Birthstones You Can Collect as Raw Specimens, Month by Month
Birthstone lists are written for jewelry. They tell you what to set in a ring, and they care about hardness and sparkle. They don't tell you what the stone looks like before anyone cuts it, or whether you can hold a real crystal of it.
For most months, you can. This guide goes through the year and shows what each month's stone looks like as a raw specimen, with examples from our own listings. A few months we can't fill yet, and we say so instead of padding the list.
The list we used
We followed the list Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association use today. It grew out of a 1912 list from the National Association of Jewelers and was updated in 1952, in 2002 (tanzanite for December) and in 2016 (spinel for August), according to Wikipedia. Some months have several stones, and older lists differ, which is why lapis lazuli still gets called a December stone. Our lapis lazuli birthstone guide sorts that out.
Birthstones at a glance
| Month | Birthstone | Raw specimens from us | Where ours come from |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | Yes, a deep range | Pakistan (much of it Skardu) and Afghanistan |
| February | Amethyst | Yes | Mostly Afghanistan, one from Pakistan |
| March | Aquamarine | Yes, a deep range | Skardu and Nagar in Pakistan, plus Afghanistan |
| April | Diamond | No | Not carried |
| May | Emerald | Yes, a small range | Swat Valley and Chitral in Pakistan, one from Afghanistan |
| June | Pearl, alexandrite, moonstone | No | Not carried |
| July | Ruby | No raw ruby right now | Not in stock |
| August | Peridot, spinel, sardonyx | One crystal each of peridot and spinel | Skardu peridot, Burma spinel |
| September | Sapphire | No raw sapphire right now | One cut stone only |
| October | Opal, tourmaline | Tourmaline, yes | Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| November | Topaz, citrine | Topaz, yes | Katlang and Skardu in Pakistan |
| December | Turquoise, zircon, tanzanite (lapis lazuli traditionally) | Lapis lazuli, yes | Badakhshan in Afghanistan, and Pakistan |
Stock and prices change, so check each collection page for what's available today.
January: garnet
Garnet is a family of minerals, and raw garnet comes in more colors than the deep red most people expect. We list rhodolite, almandine, spessartine and andradite, mostly as small crystals sitting on feldspar or mica from Pakistan.
Thumbnail pieces start around $25 to $45, so January is the easiest month to buy for. A red garnet crystal group on feldspar is $35, and an orange spessartine cluster weighing 237 grams is $135. The full garnet collection has the rest.
February: amethyst
Amethyst is purple quartz. As a raw specimen it's usually a cluster of points on a rock base. Ours are mostly Afghan clusters, scepters and twins, between $35 and $70 right now, like this amethyst scepter. If heated stones worry you, our amethyst buying guide explains what heat does and how to read a cluster. Browse the amethyst collection.
March: aquamarine
Aquamarine is blue beryl. The crystals we list come mostly from Skardu and Nagar in Pakistan, often still attached to white mica or feldspar, and many show the etched, slightly frosted faces that are normal for that area. It's one of our deepest collections, with pieces starting under $100. Our Skardu aquamarine guide covers how to judge a specimen, and the aquamarine collection shows current stock.
May: emerald
Emerald is green beryl, so it's a cousin of March's aquamarine. Raw emerald nearly always has fractures and inclusions. That's normal, and it's one reason clean crystals cost more. Ours come mostly from the Swat Valley and Chitral in Pakistan, as crystals on matrix, plus one rough crystal from Afghanistan.
Prices start around $55 for a small Swat Valley crystal on matrix and climb to about $750 for the larger Chitral pieces. The oiling people talk about is usually done to cut stones, so buying a crystal on its host rock is a different question from buying a faceted emerald. See the emerald collection.
August: peridot and spinel
August is thin for us. We have one etched peridot crystal from Skardu, Pakistan, at $80, and one 60 carat piece of rough pink spinel from Burma. The spinel is faceting grade, which means it's material for a cutter, not a display crystal. Spinel joined the list in 2016. For a long time it was mistaken for ruby, even in royal crown jewels.
October: tourmaline
October lists opal and tourmaline. We don't carry opal, but tourmaline is one of our biggest collections. Pink tourmaline is the stone added to October's list in 1952, and our pink crystals come from Afghanistan, including the Paprok area of Nuristan. We also list black schorl on quartz and feldspar from Pakistan.
Color treatment is the usual question with this stone, so read our natural vs treated tourmaline guide before you buy. Then browse tourmaline or the rubellite tourmaline collection.
November: topaz
November is where raw crystals and jewelry stones differ most. Almost all of the blue topaz in stores started as colorless topaz that was irradiated and then heated. Natural blue topaz exists, but it's rare and usually pale.
The topaz we list is natural crystal from Pakistan. Much of it is imperial topaz, the golden to pinkish orange kind, from Katlang, plus many etched crystals from Skardu. Small crystals start around $35, like this imperial topaz from Katlang. At the other end, one 11.4 kilogram imperial topaz and quartz piece from Skardu is listed at $45,000.
Topaz resists scratches at 8 on the Mohs scale, but it has perfect cleavage, so a sharp knock can split it. Our care guide covers handling. November's other stone, citrine, is mostly heated amethyst, as the amethyst guide above explains. Browse the topaz collection.
December: lapis lazuli
The current US list gives December to turquoise, zircon and tanzanite, and we don't have raw collections for those. Lapis lazuli is the traditional December stone, and it's our largest collection, from Badakhshan in Afghanistan and from Pakistan, in rough and polished form. Start with our lapis lazuli buying guide for grading and fakes, then browse the lapis lazuli collection.
The months we can't fill yet
Four months have no raw specimen from us right now.
- April, diamond. We don't have a diamond collection.
- June, pearl, alexandrite and moonstone. Pearl isn't a mineral, it's organic, and we don't have collections for the other two.
- July, ruby. No raw ruby at the moment.
- September, sapphire. Ruby and sapphire are the same mineral, corundum. Our only corundum listing is one cut sapphire, not a raw crystal.
If you need one of these, ask us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you honestly whether we can find it. We'd rather say not yet than sell you a substitute.
Buying for a gift: raw crystal or cut stone?
A raw crystal is a display piece. Nobody wears it, so hardness matters less than the form you like: a single crystal, a cluster, or a combination of minerals that grew together. If the person will wear the stone, hardness decides what survives daily use. Our rough or polished guide covers that choice, and our first collection guide shows what to spend. Here's how the stones compare.
| Stone | Mohs hardness |
|---|---|
| Garnet | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Amethyst | 7 |
| Aquamarine | 7.5 to 8 |
| Emerald | 7.5 to 8 |
| Peridot | 6.5 to 7 |
| Spinel | 8 |
| Tourmaline | 7 to 7.5 |
| Topaz | 8 |
| Lapis lazuli | 5 to 5.5 |
Two things sit outside that number. Topaz has perfect cleavage, and amethyst fades in strong sun.
Frequently asked questions
What are the birthstones by month?
January garnet, February amethyst, March aquamarine, April diamond, May emerald, June pearl, alexandrite or moonstone, July ruby, August peridot, spinel or sardonyx, September sapphire, October opal or tourmaline, November topaz or citrine, and December turquoise, zircon or tanzanite. Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association keep the current list.
Can you collect birthstones as raw crystals?
Yes, for most months. Garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, topaz and peridot all form crystals you can buy raw, usually still attached to the rock they grew on. Pearl is the exception because it isn't a mineral, and diamond, ruby and sapphire crystals are harder to find.
Which birthstones are most often treated?
Blue topaz is the clearest case. Almost all of it began as colorless topaz that was irradiated and then heated. Citrine is mostly heated amethyst, and cut emeralds are commonly oiled to hide fractures. A raw crystal still on its host rock raises a different set of questions.
Is a raw birthstone a good gift?
Yes, if the person likes minerals or display pieces. A raw crystal isn't worn, so choose the stone by birth month and the form by taste: a single crystal, a cluster on matrix, or a combination of minerals that grew together. For jewelry, a cut stone is the better choice.
Is lapis lazuli a December birthstone?
It's a traditional December stone and still appears on British lists, but the current US list gives December to turquoise, zircon and tanzanite. Lapis was dropped from the US list in 1952. It remains a popular December gift, especially as a raw or polished specimen.
Not sure which stone suits the person? Send us the birthday and a budget on WhatsApp, and we'll point you to what we actually have.