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Birthstone lists across regions

The United States, United Kingdom and Japan trade bodies publish different birthstone lists. Side by side, with publisher and revision date where the publisher states one.

Scope of these accounts

Community or institution
Jewelers of America
Community or institution
Japan Jewellery Association
Community or institution
National Association of Jewellers
Period
1912 to the present
Region
Japan
Region
United Kingdom
Region
United States

Direct answer

A birthstone list is a trade convention: a jewellery industry body publishes a month-by-month roster and its members follow it. It is not a mineralogical classification and it is not a regulatory one, so two countries can disagree about a month without either being wrong.

Three lists are compared here: Jewelers of America for the United States, the National Association of Jewellers for the United Kingdom, and the Japan Jewellery Association.

The United States roster dates from 1912 and has been revised since; the Japanese roster states its own revision date of 20 December 2021; the United Kingdom roster is arranged by star sign and gives a traditional and an alternative stone for each month.

Revisions on the record

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EventYear
The modern United States list is established by the American National Retail Jewelers Association, the body that became Jewelers of America1912
The United States list is revised: alexandrite, citrine, tourmaline and zircon are added1952
Tanzanite is added to the United States list for December2002
Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association jointly add spinel to August, announced 2 June 20162016
The Japanese roster is revised, dated 20 December 2021, the first revision in 63 years. The Japan Jewellery Association's announcement names the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers as the reviser and records that the JJA board ratified the revision afterwards.2021

Three lists, month by month

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MonthOrganizationRoster versionStonesValid from
JanuaryJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Garnet1912
FebruaryJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Amethyst1912
MarchJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Aquamarine1912
AprilJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Diamond1912
MayJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Emerald1912
JuneJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1952Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite1952
JulyJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Ruby1912
AugustJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 2016Peridot, Spinel2016
SeptemberJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1912Sapphire1912
OctoberJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1952Opal, Tourmaline1952
NovemberJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 1952Citrine, Topaz1952
DecemberJewelers of America (United States)1912 list; this month last revised 2002Turquoise, Tanzanite, Blue Zircon2002
JanuaryNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageGarnet (traditional) / Rose Quartz (alternative)not stated by the publisher
FebruaryNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageAmethyst (traditional) / Amber (alternative)not stated by the publisher
MarchNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageAquamarine (traditional) / Jade (alternative)not stated by the publisher
AprilNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageDiamond (traditional) / Clear Quartz / Rock Crystal (alternative)not stated by the publisher
MayNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageEmerald (traditional) / Chrysoprase (alternative)not stated by the publisher
JuneNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pagePearl (traditional) / Moonstone (alternative)not stated by the publisher
JulyNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageRuby (traditional) / Carnelian (alternative)not stated by the publisher
AugustNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pagePeridot (traditional) / Spinel (alternative)not stated by the publisher
SeptemberNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageSapphire (blue) (traditional) / Lapis Lazuli (alternative)not stated by the publisher
OctoberNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageOpal (traditional) / Pink Tourmaline (alternative)not stated by the publisher
NovemberNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageTopaz (traditional) / Citrine (alternative)not stated by the publisher
DecemberNational Association of Jewellers (United Kingdom)Zodiac birthstone chart, no version year stated on the published pageTanzanite (traditional) / Blue Topaz (alternative)not stated by the publisher
JanuaryJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Garnet2021-12-20
FebruaryJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Amethyst / Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye2021-12-20
MarchJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Aquamarine / Coral / Bloodstone / Iolite2021-12-20
AprilJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Diamond / Morganite2021-12-20
MayJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Emerald / Jadeite2021-12-20
JuneJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Pearl / Moonstone / Alexandrite2021-12-20
JulyJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Ruby / Sphene2021-12-20
AugustJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Peridot / Sardonyx / Spinel2021-12-20
SeptemberJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Sapphire / Kunzite2021-12-20
OctoberJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Opal / Tourmaline2021-12-20
NovemberJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Topaz / Citrine2021-12-20
DecemberJapanese roster, revision of 2021 (revised by the National Association of Precious Stone Wholesalers; ratified by the Japan Jewellery Association and the Yamanashi association)Revision of 20 December 2021Turquoise / Lapis Lazuli / Tanzanite / Zircon2021-12-20

Sources for the statements on this page

How the lists are used in the trade

A trade body's roster is used by its members for merchandising, and revisions are announced to the trade and then to consumers. The 2016 addition of spinel to the American August entry was announced jointly by Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association and launched to consumers through a marketing campaign.

Some lists also print a short meaning for each month; those are the publishers' own marketing wording, not statements of fact.

Where the lists differ

The three lists do not agree, and none of them is the authority over the others. The Japanese roster names two to four stones for most months and includes stones the American and British lists do not carry at all. The British list is organised by star sign rather than by calendar month alone, and pairs each month with a traditional and an alternative stone.

The American list is the oldest of the three and has been revised by addition rather than by replacement.

How LumaLark uses these lists

LumaLark cites a birthstone list as what it is: a named trade body's published convention, with its version and date. A list does not establish a stone's identity, its natural origin, its treatment or its provenance, and it is never used as evidence for any of those.

Where a product page names a birthstone, the list and the region it applies to are named with it.

Brand intention expression

These reviewed links show which LumaLark intention themes cite this cultural record. A link records that the theme references this context; it does not mean the historical or cultural practice described above endorses, requires, or was created for that theme.