Birthstones

Have you ever wondered what stone is associated with your birthday? Most gem scholars agree that the tradition of birthstones arose from the Breastplate of Aaron (brother of Moses): a ceremonial religious garment set with twelve gemstones that represented the twelve tribes of Israel and also corresponded with the twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the year. Because ancient people did not always classify gemstones by mineral species like we do, there is some debate about which gemstones were set in the breastplate and why. This is why different cultures around the world have developed different birthstone lists. The modern day list that you know is only the most recent list, older lists still exist. Some also argue that the proper way to assign gemstones is according to astrological sign and not month. We think it would be more fun to choose the gemstone that speaks to you from all the possibilities. That is why we have provided a chart of birthstones categorized by origin and zodiac (below).

The Modern Birthstone list is the official birthstone list from the American National Association of Jewelers, officially adopted in 1912. The Traditional Birthstone list reflects societal birthstone traditions, heralding back to the 15th century. The list contains older birthstones and is sometimes combined with the modern birthstone list; traditional lists may vary. Mystical Birthstones are of Tibetan origin and date back over a thousand years. The Ayurvedic birthstone list is from Indian medicine and beliefs dating back to ancient India (1500 BC). The Hebrew Birthstone list is one of the ancient traditional lists; others include Roman, Arabic, and Hindu. The Planetary Stone associates specific gemstones with the planets. These planets are associated with the zodiac signs, with each sign having a ruling planet. The Zodiac list below is the most agreed upon birthstone for each astrological sign. Most have several stones for each Sun sign, and depending on the reference the stones for each zodiac sign may vary.

Birthstone Chart