The Complete Birthstone Guide

Symbolism:Friendship, trust, protection, and enduring love.

History:Garnets have been used as gemstones and abrasives for over 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptians wore garnet necklaces as protective talismans, and Roman signet rings were often carved from garnet. Medieval warriors carried garnets into battle believing the stones would shield them from harm.

Properties:Garnet is actually a family of related minerals — almandine, pyrope, spessartine, grossular, and andradite — that range from the classic deep red to vivid green tsavorite and raspberry rhodolite. Its excellent hardness and lack of cleavage make it well suited for everyday wear.

Care:Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe for solid garnets but avoid steam cleaning fracture-filled stones.

Rose quartz (alternate)

Symbolism:Peace, clarity of mind, sobriety, and royalty.

History:The name amethyst comes from the Greek 'amethystos' meaning 'not drunken' — ancient Greeks believed the stone protected its wearer from intoxication. Until large Brazilian deposits were discovered in the 19th century, amethyst was as valuable as ruby and emerald and adorned the regalia of European royalty.

Properties:A purple variety of quartz colored by trace iron and natural irradiation. The finest 'Siberian' amethyst shows deep purple with red and blue flashes. Uruguayan stones lean darker and more saturated; Brazilian stones tend to be lighter.

Care:Safe with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Prolonged sun exposure can fade the color. Ultrasonic cleaning is generally safe; avoid sudden temperature changes.

Symbolism:Courage, calm, clear communication, and safe travel — especially over water.

History:Sailors carried aquamarine as a talisman for safe sea voyages, and the Romans associated it with Neptune. The traditional March birthstone, bloodstone, is a deep green chalcedony flecked with red, prized since the Middle Ages by warriors and Christians symbolizing the blood of Christ.

Properties:Aquamarine is the blue-to-cyan variety of beryl, the same mineral family as emerald and morganite. The finest stones from Brazil's Santa Maria mine show a deep, pure blue. Excellent durability and clarity make aquamarine ideal for large statement cuts.

Care:Warm soapy water and a soft brush are safe. Ultrasonic cleaning is acceptable for untreated stones; avoid steam.

Symbolism:Eternal love, strength, invincibility, and clarity.

History:Diamonds were first mined in India over 2,400 years ago and were believed by Greeks to be splinters of fallen stars. The diamond engagement ring tradition began in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave one to Mary of Burgundy, and was cemented globally in the 20th century.

Properties:Pure crystallized carbon formed deep in the Earth's mantle under extreme heat and pressure. Graded on the 4Cs — cut, color, clarity, and carat. Both natural and lab-grown diamonds share identical chemical and optical properties.

Care:Diamond is hardest but not unbreakable. Clean with warm soapy water, a soft brush, or ultrasonic. Inspect prongs annually to prevent loss.

Symbolism:Rebirth, fertility, hope, and lasting love.

History:Mined in Egypt as early as 1500 BC, emerald was Cleopatra's favorite gem. Spanish conquistadors plundered enormous Colombian emeralds in the 16th century, and to this day Colombia produces the world's most coveted stones.

Properties:The green variety of beryl, colored by trace chromium and vanadium. Almost all emeralds contain natural inclusions — called 'jardin' (garden) — and most are oil-treated to improve clarity. Treat with extra care due to internal fractures.

Care:Clean only with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Never use ultrasonic or steam — these can drive out the oil treatment and expose fractures.

Symbolism:Purity, wisdom, transformation, and new beginnings.

History:Pearls are the only gem produced by a living creature and have been treasured for over 4,000 years. Roman general Vitellius reputedly financed an entire military campaign by selling one of his mother's pearl earrings. Alexandrite was discovered in 1834 in Russia's Ural Mountains on the day of Tsar Alexander II's coming-of-age.

Properties:Pearls form when an irritant lodges inside a mollusk and is coated in layers of nacre. Alexandrite is famous for its dramatic color change — green in daylight, red under incandescent light. Moonstone shows a magical blue 'adularescence' shimmer.

Care:Pearls are very soft — wipe with a damp cloth after wearing and store separately. Alexandrite and moonstone clean safely with warm soapy water.

Moonstone (alternate)

Symbolism:Passion, vitality, courage, and protection.

History:Known as the 'King of Gems' in ancient Sanskrit texts, ruby was believed to contain an inner fire that could boil water. Burmese warriors embedded rubies under their skin for protection in battle. The 'pigeon blood' rubies of Myanmar remain the most valuable colored gemstones in the world per carat.

Properties:Ruby is the red variety of corundum — the same mineral as sapphire — colored by trace chromium. Excellent hardness (second only to diamond) makes ruby ideal for daily wear. Most rubies are heat-treated to enhance color.

Care:Very durable. Clean with warm soapy water, ultrasonic, or steam — but avoid harsh chemicals on fracture-filled stones.

Symbolism:Strength, prosperity, harmony, and protection from nightmares.

History:Ancient Egyptians called peridot the 'gem of the sun' and mined it on the volcanic island of Zabargad in the Red Sea. Some of Cleopatra's famous 'emeralds' were likely peridot. The stone has also been found inside meteorites — making it one of the only gems with an extraterrestrial origin.

Properties:Peridot is gem-quality forsterite olivine, colored by iron. Unlike most gems, peridot occurs in only one color. Sardonyx — the traditional August birthstone — is a banded variety of chalcedony popular for ancient carved cameos.

Care:Sensitive to heat, acid, and sudden temperature changes. Clean only with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic and steam.

Spinel (alternate)

Symbolism:Wisdom, royalty, truth, and divine favor.

History:Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize the heavens, and royalty believed the stones protected against envy and harm. Princess Diana's iconic 12-carat blue sapphire engagement ring — now worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales — sparked a global revival of sapphire engagement rings.

Properties:Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum. The most prized blues come from Kashmir (cornflower blue), followed by Burma and Sri Lanka. 'Padparadscha' sapphires display a rare pink-orange hue. Extremely durable and well suited for everyday wear.

Care:Very durable. Safe with warm soapy water, ultrasonic, and steam cleaning. Avoid for stones with fracture-fillings.

Symbolism:Creativity, inspiration, hope, and emotional balance.

History:The Romans called opal 'opalus,' the stone that contains all colors. Aboriginal Australians believed opals were the Creator's footprints on Earth. Tourmaline was once confused with other gems — the Russian crown jewels' famous 'rubies' turned out to be red tourmalines.

Properties:Opal is hydrated silica with microscopic silica spheres that diffract light into a rainbow 'play-of-color.' Tourmaline occurs in more colors than any other gemstone — including the pink-and-green 'watermelon' variety and electric neon Paraiba.

Care:Opal contains water and can crack if exposed to heat, dry air, or sudden temperature changes — clean with a damp cloth only. Tourmaline is more durable; warm soapy water is safe.

Symbolism:Joy, abundance, healing, and strength of mind.

History:The Egyptians believed topaz was colored by Ra, the sun god, while Greeks credited it with the power to increase strength. Citrine — sometimes called the 'merchant's stone' — was carried by traders in the belief it attracted wealth and success.

Properties:Topaz is naturally colorless and often irradiated or heat-treated to produce vivid blues. The most prized variety is Imperial topaz, a rich pink-orange from Brazil. Citrine is the yellow variety of quartz, most of which is heat-treated amethyst.

Care:Both clean safely with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic and steam for topaz — it has perfect cleavage and can split under shock.

Symbolism:Wisdom, prosperity, success, and good fortune.

History:Turquoise is one of the oldest known gemstones — found in 7,500-year-old Egyptian jewelry and sacred to Native American tribes of the American Southwest. Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 near Mount Kilimanjaro and named by Tiffany & Co.; it is found in only one place on Earth.

Properties:Tanzanite is a blue-violet variety of zoisite and displays pleochroism — showing different colors when viewed from different angles. Turquoise gets its color from copper and is often stabilized to improve durability. Blue zircon is a brilliant, fiery stone often mistaken for diamond.

Care:Turquoise is porous — keep away from oils, cosmetics, and chemicals; wipe clean with a soft cloth. Tanzanite is sensitive to sudden temperature changes — warm soapy water only, no ultrasonic or steam.

Zircon, Blue Topaz (alternates)