February Birthstone

February has one stone on both lists: amethyst, the purple variety of quartz.

The two lists for February

• Modern list (American Gem Society): Amethyst

• Traditional list (United Kingdom, National Association of Goldsmiths, 1937): Amethyst

There is no single official birthstone list, so you are free to choose whichever you prefer. You can check any month with our birthstone finder.

About the stones

Amethyst

Amethyst is quartz coloured by iron and natural irradiation, with a hardness of 7. The name comes from the Greek amethystos, “not intoxicated”, and ancient Greek writers linked the stone with sobriety. It fades in strong sunlight, so jewellery is best kept out of a sunny window. See the amethyst guide for more.

How the idea developed

The birthstone idea has two layers: an older tradition of twelve sacred stones and a newer commercial list. In the United States, the 1912 list was adopted by the jewellery trade in Kansas City, in what is now Jewelers of America, to give shoppers a standard reference. Amethyst was already a stone of the church and of royal regalia in Europe, so it had a long history before any list was written.

For the wider history of the idea, see our birthstones overview. The modern list follows the American Gem Society, and the traditional list follows the 1937 United Kingdom list, both summarised in Wikipedia, Birthstone.

A different system

Vedic gemstone (ratna) guidance is a different system from birthstones. It is tied to the nine planets and to a birth chart, not to the calendar month, and it belongs to the Vedic tradition, which is covered on our sister site, Nidarshana Vedh. Nothing on this page is Vedic advice.

A note on health. Crystals are valued for beauty, meaning and ritual. There is no scientific evidence that they treat health conditions. If you are struggling with your health or mood, please speak to a doctor.

Frequently asked questions