Our recommendations relate to birthstones by month and when, where, and how to give the perfect gift. A birthstone gift — thoughtful or tacky? We say thoughtfully chosen if you think about it.
A well-chosen piece of birthstone jewelry makes a gorgeous gift that the wearer can show off in style. Birthstones reflect a personal touch, a reminder that it’s more than just a pretty bling thing, but a meaningful way to honor the wearer, their birth month, their identity, their aura, their whole self.
Birthstones By Month
The meaning of each of the birthstones originated centuries or millennia ago, grounded in the deep history of our planet Earth. Still, the meanings of certain gemstones have shifted and are open to interpretation. Birthstones by month may feel basic, but reflecting on what each birthstone signifies can help you see a new beauty in the people you love — or capture the beauty you’ve always seen in a piece of birthstone jewelry.
Our Recommendations For Perfect Birthstone Jewelry Gifts
Obviously, every person is unique — not every April baby will suit the same diamond earrings. Every occasion is also unique — don’t go with a topaz for your engagement ring unless you’re really sure (if you’re shopping for an engagement ring, skip this list and scope out our guide on engagement rings).
But based on modern birthstone meanings, we’ve recommended a perfect piece of jewelry for the birthstones by month. We also offer an ideal setting — when, where, and how to give the gift of each of the twelve stones.
January Birthstone — Garnet
Garnet, the January birthstone, has long alluded to passionate love, partly due to its pure red hue and deep burn. The gem is also said to resemble the seeds of pomegranates.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Garnet Gift: A subtle garnet ring on a wrought gold band.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: An upscale romantic restaurant elegantly presented atop a delicious dessert dish (we recommend chocolate lava cake or cherry cheesecake, but you can’t go wrong as long as you have that flourish of garnet).
February Birthstone — Amethyst
Amethyst, the February birthstone, represents peace and purity of spirit in its clear purple hues. The gem is associated with healing powers after suffering, making it an ideal gift for someone recovering from injury or illness.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Amethyst Gift: A teardrop pendant in silver.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: A calm, respectful space that feels spiritual, whether that’s a place of worship, a favorite museum, or simply a park on a clear morning — anything that reflects the quiet beauty of amethyst.
March Birthstones — Aquamarine
Like a few others, there are two March birthstones. Aquamarine, the March birthstone, has a deep connection to the sea and seafaring, once serving as a good luck charm for sailors. Among the more uniquely colored gemstones with a bluish-green color, aquamarine stones represent vitality and perseverance, serenity and clarity — all the complexities of the ocean blue. The alternative March birthstone is bloodstone, known for its dark green appearance.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Aquamarine Gift: A raw aquamarine stone on a rose gold necklace.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: Take a beach day, load up a cooler with drinks, and wait for the perfect moment when they ask for cold soda to give them an unexpected aquamarine surprise.
April Birthstone — Diamond
Diamonds, the April birthstone, are often linked to sunlight because of their clarity and incandescent light. Among modern birthstones, diamonds signify inner strength and enduring commitment. Diamonds aren’t just for engagement rings, though — there’s a whole range of stunning diamond jewelry.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Diamond Gift: A pair of gleaming diamond stud earrings in white gold. You get bonus points for choosing ethical, affordable lab created diamonds.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: An evening in, hidden under the couch cushions. For the most precious of precious stones, go with an understated delivery. Pretend you lost your phone and need help searching. A gleaming diamond treasure will undoubtedly catch them by surprise.
May Birthstone — Emerald
Emerald, the May birthstone, has long been associated with growth and abundance, partly due to its green color and connection to nature. If April showers bring May flowers, emeralds capture the green shoots which herald those blooms.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Emerald Gift: A pear-cut emerald pendant in gold.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: Outdoors, somewhere steeped in natural romance, with spring in the air. Go out on a hike, a trip to the gardens, or a picnic by the riverside, and “stumble on” the earrings while picking blossoms — a flowering emerald.
June Birthstones — Pearl
Pearl, the June birthstone, is historically linked to wisdom and spiritual peace. Most pearls are not perfectly round in nature, so the most sought-after have come to signify dignity and class. Alternative birthstones include Moonstone and Alexandrite.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Pearl Gift: A classic graduated pearl necklace.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: Before attending a swanky cultural engagement — a gala, a gallery opening, a night of opera, theater, or dance. Something that reflects the elegant beauty of the gift — and the wearer.
July Birthstone — Ruby
Ruby, the July birthstone, is one of the most regal birthstones. Few gems were so frequently chosen to adorn the crowns of nobility in ages past. As such, rubies represent wealth and power, but their pure red links them back to love and passion.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting:
Our Recommendations
Perfect Ruby Gift: A ruby bolo bracelet in sterling silver.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: A winery draped around the neck of a half-empty bottle of cabernet. Ye who controls the wine controls the kingdom, and there are few settings better suited to the opulence and rich taste suggested by a ruby.
August Birthstone — Peridot
Peridot, the August birthstone peridot, signifies harmony and inner peace. Another green variety of birthstones like emerald, Peridot promotes rest and wards away nightmares when set in gold.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Peridot Gift: Cushion-cut peridot earrings in gold
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: Somewhere sleepy. Cuddled up in bed, on the couch, in a hammock — your choice, as long as nodding off, is not far off. Succumb to sleep in style with a gorgeous good-luck charm to guide you through your dreams.
September Birthstone — Sapphire
Sapphire, the September birthstone, most often comes in blue colors and has long been linked to innocence, trust, and truth, making it a uniquely sharp choice for an engagement ring. White sapphire is a rare gem that further signifies strength, but the blue variety is no less beautiful.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Sapphire Gift: An oval-cut sapphire ring on a silver band
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: Somewhere secret, with special meaning only you share. Slip the ring out suddenly, and confess — let it reveal your true feelings, and that secret spot will take on renewed significance through the memory enshrined in sapphire.
October Birthstone — Opal
Opal, the October birthstone, has a solid connection to hope, faith, and happiness. The ancient Greeks believed that opals made the wearer open to prophesy — and the ancient Greeks did not mess around when it came to prophecies. It is more seductive than traditional stones and can also connote intense emotion.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Opal Gift: Opal drop earrings in yellow gold.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: An orchard, where the harvest ought to be well underway, and with it, the vibrant flavors of autumn, the promise of full pantries and tummies through the holidays, and the hope of seeding an early spring bloom. All are captured in a single opal.
November Birthstone — Topaz
Topaz, the November birthstone, signifies awareness, clarity of thought, and rejuvenation and has certain healing powers for mental distress. Though the traditional birthstone is a clear amber-brown with yellow topaz, topaz comes in various colors, with London blue topaz being especially popular. Blue topaz (typically either Swiss Blue or London Blue) can represent deep connection and emotional attachment.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Topaz Gift: A blue topaz teardrop pendant in sterling silver.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: At the spa, atop a towel in the steam room. Let the healing topaz work its magic, and let the stress melt away.
December Birthstones — Zircon
Zircon, one of the December birthstones, has grounded energy and manifests focus, confidence, and success. Its blue color is perhaps the most striking, and blue zircon can be a tool to clear the mind and release negative energy. Uniquely there are more than three birthstones for December, including sky blue colored topaz, tanzanite, and turquoise.
Our Recommendations
Perfect Zircon Gift: A blue zircon ring in white gold.
Birthstone Giftgiving Setting: A snowy forest, frozen lake, or, failing that, an ice skating rink. Somewhere cold, clear, and calm, allowing for reflection on the year that has passed and the year ahead, with an eye on achieving goals and a denial of bad vibes.
