Standardization of the birthstone list in 1912 was a good thing to do. It reduced confusion between organizations and individuals who had different ideas of which birthstones should be used to represent different months. However, the list has been modified several times since 1912 – and there are still multiple “birthstone lists” in use. Fortunately, there are only a few points of departure among the many lists used in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Some modifications of the original list that are in general agreement include: (A) tourmaline was added as an August birthstone to give people color choices beyond yellowish-green peridot, (B) spinel joined opal as an October birthstone for greater durability and the option of a faceted stone, (C) the lapis lazuli of December was replaced by zircon and later tanzanite – after its 1967 discovery. The list shown at the top of this page is one recently published by the Gemological Institute of America.