Birthstone Rings

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 because the traditional and modern lists disagree — both count.

No rule. The right hand avoids the engagement question, which is the practical reason most people choose it. If you're stacking it with other rings, the index and middle fingers carry a stack better than the ring finger.

Tradition says your own stone brings luck. Equally traditionally, people wear the stones of their children or partner instead. Neither is more correct, and most birthstone jewelry sold is bought for someone else's month — which tells you how it's actually used.

The natural birthstone pieces use genuine stones — real amethyst, garnet, turquoise, moonstone, onyx and the rest. They aren't high-clarity gemstones and aren't priced as if they were. Where a design needs sparkle rather than colour we use CZ, and the product page says which. Nothing in this store is a real diamond.

This is worth knowing before you buy. Opal, moonstone, turquoise and pearl are soft — 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale — and rings take more knocks than any other jewelry. They'll scratch and chip in a way garnet, ruby or sapphire won't. If your month's stone is a soft one and you want daily wear, a bezel setting protects it far better than claws.

Single-stone bands, generally yes. Anything with stones set all the way round can't be sized regardless of metal. Soft stones also have to come out before heat is applied, which adds cost — another reason to get the size right first.