Birthstones and Zodiac Signs: What Your Birth Date Tells You

Your date of birth determines more than your age. In popular culture it also assigns you a birthstone, a zodiac sign and sometimes a birth flower — traditions worth understanding, even if you treat them purely as fun.

Birthstones

Modern birthstones are assigned by month. Garnet is associated with January, amethyst with February, aquamarine with March, and diamond with April. May has emerald, June has pearl, July has ruby, and August has peridot. September is sapphire, October opal or tourmaline, November topaz or citrine, and December turquoise or tanzanite.

The list most people know was standardised by the American jewellery industry in the early twentieth century and has been updated a few times since, which is why some months have alternatives. Older traditions link stones to zodiac signs or to the twelve stones on a biblical breastplate, so lists differ between cultures.

Zodiac signs

Western astrology divides the year into twelve signs, each covering roughly a month. The start and end days vary by a day depending on the year and the source, so people born on the boundary — the "cusp" — can find that two references disagree. Traditional approximate dates run from Aries (about 21 March to 19 April) through Pisces (about 19 February to 20 March).

Other date-based traditions

• Birth flowers are assigned by month, such as carnation for January and daffodil for March.
• Chinese zodiac animals follow the lunar new year, not 1 January, so someone born in January or early February may belong to the previous year's animal.
• Days of the week feature in nursery rhymes and some naming customs.

Why cusp dates cause confusion

Because the sign changes partway through certain days and the exact moment shifts slightly from year to year, sources round differently. If you were born within a day of a boundary, check more than one reputable table.

Treat it as culture, not science

Astrology has not been shown to predict personality or events, but the traditions are a genuine part of many cultures and make good conversation and gift ideas. Birthstone jewellery, for instance, is a popular and personal present.

Combining date facts

A date of birth can give a whole profile at once: exact age, days lived, next-birthday countdown and the day of the week you were born. It is a neat way to turn a single date into a set of conversation starters.

Explore facts from your date of birth with Age Calculator →