Each month of the lunar calendar has a birthstone associated with it. As there are 12 months in a year, there are 12 different birthstones. Birthstones are beautiful gemstones, either precious or semiprecious, which are believed to bring luck to the wearer. Throughout the ages, people have admired the beauty of these stones, and believed in its healing and mystical properties. Birthstones are not only assigned to the month a person is born, but there are birthstones assigned to each day of the week. For example, if a person was born on a Sunday, then his birthstone would be the ruby. Traditional birthstones and modern birthstones are different, but all these are believed to have great powers and make excellent gifts for loved ones. Birthstones by Month and Meaning

Month	Modern Birthstone	Traditional Birthstone	Meaning
January	Garnet	Garnet	Patience, creativity, consistency
February	Amethyst	Amethyst	Motivation, sincerity, intuition
March	Aquamarine	Bloodstone	Courage, hope
April	Diamond	Diamond	Love, innocence, eternity
May	Emerald	Emerald	Success, happiness, goodness
June	Pearl	Alexandrite	Faith, peace, luck
July	Ruby	Ruby	Strength, nobility, contentment
August	Peridot	Carnelian, Sardonyx	Peace, marital happiness, courage
September	Sapphire	Sapphire	Serenity, purity, wisdom
October	Opal	Pink tourmaline	Innocence, hope, compassion
November	Yellow topaz	Citrine	Courage, wisdom, optimism
December	Turquoise	Lapis lazuli	Love, luck, success

Diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald are precious stones, while the others, like peridot, garnet, and amethyst are semiprecious stones. Those who cannot afford such birthstones because of their high price tag, can wear inexpensive alternate birthstones.

Month	Alternative Birthstone
January	Rose quartz
February	Black onyx
March	Bloodstone
April	Rock crystal quartz
May	Chrysoprase
June	Moonstone
July	Carnelian
August	Sardonyx
September	Lapis Lazuli
October	Pink tourmaline
November	Citrine
December	Blue zircon

These alternative gemstones are a lot less expensive than traditional birthstones. Every person is born on a particular day of the week, and each day has a birthstone associated with it. Now that you know about both traditional and modern birthstones by month, let us give you a list of birthstones by day. Birthstones by Day

Day of the Week	Birthstone
Monday	Pearl
Tuesday	Garnet
Wednesday	Cat's eye
Thursday	Emerald
Friday	Topaz
Saturday	Sapphire
Sunday	Ruby

You can choose your birthstone by month or day, and then have it made into a ring, pendant, or earring, and wear it to bring good luck and prosperity. Birthstones are not only assigned by month and day, but various cultures assign birthstones according to the zodiac sign, season, and even hour of the day. Knowing the list of birthstones for each month and day is not enough, because birthstones are assigned according to hours of the day, too. If a person is born on a particular hour, he/she can wear the birthstone assigned to that hour. Here is a list of birthstones assigned to each hour of the day.

Hour of the Day	Birthstone
1 a.m.	Smoky quartz
2 a.m.	Hematite
3 a.m.	Malachite
4 a.m.	Lapis Lazuli
5 a.m.	Turquoise
6 a.m.	Tourmaline
7 a.m.	Chrysolite
8 a.m.	Amethyst
9 a.m.	Kunzite
10 a.m.	Sapphire
11 a.m.	Garnet
12 a.m.	Diamond
1 p.m.	Zircon
2 p.m.	Emerald
3 p.m.	Beryl
4 p.m.	Topaz
5 p.m.	Ruby
6 p.m.	Opal
7 p.m.	Sardonyx
8 p.m.	Chalcedony
9 p.m.	Jade
10 p.m.	Jasper
11 p.m.	Lodestone
12 p.m.	Onyx

Birthstones, whether precious or semiprecious, can bring in good fortune, prosperity, and help us in leading a happy life.