Birthstone 101: Find Out What Yours Is & What It's All About

Birthstones have a long and rich history stemming all the way back to biblical times. In the book of Exodus (28:17-20), it is said that 12 gemstones were placed on the breastplate of the prophet Aaron. "There were 12 stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes," it reads.

Over time, the stones became associated with the 12 zodiac signs, and eventually with the 12 months. In the early 1900s, the National Association of Jewelers made the 12 birthstones official.

The stone associated with January is garnet. Garnet can come in a variety of colors, though as far as birthstones are concerned, it's typically red. It's thought to be a very grounding stone that brings its owner back to reality. Since January is a month of Capricorns and Aquarians, garnet is great for both of those signs.

As Yulia Van Doren, author of Crystals: The Modern Guide to Crystal Healing and founder of Goldirocks, tells mbg, "It's very important to have the grounding of a 'safe space' in order to be able to bravely explore unknown ideas and unchartered passions, which is why ultra-grounding garnet is the perfect adventure partner for both Capricorns and Aquarians."

Amethyst is the birthstone for February, known for its striking purple color. It's a variety of quartz, which is a hard, crystalline mineral made of silica. It's associated with Aquarius and Pisces in the zodiac.

Van Doren tells mbg that amethyst has been revered for centuries for its balancing effect. "Amethyst carries an energy which helps neutralize imbalances and can really help calm Aquarian and Piscean tendencies toward extremes," she says.

Those born in March have the birthstone aquamarine. Characterized by its light blue color, it was named after the Latin term for seawater, aqua marina, Van Doren notes.

"Aquamarine is the blue variety of the mineral beryl," she says, adding that it's very much a "go with the flow" crystal. "It encourages you to follow your curiosity and can help you break out of mindless routines, stale habits, and fear-based thinking," she explains.

According to Ashley Leavy, founder and educational director of the Love and Light School of Crystal Therapy, the best aquamarine is going to be that brilliant sea-blue, which often gets its color from being heated. It can have greenish hues sometimes, as well, or even be more transparent.

One of the most famous and expensive gemstones known to man, diamonds are the birthstone for April—and subsequently, some of those born under Aries and Taurus.

According to Van Doren, diamonds' name comes from the Greek word "adamas," which means invincible. "These extraordinary crystals will help support whatever intention you ask of them," she says.

May's birthstone, Emerald, is a mineral that gets its striking green color from trace amounts of the chemical elements chromium or vanadium. It's a birthstone of both Geminis and Taureans.

"Emeralds have shone brightly through countless mythologies and histories for good reason: This is a gemstone which can manifest huge gifts of magnetic good fortune, abundance, and health," Van Doren tells mbg.

This stone "radiates powerful energies of growth and creative manifestation," Van Doren notes, adding it's very helpful for "balancing Taurus’ infamous stubbornness, and a natural complement to Gemini's inquisitive, inventive, creative personality."

If you were born in June, your birthstone is the pearl, which happens to be the only gemstone formed by a living creature, Van Doren notes. These lustrous gems are made of calcium carbonite, just like the shells of the mollusks from which they come.

"Pearls are luminous reminders that it's often the most difficult things in life that transform us the most beautifully," she explains, adding, "But just as it takes a mollusk much time and effort to transform a grain of sand into a pearl, it also takes us a lot of time and dedicated soul work to transform our greatest challenges into priceless radiance."

This is a great stone for the two astrological signs of June: Gemini and Cancer. For Geminis, Van Doren notes, pearls can help calm the tendency to get easily distracted. And for Cancer, pearls can help soothe nerves.

Those born in July have the striking red ruby as a birthstone. This gem is composed of transparent red corundum, which is a mineral form of aluminum oxide.

According to Van Doren, rubies are supremely powerful grounding and protective crystals. She notes that they "resonate with our two lower chakras, helping clear deeply rooted issues related to self-worth, scarcity, and survival."

This is also an excellent stone for increasing your energy, vitality, and motivation, according to Leavy. "It's great for encouraging exploration of new thoughts and ideas, so if you have been feeling a little bit stuck, boxed in, or lacking some creativity, it really encourages you to shift your perspective and think of things in a new way," she adds.

Peridot is the birthstone for August. It's a magnesium-rich variety of the mineral olivine that gets its green color from the iron that lies within it.

"Often found in areas of volcanic activity," Van Doren tells mbg, "bright-green peridot is associated with Pele, fierce Hawaiian Goddess of fire and volcanoes." She says that just as a volcano or fire burns everything in its path, peridot can help clear away any energies holding you back, such as jealousy, insecurity, or indecision.

September's birthstone is the deep blue sapphire, whose name comes from the Latin saphirus and the Greek sapherios, which both mean "blue." It's a variety of corundum and contains aluminum oxide and trace amounts of other elements.

Sapphire has been revered as the 'Wisdom Stone' since ancient times, Van Doren explains, helping us to "connect with our higher self and our inner empath who sees the bigger picture, acts from a global perspective, and walks in someone else's shoes." This gem is all about making choices with everyone's best interests at heart.

If you were born in October, the colorful opal is your birthstone. It's a type of silica and is technically classified as a mineraloid.

As Van Doren explains to mbg, "This mysterious stone hides endless shimmering rainbows within its milky-white depths," helping us to remember to look beyond the surface. "Look deeper, look closer: at people, places, ideas, and within yourself," she adds.

Born in November? Your birthstone is topaz, an aluminum silicate mineral containing the chemical element fluorine. Depending on trace elements within the stone, the color can vary from clear to yellow-orange, golden-brown, pink, and more.

"Topaz is an ancient gemstone that vibrates with a very particular 'noble' energy," Van Doren says. By noble, she adds, think high moral principles and ideals and the type of person who chooses to do the right thing and walk the higher path whenever possible.

And last but certainly not least, we have December's birthstone, turquoise. (Tanzanite and zircon are sometimes grouped in with December, but we'll focus on turquoise for now.) It's a light greenish-blue mineral formed by a chemical reaction that happens when water with certain minerals like copper and aluminum leaks through rocks.

"Turquoise has an ancient history as a revered gemstone," Van Doren says, noting that it's a stone of folklore wisdom and natural magic. "It reminds us that we can draw support and healing from the natural world whenever needed—all you have to do is ask," she adds.

If you needed any more reason to add to your crystal collection, now's as good a time as any to invest in your birthstone—and maybe look into birth month flowers, as well.