Birthstone by Month, Astrological Sign, and Day

You’re probably familiar with the idea of birthstones. We often run into them when we see jewelry or other products with birthstones according to the month that we were born. Did you know that a birthstone corresponds to your birth month, Western zodiac sign, and day of the week?

History of Birthstones

This tradition of the birthstone goes back to the Book of Exodus, in which the first high priest of the Israelites wore a breastplate with twelve stones, believed to have magical powers, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. It became a tradition for Christians to wear all twelve stones, recalling the breastplate. As time went on, people started rotating through their collection and wearing one stone on its own, based on which one was believed to have heightened powers at that time. This eventually evolved to associating particular gemstones with birth months.

Also, many different ancient cultures revered gemstones and connected them to their calendar systems. For instance, Hindu texts connect specific stones to certain planets and days of the week. Vedic astrologers recommend particular gemstones to individuals based on their astrological birth chart.

In 1912, a list of birthstones based on the month was standardized in the United States by the National Association of Jewelers. They were chosen based on tradition, as well as which American jewelers could realistically sell stones. The official list has been updated, so you might see different birthstones for your month, depending on where you look.

Birthstones by Month

Birthstones by Astrological Sign

In addition to your birth month, you can find a birthstone for your Western astrological sign. Note: There isn’t an official standardized list of birthstones based on astrological signs, but some traditional associations exist.

Working With Your Birthstone

If working with your birthstone resonates with you, we recommend looking at the stones associated with your month, astrological sign, and day of the week and seeing what calls to you. There isn’t one correct answer here, so trust your intuition!

If none of the stones feel right for you, another option is to look at the qualities associated with your zodiac sign or the ruling planet of your day of the week and look up which stones might be supportive or balancing to that energy.

Once you’ve found a stone that you’d like to work with, there are a few ways you can incorporate it into your life. You may want to wear it on your body in the form of jewelry. This may help you to feel protected and supported as you are out in the world. You can also place it in your home as a decorative object or on your altar and spend time sitting or meditating with it. Be sure to cleanse your stone and set an intention for how you’d like it to support you in your life.