May Birthstones. People born in May include George Clooney, Audrey Hepburn, Janet Jackson, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. People born in May are generally healthy and are generally positive.
Another thing they have in common is the birthstones they share. Birthstones were instituted when people saw a connection between the stars and people’s fortunes and behavior. In a particular month, certain stars are overhead. People thought that if you wore certain stones when certain stars were in the sky where you lived, that would increase your fortune. Thus, birthstones. They have evolved to what they are now.
You often hear someone say X is the birthstone for a particular month. However, there are actually many choices for awesome gemstones for any month, and May is no exception.
Birthstones for the calendar month of May are Emerald, Agate, Carnelian and Sapphire.
May birthstones for the zodiac signs of Taurus (Bull, April 20–May 20) and Gemini (Twins, May 21–June 21) are Garnet, Aventurine, Coral, Turquoise, Amber, Rose Quartz, Tiger’s Eye, Chrysoprase, Citrine, White Sapphire and Pearl.
Discover everything you need to know about each month's birthstone: January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.
Here are the gemstones for the calendar month of May:
May Birthstones #1: Green Emerald
Image via Cartier
Colors: green (medium to deep and striking); blue-green
Hardness: 7.5-8
Cleavage: Indistinct
Luster: Vitreous
Key fact: One of the most distinctive colors on earth is the green of the Emerald. What’s really touching is that this color comes from the presence of chromium or vanadium—these are considered to be impurities! Quite a lesson!
Significance: This awesome May birthstone comes from the Sanskrit word “marakata,” meaning “Spring Green.” Emerald gives healing to the digestive system, respiratory system, and digestive system. It is also associated with fertility and sexuality.
2. Agate
Image by Macys
Colors: Pink, black, yellow, grey, amber, brown-orange, often in multi-colored layers
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: none
Luster: Vitreous
Key fact: Agate is formed by silica-filled water flowing into holes in volcanos! Also, some agate stones look like miniature paintings.
Image via Macys
Significance: Agate prevents us from having strong desires for things we honestly don’t need; it also serves as a wonderful protective amulet for travelers.
3. Carnelian
Image by Laminijewelry via Etsy
Colors: yellow-gold, orange, orange red, red
Hardness: 6.5-7
Cleavage: none
Luster: waxy, resinous
Key Fact: Carnelian is the most famous and least expensive variety of Chalcedony
Significance: Carnelian is a great stone for less outgoing people. It helps shy peeps speak up with great confidence. It attracts prosperity and resources.
Image via Piaget
Carnelian’s brilliant orange can be worn with earthy tones or with primary colors like blue or black or even white.
May Birthstones #4: Sapphire
Image via Tiffany
Colors: blue (less commonly: pink, purple, brown)
Hardness: 9
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous, adamantine
Key fact: Ancient Persians believed the reason the sky was blue was that it reflected off of sapphire stones
Significance: Wearers of Sapphire will enjoy great inner wisdom and psychic awareness. It promotes mental clarity and calm. Sapphire also releases unwanted tension and destructive thoughts.
5. Garnet
Image by Selfridges
Colors: yellow, orange, red, brown, green, blue, reddish shades of various colors
Hardness: 6.5-7.5
Cleavage: none
Luster: resinous to vitreous
Key fact: Garnet was known to be one of the 12 stones of Christian High Priests.
Significance: The garnet is all about one of the most important chakras, the heart chakra. It is a stone of relationships and love (and all that good stuff). It is a revitalizing and energizing stone. The birthstone opens the heart chamber, making people more receptive and lowers inhibitions. It’s all about living life to its fullest. What else would you expect from such a gorgeous and bright stone?
May Birthstones #6: Aventurine
Image via Wikipedia
Colors: green (most common), grey, brown, yellow
Hardness: 6.5-7
Cleavage: yes
Luster: vitreous, aventurescent
Key fact: A key component of aventurine is aventurescence. This is caused by light striking a lot of tiny flaky inclusions that the stone can often have. It makes it look almost electric. That’s something for the fashion collection, right?
Significance: In addition to being the birthstone for May’s Zodiac signs, Taurus and Gemini, Aventurine is all about prosperity. It helps the wearer build leadership qualities and decisiveness. Yet, perhaps even better, it stimulates caring and compassion. It helps the nervous system and the thymus gland, helping inflammation.
7. Coral
Image by Van Cleef Arpels
Colors: bright to lighter red; pink-red
Hardness: 3-4
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous
Key fact: Ancient Romans hung coral branches from the necks of their children to guard against danger and evil.
Significance: Not surprisingly, the red in coral symbolizes blood. So much of the significance of coral has to do with the human life force. That is why the May signs’ birthstone is good for people who wish to have energy or get beyond sluggishness.
Wearers in romantic relationships will find their loves becoming more passionate. And it’s just a gorgeous-attention getting stone. It’s just the thing for the simple black dress.
8. Turquoise
Image by Van Cleef Arpels
Colors: turquoise/bluish-green, greenish-blue
Hardness: 5-6
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous (massive samples are dull or earthy)
Key fact: Setting turquoise in silver is common in the U.S., but setting the stone in gold is more common in the Middle East.
Significance: Turquoise is one of the rare stones that offers a lot for people in the workplace, juicing up a person’s leadership skills and helping one achieve and stay on task.
May Birthstones #9: Amber
Image by Rubylane.com
Colors: red, lavender, green, yellow, white, gray, black
Hardness: 6-7
Cleavage: minute, splintery
Luster: resinous
Key fact: Amber is what little bugs or leaves or other things get “suspended” in and fossilized. There are cabochons or other cuts of amber that literally have one of these things trapped in it, so you can wear it with your fashion if you so choose!
Significance: Ancient Asian cultures called Amber the “soul of the Tiger.” Today, people recognize it for its ability to bring good luck and also to balance emotion.
10. Rose Quartz
Image via Macys
Colors: various shades of pink
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous
Key fact: Rose quartz is a great gemstone for “statement” jewelry, because it is frequently found in very large sizes.
Significance: The main meaning of this beautiful pink stone has to do with love—it really opens up the heart, and this includes self-acceptance.
May Birthstones #11: Tiger’S Eye
Image by Stephanie Kantis via Macys
Colors: golden brown, gold, amber—usually multi-colored
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: none
Luster: silky
Key fact: These are some of the most popular stones for men’s jewelry
Significance: Tigers eye, one of the stones for the May astrological signs, helps build harmony; it helps people find agreement, and also helps individuals overcome anxieties or fears.
12. Chrysoprase
Image by Chopard
Colors: various shades of green
Hardness: 6.5-7
Cleavage: none
Luster: waxy, greasy
Key fact: In addition to being used for jewelry, chrysoprase is popular for carvings.
Image by Irene Neuwirth
Significance: This hard and fascinating gemstone promotes both love and truth; it also can release memories or energies long trapped, healing the inner child. It is connected to the heart and sacral chakras: the heart chakra is located behind the heart and helps the circulatory system, lungs, and skin. The sacral chakra is below the navel. It protects reproductive organs.
May Birthstones #13: Citrine
Image via Boucheron
Colors: pale yellow, orange-yellow, brown-orange
Hardness: 7
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous
Key fact: In 17th century Scotland, men used citrine to decorate sword handles. In 20th century America, Hollywood stars wore oversized citrine jewelry.
Significance: Don’t worry, Citrine has no shortage of important spiritual properties. It brings the wearer wonder, joy, and simple happiness. Citrine also boosts self-confidence.
14. White Sapphire
Image via Kay
Colors: Clear
Hardness: 9
Cleavage: none
Luster: vitreous
Key fact: The reason white sapphires are clear is a lack of inclusions and chemical purity. They are the purest form of corundum.
Significance: Think purity when you think white sapphire. Specifically, it creates a purity—and clarity—of thought, in the wearer. That is why it has such a reputation as a Wisdom Stone. It also imparts pure joy in a person’s soul.
15. Pearl
Image via America pearl
Colors: white, orange, gray, black
Hardness: 2.5-3
Luster: pearly
Key fact: On Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the West Indies/Americas, he saw many Native Americans wearing strands of pearls around their necks.
Significance: Pearls primarily symbolize wisdom. However, these beautiful organic stones are associated with many other benefits, as serenity, sustaining important relationships, and safety. Pearls also represent purity and loyalty.
Save pearls for your fanciest events, and wear with simple, dark colors.
As you’ve read, the birthstones for May and for May astrological signs go from being extremely elegant and refined to something much earthier, like amber. When deciding which birthstone to pick, you can choose somewhat earthy tones in gems such as Citrine, Amber, or Agate, or take things in a totally different direction with very bright and shiny stones like White Sapphire, Pearl, or Emerald.
What better excuse to splurge on a nice gemstone than having one as your birthstone? And if one of these is the stone of your astrological sign, that’s great, too.
If you’re looking for spiritual benefits, you really can’t go wrong with any of these, and if you want to accent a hot new outfit, the same. They’re all gorgeous in their own way. You can learn more about all of these stones on our pages on gemstones of various colors, and many more of our pages. We’ve cut them into little stones for your convenience!
Discover everything you need to know about each month's birthstone: January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.
Tags: birthstone jewelry, modern birthstone, birthstone for may, national association of jewelers, zodiac sign, traditional birthstone, august birthstone, July ruby, person's birth, birthstone for august, October birthstone, September birthstone, February birthstone, green color, August peridot