We’re all familiar by now with the history of birthstones, most of our modern ones coming from the breastplate of the Jewish High Priest, Aaron, but many with origins in ancient cultures and civilizations. Birthstones traditionally have been believed to hold metaphysical powers when worn by those with appropriate birthright, often thought to bring good fortune to the wearer. A few have been believed to bring bad luck to the unfortunate soul who chose to wear them without regard to birth month! So what do you do if you don’t like the stone assigned to your birth month? Or worse, if you prefer a stone given to a different month? What to do? Not to worry, just dig a little deeper and you may find many pleasing options for your actual birth month! Like lucky May babies who have as many as EIGHT birth stones to choose from! Oh to have been born in the happy fifth month!
Emerald
First up on the list is emerald, the modern birthstone for May, both in the United States and Britain, as well as in India. Emerald was also the traditional May birthstone, and was the birthstone of May in the old Polish, Russian and Arabic calendars. Before the gemstone landed on these calendars, emerald was a zodiac stone for Taurus and the talismanic stone for Gemini, both zodiac signs falling partly on the month of May. Emerald is the green variety of beryl, which when blue is called aquamarine, and when yellow heliodor. The May stone is among the most expensive gemstones in the world, and has accordingly remained in the modern list of precious stones. This May gemstone is believed to heal and promote well-being.
Emerald enhances unconditional love and unity, and promotes friendship. It focuses intention and raises consciousness. Emerald helps release negativity and create positive actions and outcomes. It strengthens memory and improves clarity of thought. It stimulates the fourth heart chakra, Anahata, the middle chakra that unites the physical and spiritual chakras and is the source of love and connection. Emerald is the traditional anniversary gift for the 55th anniversary, and is the birthstone of Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Libra, and the month of May.
Green Sapphire
Green sapphire is a gorgeous alternative to emerald as a birthstone for May. Sapphire is a form of corumdum, a mineral that is found in many colors, all varieties of sapphire except for red, which is ruby. Green sapphires owe their color to trace amounts of iron within the stone’s crystal structure. The addition of titanium creates a deep blue-green. Green sapphires can be a vibrant yellowy-green, a soft sage, a light mint or a deep forest. Green sapphires also exhibit strong pleochroism, which means that they show different colors when viewed from different angles. Green sapphire is a healing stone with soothing energies that bring calm and tranquility. It restores balance within the body, aligning the physical, mental and spiritual planes. It releases mental tension, depression, and unwanted thoughts. It helps restore focus, mental clarity, and self-assurance. Green sapphire stimulates the fourth heart chakra, Anahata, the middle chakra that unites the physical and spiritual chakras and is the source of love and connection. It is the birthstone of the sun signs of Gemini and Libra.
Peridot
Another beautiful alternative to emerald for May is peridot. Peridot is the gem-quality variety of the mineral olivine, named for its rich, light olive-like color. Peridot is a very interesting stone as it is sometimes found in meteorites, and in Hawaii, peridot once symbolized the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire, who controls the flow of lava in volcanic eruptions. An alien or a goddess, what other stone has such a cool story?
Peridot helps alleviate jealousy, resentment, irritation, hatred and greed. It reduces stress, anger and guilt, as well as lethargy, apathy and exhaustion. It opens the heart to joy and new relationships. Peridot enhances confidence and motivates growth and change, enabling you to take responsibility for your own life. It is a great crystal for attracting money and can be of invaluable help on your life journey, supporting you to achieve your dreams. It resonates with the third solar plexus chakra, Manipura, which is the source of personal power, and the fourth or heart chakra, Anahata, the middle chakra that unites the physical and spiritual chakras and is the source of love and connection. It is the birthstone of Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio and Sagittarius, and for the month of August.
Chrysoprase
A new addition to the list of May birthstones is chrysoprase, having been designated in Britain as modern birthstone for the month. The reason behind the naming of chrysoprase as alternate May birthstone seems obvious: Chrysoprase is green as emerald is green, in keeping with the birthstone color for May, yet far less expensive. Centuries before chrysoprase became a birthstone of May, chrysoprase was in fact a zodiac stone for Gemini, which falls partly on the month of May.
Chrysoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony that contains trace amounts of nickel. It has very relaxing and serene vibrations that help smooth and stabilize intense emotions like anxiety and impulsive anger, and balances the yin and yang energies. It promotes joy, happiness and hope, and helps transmute negative emotions into positive ones and staves off depression. Chrysoprase enhances non-judgemental attitudes, and promotes empathy, self-growth, self-confidence and self-love. It stimulates creativity and draws out natural talents. Chrysoprase activiates and energizes the second sacral chakra, Svadhisthana, the center of creativity and sexuality, and the fourth heart chakra, Anahata, the middle chakra that unites the physical and spiritual chakras and is the source of love and connection. It is the birthstone of Taurus, Gemini and Libra, and of the month of May.
Agate
Agate as a traditional birthstone for May goes back to the old Roman, Italian, Hebrew and old Hindu (Ayurvedic) calendars. Before the gemstone appeared in these ancient calendars as stone for May, agate was the main zodiac stone for Gemini, which falls partly on the month of May.
Agate consists of a wide variety of banded chalcedony, which may include onyx. As such, this May gemstone is found in a great mixture of colors, from green, blue, red, yellow, white and black. Agate, in general, is a rebalancing stone that helps harmonize body, mind and spirit. It cleanses and stabilizes the aura, dispels and transforms negativity. It enhances mental function, improves concentration, perception, precise thinking and analytical abilities. It soothes and calms, heals inner anger or tension and creates a sense of security and safety. Agate is a protective stone, enhancing courage, emotional strength and self-confidence. It is calming, healing, and balances yin/yang energy. It stimulates inspiration, imagination and creativity. Agate has a stabilizing and strengthening energy, and helps bind groups together. It promotes inner strength, serenity and development. Agate is a healing stone for the first base chakra, Muladhara, which represents the foundation, stability security and basic needs. Agate is the birthstone of Gemini and Virgo.
Carnelian
Carnelian is a birthstone for May in the old Hebrew calendar. This May birthstone is another variety of chalcedony. If chrysoprase is green chalcedony, carnelian is the red member of the chalcedony group of minerals.
Carnelian is a stabilizing stone. It strengthens passion and desire. It enhances vitality, courage, motivation and creativity. It sharpens concentration and dispels mental lethargy. Carnelian protects against envy, rage and resentment, and calms anger. It aligns the first base chakra, Muladhara, which represents the foundation, stability security and basic needs, and the second sacral chakra, Svadhisthana, the center of creativity and sexuality. It is the birthstone of Taurus, Cancer, Leo and Virgo.
Chalcedony
As if agate, chrysoprase and carnelian are not enough to represent the gemstone as birthstone for May, chalcedony itself was designated as May birthstone, at least in the ancient Hebrew calendar. While comprising of a wide variety of quartz minerals — including agate, chrysoprase and carnelian — and occurring in a great variety of colors, the gemstone color most popularly referred to by the name chalcedony is the white chalcedony, which may be bluish in hue.
This May stone is a nurturing stone with powerful healing and cleansing properties. Chalcedony brings emotional balance and relieves depression. It absorbs negative energies, brings harmony and balance to mind, body and spirit, and promotes feeling of joy and good will. Chalcedony is a stone of calm and peace, releasing deep anger patterns and alleviating feelings of desperation, panic and anxiety. It is emotionally soothing and centering, and fosters a sense of light-heartedness and optimism. Chalcedony activates the throat and third eye chakras, easing communication of deepest truths. It enhances mental flexibility and verbal dexterity, improves communication skills including active listening, and opens the mind to new possitibilities. It activates the fifth throat chakra, Vishuddha, which the source of verbal expression and the ability to speak the highest truth, and the sixth third eye chakra, Ajna, the center of intuition, imagination, wisdom, and the ability to think and make decisions. It is the birthstone of Libra and Aquarius.
Sapphire
And finally, sapphire is the birthstone for May in the old Tibetan calendar. This May birthstone consists of corundum occurring in a wide variety of colors, except red, which would be called ruby.
Sapphire is the second hardest mineral known. While we think of the predominant blue sapphire, the stone is found in a multitude of beautiful colors, and some of its properties are specific to the color. In general, it is the wisdom stone, stimulating concentration and enhancing mental clarity. Sapphire releases mental tension and unwanted thoughts, lessens confusion and eases anxieties. It brings inner peace and counteracts depression. It helps restore balance within the body and align the physical, mental and spiritual planes, bringing serenity, joy, peace of mind and hope. Sapphire attracts gifts and helps fulfill dreams and desires. Blue sapphire in particular is associated with purity and love. It facilitates self-expression, and has a calming and balancing effect. Blue sapphire opens and heals the thyroid and the fifth throat chakra, Vishuddha, which the source of verbal expression and the ability to speak the highest truth, and is also related to the sixth third eye chakra, Ajna, the center of intuition, imagination, wisdom, and the ability to think and make decisions. Sapphire is the 5th and 45th anniversary gemstone. It is the birthstone of Virgo, Gemini, Libra and Sagittarius and the month of September.