The modern American birthstone list, maintained by Jewelers of America (formerly the American National Association of Jewelers), is the most influential single birthstone reference in the English-speaking world. The list was first formally adopted at the Association's annual meeting in Kansas City in August 1912 and has been periodically updated, with significant revisions in 1952, 2002, 2016, and 2024. The current list reflects more than a century of accumulated commercial preference, occasional academic input, and the periodic addition of newly commercialised stones whose proponents have successfully petitioned the trade body for inclusion.

The 1912 codification

The 1912 list was adopted to bring order to the variety of birthstone associations then circulating in American retail jewellery. The Association drew principally on a 1907 list compiled by George Frederick Kunz, the Tiffany & Co. gemmologist who was the leading American authority of his generation on coloured stones, and on the broader trade preferences then current. The 1912 list set the basic structure of the modern American tradition.

The current list

As of the 2024 revision, the modern American birthstone list is as follows. Where multiple stones are listed for a month, all are recognised as valid alternatives.

• January — Garnet
• February — Amethyst
• March — Aquamarine and Bloodstone
• April — Diamond
• May — Emerald
• June — Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone
• July — Ruby
• August — Peridot, Sardonyx, and Spinel
• September — Sapphire
• October — Opal and Tourmaline
• November — Topaz and Citrine
• December — Turquoise, Tanzanite, Blue Topaz, and Zircon

Notable additions and revisions

Several of the more interesting stones on the list reflect twentieth- and twenty-first-century commercial development. Alexandrite was added to June in 1952, recognising the colour-change chrysoberyl variety discovered in the Russian Urals in 1830 and named for the future Tsar Alexander II. Tanzanite was added to December in 2002, fewer than forty years after the species' discovery in 1967 in the Merelani Hills of northern Tanzania, in a successful campaign by the trade body promoting the new stone. Spinel was added to August in 2016, an overdue recognition of a species that had been miscategorised under ruby for centuries before nineteenth-century mineralogy distinguished it. The 2024 update made minor adjustments and refined the official terminology for several entries.

Choices and rationales

Some monthly choices reflect deep historical association. April-diamond, May-emerald, July-ruby, and September-sapphire correspond to the four classical precious gems and to long-established symbolic associations. June-pearl reflects the antique association of pearls with summer and with brides, June being the traditional wedding month. November-topaz and February-amethyst correspond to long-standing English and continental traditions.

Other choices reflect commercial considerations. October-opal and tourmaline together cover a colour range that single stones could not. August-peridot, sardonyx, and spinel together provide alternatives in a month traditionally associated with green and red stones of various species. December's four-stone roster is the longest, reflecting both ancient turquoise tradition and twentieth-century additions.

Mother's rings and milestone gifts

The American birthstone list provides the structure for mother's rings, in which a single ring carries the birthstones of each of a mother's children — typically two to five stones — set in a row. The mother's-ring concept has been a steady retail category since the mid-twentieth century, particularly through the major mall jewellery chains. Sweet-sixteen and eighteen birthstone rings, anniversary pendants, and graduation gifts are similarly anchored to the list.

Practical considerations

Several months on the list pose practical issues for daily wear. October-opal is not durable enough for unprotected ring wear in active use; June-pearl is similarly soft and porous. For these months we generally recommend that rings be reserved for occasional wear, with daily-wear pieces using the more durable alternatives — tourmaline for October, alexandrite or moonstone for June. December-turquoise is similarly soft and should be set in protected designs.

For all the month listings, the choice of treated versus untreated stones, the choice of natural versus laboratory-grown, and the practical questions of setting and care should be discussed with the client in detail. The birthstone framing is the start of the conversation, not the end.

In the trade

The modern American birthstone list is the working reference for our retail and commission practice. We use it consistently in conversation with clients, with awareness of the international variations and the historical alternatives where they bear on the question. For the most consequential birthstone-themed commissions — fine sapphire September engagements, emerald May anniversaries — the practical choice rests on the qualities of the actual stone rather than on the calendar designation, with the birthstone association serving as a meaningful but not determinative starting frame.

Further reading

• GIA — Birthstones reference
• Jewelers of America — official birthstone list