Birthstones & Birth Flowers by Month: All 12 + Meanings

Your birthstone is the gem traditionally tied to your birth month — garnet for January, amethyst for February, on through turquoise for December. Below is the full month-by-month list, both the modern and traditional stones, with what each one traditionally symbolizes. To see yours alongside your birth flower and sun sign in one tap, use our free birthstone & birth flower finder.

What is a birthstone?

A birthstone is a gemstone associated with the month a person was born. The custom is old — often traced to the twelve stones of the breastplate in the Book of Exodus — but the list most people use today was standardised by the US jewelry trade in 1912. Each stone carries traditional symbolism worn as a small, personal talisman.

Birthstones & birth flowers by month

Here is the complete set. The first stone in each row is the modern primary; the flower is the month’s primary bloom.

Month	Birthstone	Birth flower	Traditionally symbolizes
January	Garnet	Carnation	protection, vitality, enduring friendship
February	Amethyst	Violet	clarity, calm, a steady mind
March	Aquamarine	Daffodil	courage, calm, the steadiness of the sea
April	Diamond	Daisy	clarity, strength, enduring love
May	Emerald	Lily of the valley	renewal, growth, the truth of the heart
June	Pearl	Rose	purity, wisdom gathered slowly
July	Ruby	Larkspur	passion, vitality, courage of the heart
August	Peridot	Gladiolus	lightness, renewal, warding the dark
September	Sapphire	Aster	wisdom, loyalty, clear devotion
October	Opal	Marigold	imagination, transformation, play of light
November	Topaz	Chrysanthemum	warmth, abundance, steady confidence
December	Turquoise	Narcissus	protection, well-being, the open sky

Modern vs traditional birthstones

The modern list above is the Jewelers of America standard — first published in 1912, then amended in 1952, 2002 (adding tanzanite to December), and 2016 (formally adding spinel to August). It’s the list almost every modern jeweler follows.

Traditional birthstones are older associations that sometimes differ. The most common departures: March was bloodstone before aquamarine, August was sardonyx, October leans opal where the modern list adds tourmaline, and November’s older stone is citrine. Neither is “more correct” — the modern list is simply the agreed retail standard.

Months with more than one stone

Six months carry options. June (pearl, moonstone, alexandrite), August (peridot, spinel, sardonyx), October (opal, tourmaline), November (topaz, citrine), and December (turquoise, tanzanite, zircon) each offer a second or third official stone — usually a more affordable or more available alternative to the primary gem.

Birthstone vs zodiac sign — which is “yours”?

This is the most common mix-up. The everyday birthstone list is keyed to your calendar month, while your sun sign is keyed to the exact day. Because each month spans two signs — July covers both Cancer and Leo, for instance — your month stone and a sign-based stone can differ. If you want the sign side too, our birth chart tool gives your exact sun sign from your date.

How to use this

Birthstone and birth-flower meanings are traditions, not predictions — small, durable symbols to reflect on, gift, or simply enjoy. Start with your own month: enter a birth date and you’ll get the stone, the flower, what each traditionally means, and the matching sun sign, all calculated privately in your browser.