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A birthstone is a lovely way to carry something personal in a piece of jewellery — your own month, a child's, or the person you love. But before you choose one for a ring, there is a practical question worth asking: will the stone stand up to being worn every day?
That is where most birth month gemstones guides stop short. Below you will find all twelve months, the stone traditionally linked to each, and an honest verdict on where that stone belongs — on your finger, or somewhere it will be better protected. Where a month has more than one recognised stone, we have said so, because the old charts do not always agree.
A quick note on hardness. Jewellers measure scratch-resistance on the Mohs scale, from 1 (soft) to 10 (diamond). It is a useful guide, but hardness is not the same as toughness — a stone can resist scratches yet still chip on a knock. We have flagged both where it matters.
January — Garnet
Explore our garnet jewellery →
Garnet sits around 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which makes it a sensible choice for a ring worn regularly. Its deep red is the colour most people picture, though garnet also comes in green, orange and pink. A good everyday stone with reasonable care.
February — Amethyst
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Amethyst is a purple quartz, about 7 on the scale, and one of the eight coloured stones we keep in our own collections. It wears well in a ring, but over many years the facet edges can soften, so a protective setting suits it. Its colour comes from traces of iron in the quartz.
March — Aquamarine
Explore our aquamarine jewellery →
Aquamarine is a pale blue beryl, 7.5 to 8, and holds up well day to day. Being a beryl it can chip on a sharp knock rather than scratch, so a setting that shields the edges is worth considering. Bloodstone is the older alternative stone for March if you prefer something deeper.
April — Diamond
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Diamond is the hardest natural material there is, a 10 on the scale, and the ideal stone for a ring meant to last a lifetime. Every diamond we set is GIA-certified and hand-inspected. If your birth month is April, you already have the most hard-wearing choice available.
May — Emerald
Explore our emerald jewellery →
Emerald is one of our stocked stones and a deeply personal favourite for many — but it needs honesty. Although it measures 7.5 to 8, emerald is a beryl full of natural inclusions, known as the jardin, which make it more prone to chipping than its hardness suggests. We would gently steer you towards a pendant or earrings, or a well-protected setting if you have your heart set on a ring. Never clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner.
June — Pearl
Pearl is soft and organic — only 2.5 to 4.5 on the scale — and one of the collections we carry. It is beautiful, but it is not a stone for a daily ring: perfume, hairspray and simple wear will dull it over time. Pearls belong on earrings and necklaces, and the old advice still holds — put them on last, after your scent and hairspray. Moonstone and alexandrite are the other stones linked to June.
July — Ruby
Ruby is corundum, the same mineral family as sapphire, and shares its excellent 9 on the Mohs scale. Its red comes from traces of chromium. We keep ruby among our coloured collections, and it is one of the toughest coloured stones you can wear every day — a genuinely practical choice for a ring.
August — Peridot
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Peridot is a soft green, around 6.5 to 7, which is wearable in a ring but softer than the stones either side of it in the calendar — a protective setting helps. Spinel, which is harder at 8, has become an accepted second stone for August and stands up better to daily wear.
September — Sapphire
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Sapphire is one of our stocked stones and, at 9 on the scale, one of the best coloured stones for everyday wear — second only to diamond in hardness. Blue is the classic, but sapphire also comes in pink, yellow, teal and more, its colours drawn from trace elements. If September is your month, you have a stone that will take a lifetime of wear in its stride.
October — Opal and Tourmaline
Explore our opal jewellery → · Explore our tourmaline jewellery →
October gives you two very different stones, and we carry both.
Tourmaline is the practical one, 7 to 7.5, comfortable in a ring, and available in a wonderful range of colours — we have used pink tourmaline as the centre stone in bespoke commissions.
Opal is the delicate one, 5.5 to 6.5. It holds water within its structure and is sensitive to heat and dryness, so it is happiest as a pendant or earrings, kept away from ultrasonic cleaners. Lovely, but not a stone for a knockabout ring.
November — Topaz
Explore our topaz jewellery → · Explore our citrine jewellery →
Topaz is one of our collections and a hard-wearing 8 on the scale, which makes it well suited to a ring. One caution: topaz can cleave along a plane if struck sharply, so a considered setting matters. Citrine, a warm golden quartz at 7, is the other November stone and also wears well.
December — Turquoise, Tanzanite and Blue Zircon
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December offers a choice of three, and all of them are on the softer side. Turquoise (5 to 6) and tanzanite (6 to 7) are both better suited to pendants, earrings, or rings that are worn occasionally rather than daily. Tanzanite in particular is one to keep for special wear. Blue zircon is the third option, with a bright sparkle that many people do not expect.
Choosing a Birthstone That Will Last
If the stone for your month is a soft one, that is not a reason to give it up — it is a reason to think about where it sits. A June baby's pearl makes a beautiful pair of earrings; a December turquoise is happier in a pendant than on a hand that gardens and washes up.
And if you would like a birthstone set into something made entirely for you, that is where we come in. Choosing the stone is part of our bespoke design process from the very first conversation — whether it is your own birthstone, a family stone passed down, or simply a colour you love. We can source it and design around it.
You can begin exploring in our online design studio, or come and see us at our workshop at 64 South Street, Chichester, for an unhurried, no-obligation chat about the piece you have in mind.
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