Find your birthstone — modern, traditional and UK lists side by side
This birthstone finder shows the gem for any birth month on the three lists people actually use: the modern US list maintained by jewellers’ trade bodies, the traditional list from the Victorian “Gregorian birthstone poems”, and the British list of the National Association of Goldsmiths. Pick a month and you get each stone’s colour swatch, hardness, traditional associations and a care tip, with a sparkling gem drawn in the stone’s colour.
Months with more than one birthstone are common — June has pearl, moonstone and alexandrite, December has turquoise, tanzanite and zircon — so the stones are shown as chips you can tap to compare. Underneath, a ready-made gift message can be personalised and copied for a card, and a secondary table lists zodiac stones, including the Vedic gem of each sign’s ruling planet for Indian readers.
Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded; the page simply remembers the last month you picked.
How to use the Birthstone Finder
- Tap your Birth month (arrow keys move between months).
- Read the featured stone: its colour, hardness on the Mohs scale, traditional associations and how to look after it.
- Compare the Modern, Traditional and UK lists, and tap any stone chip to feature it instead.
- Under Gift message, add a name and who it is from, pick a style and press Copy message.
- Check the Zodiac stones table if you prefer stones by star sign — the two signs that share the month are highlighted.
Birthstone Finder features
Three lists, clearly labelled
Modern US, traditional and UK lists are kept separate so you can see where they agree (most months) and where they differ.
Real gem facts
Colour range and Mohs hardness for every stone, with a practical care note — useful when choosing a ring that will be worn every day.
Animated gem
A faceted gem in the stone’s colour pops in with a light sweeping across it; it stays still if your device prefers reduced motion.
Gift message writer
Three styles — warm wish, short card line or a version with a gem fact — personalised with names and ready to copy.
Zodiac and Vedic stones
A commonly published Western zodiac-stone list alongside the navaratna gem of each sign’s ruling planet.
Birthstones by month
The modern list is the one most jewellers in the US and India sell to. It began as a list adopted by the US National Association of Jewelers in 1912; alexandrite, citrine, pink tourmaline and zircon were added in 1952, tanzanite in 2002 and spinel in 2016. The traditional stones come from a set of month poems published by Tiffany & Co. in 1870.
| Month | Modern | Traditional | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Garnet | Garnet |
| February | Amethyst | Amethyst | Amethyst |
| March | Aquamarine, Bloodstone | Bloodstone | Aquamarine, Bloodstone |
| April | Diamond | Diamond | Diamond, Rock crystal |
| May | Emerald | Emerald | Emerald, Chrysoprase |
| June | Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite | Agate | Pearl, Moonstone |
| July | Ruby | Ruby | Ruby, Carnelian |
| August | Peridot, Spinel, Sardonyx | Sardonyx | Peridot, Sardonyx |
| September | Sapphire | Sapphire | Sapphire, Lapis lazuli |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline | Opal | Opal |
| November | Topaz, Citrine | Topaz | Topaz, Citrine |
| December | Turquoise, Tanzanite, Zircon | Turquoise | Tanzanite, Turquoise |
Choosing a birthstone for jewellery
Hardness matters more than people expect. Stones of 7 or more on the Mohs scale — garnet (mostly), amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, ruby, sapphire, spinel, topaz, citrine and diamond — cope with everyday wear in a ring. Softer or porous gems such as pearl, opal, turquoise and lapis lazuli are better in earrings and pendants, or in rings worn with care. Emeralds are tough enough but usually oil-treated, so they should not go in ultrasonic cleaners.
Where a month has several stones, choose by colour and budget: in June, moonstone and pearl are affordable while natural alexandrite is among the rarest gems; in December, blue zircon and tanzanite offer deep blues at very different prices. Lab-grown versions of diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, spinel and alexandrite are chemically identical to natural stones and much cheaper.
Zodiac stones and Vedic gems
Zodiac-stone lists are much less standardised than month lists; the one shown is a frequently published version. In Indian astrology, gems are linked to the nine grahas (navaratna): ruby for the Sun, pearl for the Moon, red coral for Mars, emerald for Mercury, yellow sapphire for Jupiter, diamond for Venus and blue sapphire for Saturn, with hessonite and cat’s eye for Rahu and Ketu. These associations are cultural traditions; gems have no proven effect on health or fortune. Find your sign with the zodiac sign calculator or your animal with the Chinese zodiac calculator.
Birthstone Finder FAQ
What is my birthstone?
Tap your birth month in the birthstone finder. Most months have one main stone on every list; June, August, October, November and December have several modern options, and you can wear whichever you prefer.
What is the difference between modern and traditional birthstones?
Traditional birthstones come from older European custom, recorded in the 1870 Gregorian birthstone poems. The modern list was standardised by jewellers in 1912 and has been extended since, mainly to add stones that are more available or affordable.
Why does August have three birthstones?
Peridot is the main modern August stone, sardonyx is the traditional one, and spinel was added to the US list in 2016. All three are recognised.
Which birthstones are best for an everyday ring?
Stones of hardness 7 and above: diamond, ruby, sapphire, spinel, topaz, aquamarine, emerald (with care), amethyst, citrine and most garnets. Pearl, opal and turquoise need more gentle wear.
Is a birthstone the same as a zodiac stone?
No. Birthstones follow calendar months; zodiac stones follow star signs, which run from about the 21st of one month to the 20th of the next, and their lists vary much more.
Can I make a gift tag with the message?
Yes — copy the message and paste it into the gift tag maker to print matching tags. To count down to the birthday, use the countdown timer.