Birthstone Options for Each Month

Birthstones make a jewelry gift unique. Birthstone jewelry also lets you personalize your wardrobe with meaningful baubles. Birthstone jewelry selections such as necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings with special gems are different from all other types of jewelry and can become a part of your signature style. Whether you are looking for birthstone jewelry for yourself or someone you love, our list of birthstone options for each month can help you get started.

1. January. January's birthstones are garnet and rose quartz. Garnets range in color from deep burgundy to mossy green, though the red hues are the most popular. Rose quartz stones are a lovely pink or coral shade and have a frosted appearance.

2. February. The most popular birthstone for February is amethyst, which is a beautiful deep purple gem that can also be green. Onyx is also an accepted birthstone for February. Onyx stones are black, opaque and shiny.

3. March. March's birthstones are aquamarine and bloodstone. Aquamarines come in shades of blue, from light ice-blue to deep sea-green. Bloodstones are quite unique and are typically very dark green with red spots.

4. April. April's traditional birthstone is the diamond. Although a genuine, colorless diamond is the most common April birthstone choice, colored diamonds can also adorn April birthstone jewelry. Lab-created cubic zirconias are beautiful diamond alternatives. Quartz is also an accepted birthstone for April, and comes in many colors and varieties, including chocolate, lime, and rose.

5. May. May's birthstones are emerald, agate and chrysoprase. Emeralds are rare and are classified as one of the four precious gemstones. Emeralds come in a variety of green hues. Agate is very different from emeralds, with stripes of color in hues such as yellow, orange, white, pink and gold. Chrysoprase is a gorgeous sea-green turquoise stone that complements a variety of other stones and colors.

6. June. June's birthstones are pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. Pearls come in many colors, from shiny white shades to deep chocolate hues. Moonstones are very unique and have a beautiful iridescence and luster. Many moonstones look almost like ice, with several layers of pale blue and frosty white. Alexandrites come in many hues, including purple, green and red. Rich, deep purple alexandrites are the most popular.

7. July. July's birthstones are ruby and carnelian. Rubies are enchanting red or pink gems and are one of the four precious gemstones. Carnelians are semi-precious gemstones that come in a variety of red and orange hues, some of them with yellow or brown undertones.

8. August. Peridot and sardonyx are the birthstones for August. Peridots are available in range of green shades from pale yellow-green to deep forest-green. Sardonyx is a form of onyx and can be orange, red or black with red bands.

9. September. September's birthstones include sapphire and lapis. Sapphire is one of the four precious gemstones. Blue is the most popular shade for sapphires, but you can also find pink and clear sapphires. Lapis comes in many shades of blue and can have a marbled or speckled appearance with black or gold stripes or spots.

10. October. October's birthstones are opal and tourmaline. Opals come in many varieties and hues, but the most common opals are white or pink with a shiny, glowing appearance. Tourmalines come in nearly every color imaginable. Some tourmalines are even multi-colored and showcase beautiful harmonious hues in layers.

11. November. November's birthstones are topaz and citrine. Citrines are rare golden varieties of quartz. Citrine stones range in color from pale icy yellow to deep candy-colored lemon. The most common shades of topaz are amber and ice-blue, but pink, green, and multi-colored topaz stones are also available.

12. December. December's birthstones are blue topaz, turquoise, tanzanite and zircon. Turquoise is an opaque, green stone that is popular in Native American and Southwestern-style jewelry. Tanzanite is a brilliant blue or purple stone that is complementary to a variety of other gems. Zircons are commonly confused with cubic zirconias, but they are natural gemstones with bright blue colors and a fiery appearance.