May birthstone: emerald, meaning and history
The May birthstone is emerald, a green stone that traditions tie to spring and the rebirth of nature.
May at a glance
For you, a deep green stone that recalls nature waking up and the wish to begin again.
- 1912 list
- Emerald
- Additions
- none
The stones of May
What traditions associate with them
May wavers in the old lists: agate appears there five times, emerald four, and the latter often takes June. It settles in May in the Arabic, Polish and Russian lists, then in that of 1912.
Kunz writes that emerald is the stone of spring: its color is that of nature awakening after winter. Modern crystal practice associates it with love and renewal.
The verses he reproduces see in it the token of a happy, loved life. Today it is chosen as a reminder of beginnings, a green you keep in view when you are about to set out.
No stone has a proven effect on health: if you have a health concern, see a health professional.
May birthstone: your questions
Has emerald always been in May?
No. In four of Kunz’s eight old lists, it opens June, and agate takes May. The Polish and Russian lists place it in May, and the 1912 list adopts that usage. A birthstone remains a convention, which history has moved several times.
Can the May stone be another green stone?
Tradition points to emerald, but green remains the color of the month. Peridot, aventurine or malachite, which have their own profiles, share this shade. Each has its own traditions, which these pages report separately: custom imposes nothing, and the choice remains free.
Your stone, your intention
Add your birth month in the tool: it takes it into account to suggest three crystals.
Find my crystal Free, no account · nothing leaves your browser · no promises.