What Does Your Birthstone Mean?

Birthstones aren’t just beautiful gemstones to commemorate the months of our birth. Each stone itself has so much more meaning beyond just the month it represents. Every month has had multiple different birthstones over time, too, but here are some of the most prominent stones that I’ve made part of my Birthstone Cluster Collection and which are now available to add on individually to necklaces on my site. Of course I don’t endorse these stones having any healing properties, but it’s fun to know some of the reasons why they’re significant. It’s also fun to find great reasons to wear stones that aren’t your birthstone:

The January birthstone, garnet, with its rich crimson hue, is particularly luxurious and elegant. Garnet is named for the latin word for pomegranate because of its luscious color. Garnet is associated with creativity, purification, love, strength and protection. 

The February birthstone, amethyst, with its violet hue, is particularly romantic and alluring. Amethyst is associated with balance, temperance, pleasant dreams, positive energy and healing. 

The March birthstone, aquamarine, with its sea blue-green hue, is particularly mystifying. Aquamarine is rare and precious and is associated with courage, calm, clarity and tolerance. 

The April birthstone, diamond, is possibly the most coveted of all. Because diamonds are rare and valuable and diamond chips aren’t readily available, we’ve substituted a beautiful alternative: the Herkimer diamond. Herkimer diamonds are quartz crystals that are double-terminated; each end of the crystal has a point. Quartz is associated with healing, enlightenment and clarity. 

Double-terminated quartz, also called “Herkimer Diamond,” makes a gorgeous substitution for diamond as the April birthstone in my Birthstone Cluster Collection. Here is a line of Herkimer Diamonds as a Birthstone Strand Necklace.

The May birthstone, emerald, with its rich green hue, is particularly exciting and energizing. Emerald is associated with love, domestic bliss, friendship and positive actions. 

The May birthstone, Emerald, as featured in my Birthstone Cluster Necklace with a personalized stamped brass monogram.

The June birthstone is often said to be Alexandrite, one of the rarest and most expensive gemstones on earth, but we prefer its equally elegant counterpart, the pearl. Pearls are associated with nurturing, calm, integrity and femininity. 

The July birthstone, ruby, with its lush red hue, is particularly romantic. Ruby, a variety of corundum, is coveted and second only to diamond in its hardness. It is associated with passion, protection, peace and prosperity. 

The August birthstone, peridot, with its otherworldly green hue, evokes magic and mystery. Peridot, a form of olivine, is associated with protection, happiness, well-being and transformation.

Peridot, the August birthstone, seems to glow from within with eerie green light, especially when it’s set against silver. Check out the August Birthstone Cluster Necklace here.

The September birthstone, sapphire, with its deep blue hue, is rare, cool and dreamy. Sapphire, a variety of corundum, is associated with wisdom, spirituality and kindness. 

The October birthstone, Pink Tourmaline, an alternative to opal, has been associated with creativity and enlightenment. In many cultures throughout history it has been a stone of protection. 

The November birthstone, citrine, with its amber hue, is particularly warm and inviting. Citrine, a variety of quartz, is associated with clarity, energy, creativity and imagination. 

The December birthstone, turquoise, with its blue, greenish blue and sometimes robin-egg blue hues, is a variegated surprise, kind of like azure confetti that comes out of the earth. Turquoise is associated with protection. 

It’s typically a face-off between blue topaz and turquoise for December’s birthstone, and we’ve chosen turquoise for the win. Turquoise, with its blue, greenish blue and sometimes robin-egg blue hues, is a variegated surprise, kind of like azure confetti that comes out of the earth. Turquoise is one of the oldest stones used by humans, found in artifacts as old as 5,000 B.C. Turquoise is associated with protection. Check out my turquoise Birthstone Strand Necklace featured above here.