If you compare three zodiac stone tables, you will most likely find different stones for the same sign. The reason lies in history: since 1912, birthstones have had a jeweler-approved list, but the stone by zodiac sign can vary in each source.
Zodiac Stones and Birthstones: What Is the Difference?
Birthstones have a documented origin. In August 1912, the National Association of Jewelers (now Jewelers of America) in the United States adopted a unified list of birthstones at a meeting in Kansas City. Later, it was supplemented: in 1952, new stones were added for several months, in 2002 tanzanite for December, and in 2016 spinel for August.
Modern zodiac stone lists are a tradition within the crystal community without a single official source, so they differ in books and on websites. In our crystal encyclopedia, Leo and Scorpio each have 31 stones, while Pisces has only eight. The signs for each stone are also indicated on its product page, and in the crystal catalog you can filter stones by zodiac sign. Sometimes both traditions coincide: garnet is the birthstone for January and is also on the Capricorn list.
The full list contains more stones, but the table includes 3 to 4 for each sign.
| Sign | Dates | Stones |
|---|---|---|
| Aries | 21.03-19.04 | Green aventurine, pyrite, red jasper, carnelian |
| Taurus | 20.04-20.05 | Rose quartz, rhodonite, emerald, rutilated quartz |
| Gemini | 21.05-20.06 | Agate, citrine, serpentine, Dalmatian jasper |
| Cancer | 21.06-22.07 | Selenite, moonstone, ruby, calcite |
| Leo | 23.07-22.08 | Rock crystal, tiger’s eye, sunstone, Libyan desert glass |
| Virgo | 23.08-22.09 | Amazonite, lazurite, black agate |
| Libra | 23.09-22.10 | Tourmaline, opal, ruby in fuchsite |
| Scorpio | 23.10-21.11 | Moldavite, malachite, black tourmaline, obsidian |
| Sagittarius | 22.11-21.12 | Labradorite, sodalite, azurite, turquoise |
| Capricorn | 22.12-19.01 | Garnet, onyx, shungite, smoky quartz |
| Aquarius | 20.01-18.02 | Amethyst, angelite, Lemurian quartz, hematite |
| Pisces | 19.02-20.03 | Aquamarine, fluorite, larimar, amethyst |
Did you know? Stones were associated with the zodiac as early as the 1st century. The historian Josephus Flavius wrote that the 12 stones on the Jewish high priest’s breastplate could be understood as the 12 months or as the 12 signs, which the Greeks call the zodiac. This breastplate is often mentioned as the origin of the birthstone tradition.
Aries 21.03-19.04
For Aries, crystal tradition offers green aventurine, which is a symbol of luck and new opportunities. Its subtle shimmer and green color are created by fuchsite, a chromium-containing mica inside quartz. Pyrite was often mistaken for gold by gold prospectors, but they are easily distinguished: on unglazed porcelain, pyrite leaves a greenish-black streak, gold a yellow one. The color of red jasper is given by iron oxides, and it is completely opaque, while carnelian transmits light at least at the edges, although both are microcrystalline quartz.
Taurus 20.04-20.05
The Taurus list includes rose quartz, which crystal enthusiasts associate with love and gentleness. Its color is delicate, so it is usually more intense in larger pieces, and with prolonged exposure to sunlight, the shade may become paler. The name of rhodonite comes from the Greek rhodon, rose, and its pink background is crossed by black manganese oxide veins. Emerald is the birthstone for May, and natural emeralds almost always have visible inclusions, which gemologists call jardin (garden). The fine needles in rutilated quartz are rutile, or titanium dioxide.
Gemini 21.05-20.06
Agate is attributed to Gemini. Bright blue, pink, or purple agate is almost always dyed, as such colors are not typical for agate in nature, and classic dyeing methods were developed in Idar-Oberstein in the early 19th century. Citrine is a symbol of optimism. Most citrine on the market is heated amethyst, while natural citrine is usually pale yellow. Serpentine gets its name from the Latin serpens, snake, because its green, mottled pattern resembles snake skin. Dalmatian jasper is not actually jasper mineralogically: it is a rock composed of feldspar and quartz with black arfvedsonite spots.
Cancer 21.06-22.07
For Cancer, our product pages indicate selenite, whose name comes from the Greek word meaning Moon. It is gypsum with a hardness of 2, which can be scratched with a fingernail, and it dissolves slowly in water, so selenite is cleaned only with a dry cloth. Moonstone is the birthstone for June, and its floating shimmer is created by thin layers of albite in orthoclase feldspar. Ruby is the stone for July and symbolizes vitality and courage. Red spinel looks almost the same, and the Black Prince’s Ruby in the British crown turned out to be spinel. A piece of calcite fizzes and releases gas in diluted hydrochloric acid.
Leo 23.07-22.08
In Leo’s long list, most products feature rock crystal. Here is a practical tip: a rock crystal sphere in the sun acts as a lens and can ignite curtains, so do not place it on a sunny windowsill. Tiger’s eye is quartz with parallel crocidolite fibers, so when the stone is turned, a golden band of light glides across its surface. Sunstone in crystal tradition symbolizes joy and vitality, and its shimmer is created by tiny plates: in Indian stones, it is hematite, in Oregon stones, copper. The central scarab of Tutankhamun’s pectoral was carved from Libyan desert glass, a natural impact glass.
Virgo 23.08-22.09
Among Virgo’s stones is amazonite, named after the Amazon River, although no deposits are known in its vicinity. The trade name “Amazon jade” is misleading, as amazonite is potassium feldspar. Lazurite symbolizes truth and wisdom; it has been mined in Badakhshan, Afghanistan for over 6,000 years, and natural ultramarine pigment was made from ground lazurite. Black agate in trade is almost always dyed: light chalcedony is soaked in sugar solution and treated with sulfuric acid, leaving carbon in the pores.
Libra 23.09-22.10
Libra is traditionally associated with tourmaline and opal, and both are also October birthstones. When heated or compressed, tourmaline acquires an electric charge. Opal contains water, so in heat, dry air, and direct sunlight, a network of tiny cracks may appear. Ruby in fuchsite combines opposites: hard ruby crystals (9 on the Mohs scale) are embedded in soft, green fuchsite, which has a hardness of only 2 to 3, and blue kyanite is often also visible.
Scorpio 23.10-21.11
The sign of Scorpio is attributed with moldavite, a green natural glass that formed about 15 million years ago when an asteroid struck southern Germany and created the Nördlingen Ries crater. Most moldavite droplets solidified in the air and fell in what is now the Czech Republic. Malachite is copper carbonate, and its heaviness in the hand (density about 3.6 to 4.05 g/cm³) is one way to distinguish it from lighter resin imitations. Black tourmaline, or schorl, grows in long prisms with a rounded triangular cross-section. Obsidian is volcanic glass with such sharp fragments that in the Stone Age it was used to make tools.
Sagittarius 22.11-21.12
Labradorite is named after the Labrador Peninsula in Canada, where it was discovered around 1770 by Moravian missionaries, and in the crystal community, this stone is often recommended for Sagittarius. Its flash of color appears and disappears as the stone is turned. Sodalite is named for its sodium content, and it is distinguished from lazurite by the absence of pyrite’s golden flecks. Azurite is a close relative of malachite, also a copper carbonate, and because of the copper it is not used in drinking water. Turquoise is the birthstone for December, and its name comes from a French expression meaning “Turkish stone.”
Capricorn 22.12-19.01
Among the stones for Capricorn is garnet, a symbol of vitality and loyalty. Most garnets are untreated, only a few have their cracks filled with a glass-like substance. The word onyx means nail in Greek; banded black and white onyx is usually natural, but uniformly black onyx is almost always dyed. Shungite is named after the village of Shunga in Karelia, and due to its high carbon content, it conducts electricity. Smoky quartz is the national gemstone of Scotland, where it is called cairngorm after the Cairngorm Mountains.
Aquarius 20.01-18.02
Many choose amethyst for Aquarius, the birthstone for February. Its name comes from the Greek amethystos, “not intoxicated.” With prolonged exposure to sunlight, amethyst’s violet shade may fade. Angelite is anhydrite, which turns into gypsum upon contact with water, so its surface becomes matte and white in humidity. Lemurian quartz is a trade name for quartz crystals with horizontal striations that can be felt with a finger. Real hematite leaves a reddish-brown streak on porcelain, but strongly magnetic beads called “magnetic hematite” are man-made material.
Pisces 19.02-20.03
The sign of Pisces corresponds to aquamarine, the birthstone for March, whose name in Latin means sea water. It is a beryl, like emerald, and most aquamarines are heated to achieve a purer blue color. Fluorite is so soft (hardness 4) that it can be scratched with a steel knife, and the phenomenon of fluorescence was named after this mineral in 1852. Larimar is blue pectolite, and it has been found only in the Dominican Republic. Amethyst is on both the Aquarius and Pisces lists.
How to Choose a Stone for Yourself or as a Gift
Start with your sign, but make the final choice with your eyes and hands: many crystal lovers choose the stone whose color and shape they like best. Before purchasing, check the hardness, as care depends on it. Selenite and angelite are not cleaned with water, calcite and malachite are sensitive to acids and scratches, but amethyst, rose quartz, and other quartz stones with a hardness of 7 are well suited for daily wear.
Polished stones are suitable for the pocket and hand, raw stones for the shelf and collection. Selenite is on both the Cancer and Taurus lists, and it is also used to make lamps, candle holders, and hearts. Each crystal is natural, so if the photo shows several samples, you will receive a similar, hand-selected specimen. Delivery to parcel machines in the Baltics is free from €30.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my stone by zodiac sign?
Find your sign by your birth date, for example, someone born on April 5 is Aries (21.03-19.04), and check its list of stones. On our product pages and in the encyclopedia, each stone lists its signs.
Are zodiac stones and birthstones the same?
No. The birthstone list was adopted by the US Jewelers Association in 1912, and the stone is determined by birth month. Zodiac signs change in the second half of the month, and zodiac stone lists are created by the crystal community.
Why do different sources list different stones for the same sign?
There is no single official list for zodiac stones, so each author and shop compiles them according to their own tradition. In our shop, all product and encyclopedia pages use the same list.
Can I choose a stone that is not on my sign’s list?
Yes. The sign is just one way to choose, and many select by color, chakra, or simply the stone they like best.
How do I care for a zodiac stone?
Care depends on the mineral, not the sign. Soft stones, such as selenite and angelite, are cleaned only dry, while pyrite should be kept dry, as it oxidizes in moisture. Care recommendations for each stone are in our care table.
Sources
- FREQUENCIES crystal encyclopedia (our encyclopedia and stone-facts.json: hardness, processing, identification, care; data verified by GIA, Mindat, geology.com)
- gutenberg.org/cache/epub/57978/pg57978.txt (G. F. Kunz, The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, 1913: National Association of Jewellers list, Kansas City, August 1912)
- gemsociety.org/article/history-of-birthstones/ (1912 list, Josephus Flavius and the breastplate, 2002 tanzanite, 2016 spinel)
- gia.edu/birthstones (modern birthstones: garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, moonstone, ruby, opal, tourmaline, turquoise)
- lexundria.com/j_aj/3.186/wst (Josephus Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews 3.186: 12 stones as months or zodiac signs)
- gia.edu/aquamarine-history-lore (aquamarine name: aqua marina, sea water)
- gia.edu/amethyst (amethystos, not intoxicated)
- gia.edu/turquoise-history-lore (turquoise name from French pierre tourques, Turkish stone)
- gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2020-rhodonite-pyroxmangite-tanatz-… (rhodonite name from Greek rhodo, rose)
- geology.com/minerals/serpentine.shtml (serpentine name and snake skin-like pattern)
- minerals.net/mineral/gypsum (selenite from Greek selene, Moon)
- archaeology.org/issues/september-october-2019/digs-discoveries/trenches-… (Tutankhamun’s pectoral scarab from Libyan desert glass)
- geology.com/gemstones/moldavite/ (moldavite: Nördlingen Ries impact about 15 million years ago, most fell in Czechia)
- britannica.com/science/amazonstone (named after the Amazon River, but no deposits there)
- gia.edu/lazurite-afghanistan-reading-list (Badakhshan, Afghanistan; ultramarine pigment)
- en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Labradorite (labradorite named after Labrador coast, Moravian mission around 1770)
- gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2013-gemnews-imitation-larimar (larimar found only in the Dominican Republic)
- geology.com/minerals/fluorite.shtml (Stokes named fluorescence after fluorite in 1852)
- geology.com/gemstones/smoky-quartz/ (smoky quartz, Scotland’s national gemstone cairngorm)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shungite (shungite named after the village of Shunga in Karelia; same in our encyclopedia)
- gemsociety.org/article/black-onyx-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/ (onyx from the Greek word for nail)
- frequencies.lv/enciklopedija/pirits/, (https://frequencies.lv/enciklopedija/sodalits/, https://frequencies.lv/enciklopedija/obsidians/ (fool’s gold, name from sodium, Stone Age tools))