Birthstone jewellery is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give: personal, colourful and full of meaning. Below is the modern list of birthstones for each month, along with a note on each gem’s hardness on the Mohs scale (from 1 to 10), so you can choose a piece that suits the way it will be worn.
January – Garnet
Most famous in deep wine red, garnets also occur in vivid greens and warm oranges. Hardness 6.5–7.5, suitable for most jewellery.
February – Amethyst
The purple variety of quartz, ranging from soft lilac to rich violet. Hardness 7 — a lovely everyday stone.
March – Aquamarine and Bloodstone
Aquamarine’s clear sea-blue tones make it a favourite for elegant rings and drop earrings (hardness 7.5–8). Bloodstone, a dark green stone flecked with red, is a more traditional alternative.
April – Diamond
The hardest natural material known, rating 10 on the Mohs scale. A diamond birthstone is perfect for pieces designed to last a lifetime.
May – Emerald
Treasured for its intense green, emerald usually contains natural inclusions often called its “garden”. Hardness 7.5–8, but best protected in settings that shield the edges.
June – Pearl, Moonstone and Alexandrite
June has three choices: the soft lustre of pearl (2.5–4.5, wear with care), the glowing sheen of moonstone (6–6.5) and the rare colour-changing alexandrite (8.5).
July – Ruby
A red variety of the mineral corundum and one of the world’s most prized gems. Hardness 9, making it wonderfully durable for rings.
August – Peridot and Spinel
Peridot glows a fresh lime-to-olive green (6.5–7), while spinel comes in reds, pinks and blues and is impressively tough (8).
September – Sapphire
Also a variety of corundum, sapphire is best known in blue but appears in almost every colour. Hardness 9 — ideal for engagement rings.
October – Opal and Tourmaline
Opal is loved for its shifting play of colour (5.5–6.5, protect from knocks), while tourmaline offers an extraordinary rainbow of shades, including soft pink (7–7.5).
November – Topaz and Citrine
Warm golden hues unite these two stones. Topaz rates 8 and citrine, a yellow quartz, rates 7.
December – Turquoise, Tanzanite and Zircon
Choose the sky-blue of turquoise (5–6), the violet-blue of tanzanite (6–7) or the brilliant sparkle of zircon.
Choosing birthstone jewellery
Harder gems such as diamond, ruby, sapphire and spinel are well suited to rings worn every day. Softer stones like pearl, opal and turquoise shine in pendants and earrings, where they are less exposed to knocks. Browse our collections or ask us to create a bespoke birthstone piece.
Compare colours, hardness and care for 18 gems in our visual Gemstone Chart.
