We thought that we might take a look at alternative birthstones for the months ahead for those who know their traditional birthstone, but either don’t love it, or want to see what else is available. We generally have the birthstone you’re after, so don’t be afraid to ask about a custom make if you can’t find something in store.

May’s birthstone is emerald, and it’s alternatives are chrysoprase and green tourmaline (sorry if you don’t like green guys!). Chrysoprase is a fantastic stone – some of the best pieces are actually found in Australia, and the good quality stuff almost has a ‘glow’ to it. It’s a hard wearing stone and good for daily wear, and is normally cut into cabochons.

June is traditionally pearl or alexandrite, with moonstone or rainbow moonstone the alternatives. They are a whitish stone with either blue or spectral colours that are seen from different angles. The Romans believed that moonstone was formed from solidified rays of the moon, and hence associated it with their lunar goddess.

Most people know that July’s birthstone is Ruby, but carnelian and red jasper are also options. They are stones that are good for daily wear, but are often opaque, so if you’re after a glitzy stone, you’d be better sticking with a ruby (you can get synthetic ones to keep the cost down while still having that gorgeous rich red colour).

If you’re an August baby, (like Nicole), you generally know that you have peridot as your birthstone, and you know that you hate it. Luckily those August babies were recently given a reprieve by having spinel added to their list of birthstones. Spinel is awesome as it’s hard wearing (tick), is super sparkly (tick), and comes in many colours and cuts (tick, tick!). So if you want to escape the grass green of peridot, hit us up for some spinel options.

We’ll look at more alternative birthstones in the next Gem Chat – stay tuned!

PS… All the pieces down the side are currently available online!

Rock on

Sarah xo