Birthstones and birth flowers: a month-by-month guide
The traditional stone and flower for every month, and how to turn them into a gift that feels personal.
We independently choose everything we write about. Some outbound links are affiliate links, which help keep this site running at no cost to you. How we earn.
Birth-month gifts have a lovely quality: they're personal without being obvious. A tiny peridot on a chain, a print of a sweet pea, a ring with two stones for a couple. They say "I know you" quietly.
Here are the traditional birthstones (as listed by the US jewellers' associations; some countries use slight variations) and the most common birth flowers.
| Month | Birthstone | Birth flower |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Carnation, snowdrop |
| February | Amethyst | Violet, primrose |
| March | Aquamarine | Daffodil |
| April | Diamond | Daisy, sweet pea |
| May | Emerald | Lily of the valley, hawthorn |
| June | Pearl, alexandrite, moonstone | Rose, honeysuckle |
| July | Ruby | Larkspur, water lily |
| August | Peridot, spinel, sardonyx | Gladiolus, poppy |
| September | Sapphire | Aster, morning glory |
| October | Opal, tourmaline | Marigold, cosmos |
| November | Topaz, citrine | Chrysanthemum |
| December | Turquoise, tanzanite, zircon | Narcissus (paperwhite), holly |
Natural, lab-grown or simulated?
Birthstone jewelry comes in three kinds, and a good maker tells you which:
- Natural: mined stones. Each is unique; prices vary hugely with quality.
- Lab-grown (synthetic): chemically and physically the same as the natural stone, grown in a lab. Usually much more affordable and often very clear.
- Simulated: looks similar but is a different material (e.g. glass or cubic zirconia in the stone's colour).
All three can make a lovely gift. What matters is honest labelling, so be wary of listings that just say "birthstone" without specifying.
Durability matters for everyday wear
Gemstones differ in hardness (measured on the Mohs scale). For a ring worn daily, harder stones are safer:
- Very durable: diamond, sapphire, ruby, alexandrite, spinel, topaz
- Fine with care: amethyst, citrine, garnet, aquamarine, peridot, tourmaline
- Delicate: pearl, opal, turquoise, moonstone. Better for earrings and pendants than rings.
Gift ideas beyond jewelry
Birth flowers open up lots of options for people who don't wear much jewelry:
- a botanical print of their flower, maybe with their name;
- an embroidery hoop or framed pressed flower;
- a family print combining everyone's birth flowers in one bouquet, a gorgeous gift for a mother or grandmother;
- a ceramic piece with a hand-painted flower;
- seeds or bulbs of the flower itself, for gardeners.
Combining stones
Stones of different months together on one piece tell a story:
- a couple's two birthstones on a ring or necklace,
- a mother's ring with a stone for each child,
- a family bracelet with one bead per person.
Ask the maker how they arrange colours, since some combinations look better side by side than others.
Browse: birth flower necklaces, family birth-flower bouquet prints, dainty birthstone rings.
