Real or fake10 min read
How to tell if a crystal is real
Most fake crystals are glass, resin, dyed stones or heat-treated quartz. Temperature, bubbles, hardness, color and price give most of them away.
Free birthstone finder
Find your birthstone by birth date, month or zodiac sign. See the modern and traditional stones, plus zodiac and Chinese zodiac pairings.
Gives your month stones, zodiac stones and Chinese zodiac stones in one go. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Pick a birth date, month or sign above to see the stones.
Birthstone chart by month
All twelve months in one table. The modern column follows the current Jewelers of America list; the traditional column follows the older list.
| Month | Modern birthstone | Traditional birthstone |
|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Garnet |
| February | Amethyst | Amethyst |
| March | Aquamarine | Bloodstone |
| April | Diamond | Diamond |
| May | Emerald | Emerald |
| June | Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite | Pearl |
| July | Ruby | Ruby |
| August | Peridot, Spinel | Sardonyx |
| September | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline | Opal |
| November | Citrine, Topaz | Topaz |
| December | Turquoise, Tanzanite, Zircon | Turquoise, Lapis lazuli |
Modern and traditional birthstones: why there are two lists
The American list most jewelers use was adopted in 1912 by the association now called Jewelers of America. It was updated in 1952 (alexandrite, citrine, tourmaline and zircon were added), in 2002 (tanzanite for December) and in 2016 (spinel for August). The older traditional stones, such as bloodstone for March and sardonyx for August, are still popular. Other countries keep their own lists, so a stone can be your birthstone in one place and an alternative in another. If you are buying a gift, any stone on either list is a fair choice.
Zodiac birthstones and Chinese zodiac stones are lore
Pairing stones with zodiac signs goes back centuries and comes from crystal lore, not from a single authority. That is why one book gives Libra opal and another gives it lapis lazuli. This finder shows common choices for each sign and keeps them separate from the month stones. Chinese zodiac stones are an even looser modern habit. The animal also depends on the lunar new year, which falls between late January and mid-February, so the tool uses your full birth date rather than just the year.
Check that your birthstone is real
Many birthstones have common look-alikes: glass, dyed quartz, lab-grown stones and treated gems. Citrine is often heat-treated amethyst, and blue topaz is usually treated. Photograph the stone in daylight and run it through the free crystal identifier to see its likely name, hardness and the stones it gets confused with. Treat the result as a starting point, not a lab report. A certified gemologist is the right check for anything valuable.
Not sure what stone you have?
Upload a photo to the free crystal identifier and get the likely name, hardness and look-alikes.
Open the crystal identifierWhere the lists come from
Month lists follow the Jewelers of America birthstone guide and the history of its updates; the Gemological Institute of America has background on each gem. Zodiac and Chinese zodiac pairings are crystal lore.
Birthstone questions
Guides for stone buyers and collectors
Real or fake9 min read
How to tell if amethyst is real
Natural amethyst is rarely one even shade of purple. Color zoning, inclusions and a quick scratch test separate it from glass and dyed quartz.
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How to tell if jade is real
Real jade feels cool and surprisingly heavy, with a dense, even texture. Weight, translucency and a careful hardness check separate it from serpentine, aventurine and glass.