Birthstone Jewelry

Birthstone jewelry is a date worn quietly. This collection runs across necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings using natural stones — amethyst, emerald, garnet, ruby, turquoise, moonstone, onyx, lapis, agate, tiger's eye, jasper, malachite — set alone or beside an engraved name. 18K gold vermeil over solid sterling silver, or gold plated, from $47.

Birthstone Jewelry Questions

Is birthstone jewelry real, or is it glass?

Depends who you buy it from, which is exactly why people ask. Our natural birthstone pieces use genuine stones — real amethyst, garnet, turquoise, moonstone, onyx, cut and set. They aren't high-clarity gemstones and we don't price them as though they were. Where a design calls for sparkle rather than colour we use CZ, and the product page says so rather than leaving you to work it out.

What is each month's birthstone?

January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June moonstone or pearl, July ruby, August peridot, September sapphire, October opal or tourmaline, November citrine or topaz, December turquoise, tanzanite or blue zircon. Several months carry more than one — the traditional and modern lists disagree, and both count.

Should you wear your own birthstone?

There's a long-standing belief that your own stone brings luck or protection, and an equally long tradition of wearing the stones of people you love instead. Neither is more correct. In practice most birthstone jewelry sold is bought for someone else's month, which tells you how people actually use it.

Is it bad luck to wear opal if it's not your birthstone?

No. That superstition traces to a single Walter Scott novel published in 1829, in which an opal brings disaster — the opal market took decades to recover. There's no older tradition behind it. Wear opal in March if you like opal in March.

Is birthstone jewelry tacky?

Clustered multi-stone pieces can read as novelty, particularly with five stones crowded into one pendant. A single stone, or two or three on a bar, doesn't. If you want it to work as everyday jewelry rather than a keepsake, keep the stone count low and the setting simple.

How much does birthstone jewelry cost?

Ours is $47 to about $124. Elsewhere the range is enormous — a faceted natural gemstone in solid gold runs into four figures, a $15 piece is glass in the thinnest possible plating. Real stones in 18K gold vermeil over sterling silver is the honest middle of that.

By piece: birthstone necklaces, birthstone rings and birthstone bracelets. For a stone beside a name, see name necklaces. For mothers, see birthstone necklaces for mom; for a letter and a stone together, initial necklaces with birthstone.