Birthstone Rings | Gemstone Rings

Birthstone rings make great engagement rings, for that matter any gemstone does! People are finally starting to think outside the box and realize that there are so many options beyond the traditional diamond ring.

Gemstones are beautiful and offer a rainbow of colors that can be mixed and matched in all sorts of ways to create truly unique pieces. And, if the gemstone you choose happens to be a birthstone and represent the month you were born, the month you met, or the month you're getting married, well that's even better!

Birthstone rings are just more interesting. What girl wouldn't be proud to wear one?

They can also have so much more significance than a diamond which has only become the standard for engagement rings due to some clever marketing by the DeBeers company not too long ago.

Another plus with gemstones is that they will often cost much less than the diamond equivalent but that's not the main reason to choose one.

Think about it, Princess Diana chose a sapphire ring for her engagement that was similar to her mother's and today Kate Middleton proudly wears it. And, we all know that Lady Di could've picked anything she wanted.

Birthstone rings can be set just like a traditional diamond with or without surrounding stones. They can be set in any of the precious metals although you do need to think about what metal looks best with the gemstone color you choose.

The examples below are all courtesy of Gemvara who specialize in gemstone and birthstone rings. (They're definitely worth taking a look at if you're in the market for one. They allow you to fully customize every aspect and offer exceptional quality.)

There are many wonderful legends associated with each birthstone that can be woven into a romantic tale surrounding your engagement. Some of the legends talk about good luck and good health for those who wear their birthstone while others suggest that good luck and fortune will come in any month the stone represents.

A friend of ours bought a gemstone engagement ring for his fiancée that represented the month they were to be married. He thought that in case the legends were true, he wanted to ensure that his wedding, marriage, and anniversaries would all be blessed and told her so when he presented the ring to her. How romantic is that?

Birthstones By Month

Depending on the source, you can find different birthstones associated to different months. However, there's one widely agreed upon official chart that's been around since the early 1900s. Here it is:

January Birthstone | Garnet

Garnets are very affordable and also happen to be the 2nd wedding anniversary gemstone. They come in a variety of colors (blue is extremely rare) and the most commonly found are red to reddish brown. Garnet engagement rings are beautiful and striking especially when coupled with small diamonds.

February Birthstone | Amethyst

The purple amethyst has one of the most interesting and royal histories dating back to 3000 B.C. It's been thought to cure insomnia, promote wisdom and enhance courage and creativity. It's royal purple color is surprisingly affordable and comes with many noble traditions. What queen wouldn't want an amethyst engagement ring?

March Birthstone | Aquamarine

Aquamarines have become quite popular. Because they're so light in color they have the same translucent quality as a diamond. Legend has it that this particular birthstone promotes good health and gives religious and mental inspiration. Aquamarine rings dazzle the eye in the same way that diamonds do but their clear light blue color ads a special touch.

April Birthstone | Diamond

If you're girl was born in April, she's doubly lucky. Diamonds have a long history and tradition and are rarely thought of as birthstone rings, but they are. The diamond gemstone is the hardest stone on earth that can only be damaged by another diamond.

May Birthstone | Emerald

Emeralds have been sought after by the rich and powerful since about 2000 BC. Cleopatra was a big fan and legend has it that it has the power to heal ailments and improve vision. Even a girl with the poorest of vision will be wide-eyed with delight at receiving an emerald engagement ring.

June Birthstone | Pearl

As birthstone rings, pearls are thought to bestow virtues of wisdom, charity, purity and loyalty on the person who wears them—some really sweet and appropriate traits that make pearl engagement rings all the more special.

July Birthstone | Ruby

Known for passion, the ruby was the primary wedding stone throughout the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Rubies are thought to bring contentment to marriage and promote lasting love....Who wouldn't want that? So, if you're all about passion why not a ruby engagement ring?

August Birthstone | Peridot

Peridot has a long history and is a beautiful yellowish green gemstone. At one point it was thought to protect the wearer from demons, then later it was thought to attract romance. Either way, a peridot engagement ring is unique and beautiful!

September Birthstone | Sapphire

As birthstone rings they are beautiful—no doubt! But when sapphires are coupled with white gold or platinum and small diamonds they are well, perfect! Princess Di's sapphire ring cost about $60K at the time but we've seen some amazing ones for a few hundred dollars. There's nothing like a sapphire engagement ring to take a girl's breath away. 

October Birthstone | Opal & Tourmaline

Opals come in many different shades ranging from pastels to more vibrant tones and are probably the most unique looking gemstone. They're thought to promote loyalty, faithfulness and love. What better virtues could an opal engagement ring have?

Option No.2 for October is the Tourmaline which also comes in tons of colors and is thought to bring luck, creativity and romance. It'd be hard to go wrong with either of these two. 

November Birthstone | Topaz & Citrine

Topaz comes in a gazillion colors which makes it really hard to identify because it can look like just about every other gemstone our there. The most common colors are in the yellow/orange/brown ranges and the most popular is the blue.

The yellow topaz can also look like a Citrine which is the other official gemstone for November. The great thing about topaz rings is that they can look like any other gemstone, are beautiful, and pretty inexpensive. So if you're on a tight budget a topaz ring might be the way to go.

December Birthstone | Turquoise & Tanzanite

Turquoise is one of the best known opaque gemstones and dates way back before 3000 B.C. It's striking and could make a charming engagement ring that every December girl would cherish. So consider a turquoise ring if you're looking for an inexpensive alternative to the traditional diamond.

In 2002 Tanzanite was officially added to the list of December birthstones by the American Gem Trade Association and has a wonderful magical quality about. They have a more formal look than turquoise, which can look pretty informal at times, so many couples are going for tanzanite rings instead.

Birthstone rings offer a variety of colors, shapes and sizes that are rarely seen with diamonds. They hold just as much sentiment with the added plus of celebrating and honoring a special month in the year.

The fact that birthstone rings are usually less expensive is just an added bonus! So which one is it going to be for you?