Many people are familiar with the traditional idea that each month of the year has a particular gemstone associated with it as its birthstone. For example, April’s birthstone is diamond, while August’s is peridot. However, some months actually have two different gemstones that are considered to be valid birthstones for that month. So is October the only month that can claim more than one birthstone?
The modern birthstones list
The most widely used list of birthstones by month originates from the American National Association of Jewelers, which created an official list in 1912. This is the list that most people are familiar with today:
| January | Garnet |
| February | Amethyst |
| March | Aquamarine |
| April | Diamond |
| May | Emerald |
| June | Pearl, Alexandrite |
| July | Ruby |
| August | Peridot |
| September | Sapphire |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline |
| November | Topaz, Citrine |
| December | Turquoise, Tanzanite, Zircon |
As you can see, while most months are assigned a single birthstone, a few months actually have two or more options:
– June has pearl and alexandrite
– October has opal and tourmaline
– November has topaz and citrine
– December has turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon
So October is not the only month that can claim two different gemstones as birthstones. Both June and November also have two birthstone options each according to this official list.
History of birthstones by month
The idea of linking certain gemstones with months of the year dates back many centuries. In early traditions, it was often based on the color of the stone representing a particular time of year. For example, in old Polish tradition, aquamarine was considered March’s stone because its blue-green hue represented the colors of the sea in March. Other assignments were based on astrology, numerology, or folklore.
Over the centuries, different cultures ended up with their own variations on birthstone traditions. By the 18th and 19th centuries, published lists of birthstones by month started to appear in Europe and North America, drawing from multiple influences. But these lists were inconsistent, with different months associated with different stones.
In 1912, the American National Association of Jewelers sought to standardize the birthstones list by taking the most commonly used stone for each month. This is the list that remains familiar today. However, they made a few exceptions by including two stones for some months where both options were very well established.
Other birthstone lists
While the American list is the most widely known today, it is not the only birthstone calendar in use. Other organizations and cultures have their own variations.
For example, in 2002 the National Association of Jewelers made some revisions, such as adding spinel as a birthstone for August. The UK’s National Association of Goldsmiths created their own standardized list in 2013. It also added some additional birthstones like aquamarine for March and citrine for November that were already popular in Britain.
In other cultures, birthstone traditions vary even more. For example, in Hindu astrology, diamonds are linked with April but pearls are considered June’s stone. In modern-day Russia, topaz is assigned to November, not citrine.
So in many of these monthly birthstone lists, multiple stones for certain months are quite common. October is not at all unique in having more than one traditional birthstone associated with it.
Why does October have two birthstones?
Opal and tourmaline were well established as birthstones for October by the time the American list was standardized in 1912.
Opal was October’s primary choice because it represented hope, innocence, and luck. These were positive qualities associated with people born in October.
Tourmaline meanwhile was linked with October in late 19th century birthstone charts. It also made sense because it came in a large range of rainbow colors, in keeping with October’s reputation as a month when nature displayed its autumnal colors before the onset of winter.
Rather than choose between the two equally appropriate gems for October, the jewelers association decided to include both as official options on their standardized list.
Birthstones by zodiac sign
An entirely separate birthstone tradition is based on zodiac signs rather than months. Just like each month has an associated birth flower, each of the 12 zodiac signs has a particular gemstone connected to it:
| Aries | Diamond |
| Taurus | Emerald |
| Gemini | Agate |
| Cancer | Pearl |
| Leo | Ruby |
| Virgo | Peridot |
| Libra | Opal |
| Scorpio | Beryl |
| Sagittarius | Topaz |
| Capricorn | Ruby |
| Aquarius | Garnet |
| Pisces | Amethyst |
In this astrological tradition, Libra is linked to opal. But each sign only has one birthstone associated with it.
Ancient birthstone traditions
Before the modern standardized lists, birthstone traditions were highly variable across different cultures and eras. While they often assigned a single stone per month, some ancient traditions did include multiple options for certain months.
For example, in Hebrew tradition, June was associated with agate, chalcedony, or beryl. Here, beryl was likely linked with June because of its occasional aquamarine blue-green shades reminiscent of the sea in summer.
Similarly, according to Tibetan culture, the month of November had two birthstones – topaz and citrine. Both golden yellow gems fitting for the colors of autumn.
So while less systematically organized than today’s official monthly birthstone charts, the notion of having more than one birthstone per month is not unique to the modern lists.
Birthstones by season
Some traditions classify birthstones into seasonal groups rather than by month:
– Winter: Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine
– Spring: Emerald, Alexandrite, Diamond
– Summer: Ruby, Peridot, Sardonyx
– Fall: Sapphire, Opal, Tourmaline
In these seasonal lists, multiple stones are again associated with each time of year. And autumn gets designated multiple birthstones just like October does in the monthly lists.
Should you have one or two birthstones?
If your birth month happens to have two or more different gemstones associated with it, which should you choose? Here are some factors to consider:
– Your favorite color – Pick the stone whose hue you are most drawn to. Allow personal preference to guide you.
– Occasion you’ll be wearing it – Certain gems lend themselves better to different jewelry uses. For example, durable diamonds for everyday rings or soft opals for occasional pendants.
– Budget – Some birthstones like emeralds are quite expensive, while alternatives like aquamarine have similar looks for less cost.
– Meaning – Do you want a stone representing traits you identify with or want to cultivate? Research the symbolic meanings.
– Uniqueness – If you dislike wearing what’s too trendy, pick the less common of your two birthstone options.
– Variety – Consider wearing different birthstones by season or alternating between the two monthly stones.
The availability of birthstone choices allows you to pick what’s most meaningful and appealing to you. Take advantage of having options for double the birthstone beauty!
Conclusion
While having multiple birthstones for a single month is quite uncommon, October is clearly not the only one that can claim more than one. Both the traditional and modern birthstone charts tend to assign a single gem to each month. However, there are at least three other months – June, November, and December – that also have two or more accepted birthstone options.
Having two birthstones linked to October specifically can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when both opal and tourmaline became firmly tied to the month in various birthstone guides. When the American National Association of Jewelers sought to create an official standardized list in 1912, they chose to retain both of these stones rather than select between them.
Beyond the U.S. list, numerous other modern and historical birthstone traditions have also at times associated multiple gems with the same month or season. So while not too common, October is clearly not the only example of a month sharing its birthstone spotlight. People born in these months are lucky to have choices regarding their special gem.
