The Three Birthstones of August

Did you know that August has three different birthstones? While it is common for many months to have two different birthstones (due to there being a “modern” birthstone and a “traditional” birthstone), August has a second modern birthstone. Its modern birthstones are peridot and Spinel, while the traditional birthstone is Sardonyx.

Peridot is the most commonly recognized of these three birthstones. The peridot is a beautiful light green cosmic gemstone that can be found both in Hawaii’s volcanic lava and meteorites that have fallen to earth. Ancient Egyptians believed that peridot had healing powers and considered it the “gem of the Sun” due to its cosmic nature. 

Spinel is the most recent addition to the lineup of August birthstones, officially being added in 2016. This gemstone is commonly known as a “ruby lookalike” or “mother of ruby” due to its aesthetic similarities to the ruby. Like peridot, spinel has long been thought to have a variety of healing powers, leading it to be referred to as a stone of immortality. 

Sardonyx is the traditional, biblical birthstone of August and the oldest August birthstone that we know of. It is created by the layering of sard and onyx, which creates a zebra-like pattern in the stone. Sardonyx was a popular stone among Ancient Egyptians and Romans as far back as 4,000 years ago. For example, It was common for Roman women to wear sardonyx in hopes of harnessing the goddess of love’s power, or for soldiers to wear sardonyx rings with imagery of the god of war for protection during battle. 

All three of August’s birthstones symbolize qualities like strength, protection, and healing. In adition to physical healing, peridot is also said to prevent jealousy and anger, as well as protect against evil and bad dreams. Spinel is believed to encourage passion and longevity while also increasing physical energy and endurance. Sardonyx is associated with qualities such as courage and happiness. With the qualities of these three birthstones, anyone born in August is bound to be lucky and have a happy, fulfilling life! 

If you’ve got a special someone who was born in August and could use a gift, any of these three gemstones will make beautiful jewelry-- spinel was even included as the main gem in Europe’s Crown Jewels because it was mistaken for a ruby! Contact us today to get a start on the perfect peridot, spinel, or sardonyx jewelry to gift for your next special occasion.