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Origins of the Gregorian Birthstone Poems

The custom of associating a gemstone with a person’s month of birth stretches back centuries. Ancient links between the twelve stones of the Breastplate of Aaron (as described in the Book of Exodus) and the twelve tribes of Israel were later connected with the twelve months of the year or the zodiac signs.

In the 16th century, evidence shows that jewel-traders in Germany or Poland began using particular stones for each birth month, essentially for marketing purposes, though the associations varied by region.

The Victorian Elegance & the 1870 Pamphlet

By the 19th century the idea of “birth‐stones” was widely popular in English-speaking countries, and it was during the Victorian era that the concept gained the romantic, poetic form we know today. In 1870 the renowned American jeweler Tiffany & Co. published a small pamphlet of twelve anonymous short poems—one for each month—linking a specific stone with that month and hinting at virtues or fortunes to come.

Although the poems were printed in 1870, they may have been composed earlier (“of unknown author”) and retroactively framed in a sort of “Gregorian” style—hence the name. The term “Gregorian” in this context appears to be more of a romantic flourish than a strictly historical attribution.

Why These Poems Matter

The poems serve several functions.

• They act as mnemonic devices: each month gets a memorable verse tying it to a gem.
• They link jewelry, personal identity (birth month) and moral or emotional virtues (“fidelity”, “peace of mind”, etc.).
• They reflect a time (Victorian) when jewellery wasn’t just decorative, but laden with symbolism.
  The legacy: even today many people refer to the “traditional” birthstone lists by month while the poems themselves remain charming vintage truisms.

From Poems to Modern Lists

Although the poems popularised one list of stones, over time the industry refined and updated the official “modern” lists. For example, in 1912 the American jewellery trade formalised a more standard list, and subsequent updates (1952, 2002, 2016) added alternative or additional stones.

The poems capture what you might call the “classic” or “traditional Victorian” list — not always identical with what you’d buy today, but historically significant. When you read them today, you’re glimpsing a 19th-century aesthetic and cultural attitude toward gemstones, birth and symbolism.

The Twelve Poems of the Gregorian Birthstone Series

January
By her who in this month was born
No gem save garnets shall be worn;
They will ensure her constancy,
True friendship, and fidelity.

February
The February-born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they an amethyst will wear.

March
Who in this world of ours their eyes
In March first open shall be wise,
In days of peril firm and brave,
And wear a bloodstone to their grave.

April
She who from April dates her years,
Diamonds shall wear, lest bitter tears
For vain repentance flow; this stone,
Emblem of innocence, is known.

May
Who first beholds the light of day
In spring’s sweet flowery month of May
And wears an emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and a happy wife.

June
Who comes with summer to this earth,
And owes to June her hour of birth,
With ring of agate on her hand
Can health, wealth, and long life command.

July
The glowing ruby shall adorn,
Those who in July are born;
Then they’ll be exempt and free
From love’s doubts and anxiety.

August
Wear a sardonyx or for thee,
No conjugal felicity;
The August-born without this stone,
’Tis said, must live unloved and lone.

September
A maiden born when autumn leaves
Are rustling in September’s breeze,
A sapphire on her brow should bind;
’Twill cure diseases of the mind.

October
October’s child is born for woe,
And life’s vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest.

November
Who first comes to this world below
With drear November’s fog and snow,
Should prize the topaz’s amber hue,
Emblem of friends and lovers true.

December
If cold December gave you birth,
The month of snow and ice and mirth,
Place on your hand a turquoise blue;
Success will bless whate’er you do.

Sources

• “History of Birthstones & How They Got Their Meaning”, LoveToKnow.com. (LoveToKnow)
• “Birthstones for Each Month – History, Meaning & Jewelry”, The Irish Jewelry Company blog, Aug 15 2025. (theirishjewelrycompany.com)
• “The Tiffany Birthstone Poem – YourWateAndFate”. (yourwateandfate.com)
• “A Birthstone Poem”, Antique Jewellery Company. (AJC - UK)