before any work begins, 3–6 week turnaround. Call (702) 374-5033 with questions.
What is the birthstone for someone born in June?
June has three birthstones — pearl (primary), alexandrite, and moonstone. Pearl is the most classic choice, known for its luminous organic beauty. Alexandrite is the rarest and most valuable, a color-change chrysoberyl that shifts from green to red. Moonstone offers an ethereal adularescence — a floating, milky glow — that is unlike any other gemstone. June birthdays have the most meaningful range of choices in the calendar.
Find Your
Stone.
Custom birthstone jewelry, family pieces, and in-stock gemstone jewelry at Asset Appeal Las Vegas. Walk in — no appointment needed. 9460 W Flamingo Rd, Suite 110.