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About This Quiz
The world of birthstones can be pretty confusing if you're only passingly familiar with them. Why? Because it's not static. There were traditional birthstones that date back to the 15th century but those were replaced in the 19th century when the National Association for Jewelers in America tried to standardize birthstones and assigned new stones to each month. So as of 1912, there were at least two stones you could argue were the "right" birthstone for each month.
To further complicate matters, there are zodiac birthstones as well because the zodiac doesn't follow our traditional calendar and each sign straddles two months and has its own traditional stone as well. But these don't always match up with either month. So the result of that is if you were born on June 22nd and are a Cancer, your zodiac birthstone is emerald, your traditional birthstone could be turquoise, and your modern birthstone could be pearl. And that's just in America! In Britain, there are different stones for each month as well. Matching birth months and birthstones to zodiac signs is much more complicated than it has any right to be. If you plan to ace this quiz you're really going to have to know your stuff. So show us what you've got!
Gemini
Leo
Cancer
Capricorn
If you're born under the sign of Capricorn your birthstone is the ruby. They've been prized for centuries for their bright red color which is actually caused by the presence of chromium inside the stone.
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Capricorn
Taurus
Taurus claims sapphire as is birthstone traditionally. Most sapphires are blue but, just like diamonds, they come in a variety of colors. Sapphires can also be found in yellow, green, orange, purple or even multi-colored called "parti sapphires."
Aquarius
Libra
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Peridot
Peridot is an olive-green gemstone and it does not come in any other colors, which is fairly rare among gemstones. It can come in a rich enough shade of green that it could be mistaken for an emerald sometimes, though.
Lapis Lazuli
Opal
Tourmaline
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Scorpio
Virgo
Taurus
Aries
Bloodstone is the traditional birthstone of those born under the sign of Aries. Most people consider the symbol of Aries to be a ram but that's not 100% correct. It's actually the Chrysomallus, the winged-ram from Greek mythology that produced the Golden Fleece.
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Capricorn
Virgo
Aquarius
Pisces
Pisces claims amethyst as its birthstone while traditionally it's also the birthstone of the month of February. Once upon a time, amethyst was believed to have the power to cure people of drunkenness and the actual word amethyst essentially translates as "not intoxicate."
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Aries
Cancer
If you're born under the sign of Cancer, your birthstone is the emerald. Weirdly enough there are two different stones considered emeralds. Traditional emeralds are often called Colombian emeralds but then there are also vanadium emeralds which are considered emeralds in the US but not in Europe.
Taurus
Aquarius
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Emerald
Agate
Opal
Carnelian
Carnelian is a remarkably old stone that has been used in jewelry for centuries. There is even evidence of bow drills being used in the 5th century BC to shape the stone and boreholes in it so it could be worn.
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Sagittarius
Scorpio
Cancer
Leo
Onyx is the birthstone for Leo which can get a little confusing if you go by stones based on the calendar months as onyx isn't the birthstone of any month any longer. Traditionally, which is to say before the Jewelers of America retooled what stone was meant for what, onyx was one of the birthstones for July.
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Topaz
Topaz comes in any number of colors ranging from blue to green to pink, but the birthstone is generally orange topaz, which can often be confused with citrine. It's also the state gemstone of Utah while blue topaz is the gemstone of Texas.
Moonstone
Alexandrite
Cat's Eye
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Topaz
Ruby
Agate
Gemini, those born between May 22 and June 21, claim agate as their birthstone. The stone was named by ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus who discovered samples of the stone on the shore of the River Achates.
Tanzanite
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Aquarius
Virgo
Capricorn
Scorpio
Beryl is the traditional birthstone of Scorpio though it's not one you'll find as a birthstone associated with the months which tend to favor opal or topaz for birthdays that fall under the of Scorpio. Part of the reason you won't find much beryl jewelry around is that beryl is toxic.
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Cancer
Aries
Aries straddles the line between March 21st and April 20th. The birthstone for Aries is bloodstone which was also the traditional and modern birthstone for the month of March, though aquamarine is also considered the March birthstone as well.
Libra
Gemini
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February 19th to March 20th
Pisces people are born between February 19 and March 20. The symbol for Pisces, two fish together, is incredibly old. One of the earliest known instances was on an Egyptian coffin dating to 2300 BC.
May 22nd to June 21st
October 24th to November 21st
November 22nd to December 21st
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Libra
Sagittarius
Scorpio
Scorpio extends from October October 24 to November 21 and has beryl as its birthstone. Even though Scorpio is often and obviously associated with scorpions it has also a historical association with both snakes and eagles.
Virgo
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Cancer
American Independence Day is the 4th of July which means you'd fall under the sign of Cancer if it was your birthday. If you've ever wondered why cancer the disease and cancer the astrology sign share a name, it's because they both come from the same place. The veins around tumors were once said to resemble the legs of a crab.
Leo
Libra
Sagittarius
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21st of April to the 21st of May
22nd of July to the 22nd of August
22nd of December to the 21st of January
Capricorns are born in the first month of winter in the Northern hemisphere. In Hindu astrology, the symbol for Capricorn is a crocodile but for most people, they'd recognize the symbol as a goat with a fishtail which was the Sumerian god of water and knowledge.
23rd of September to the 23rd of October
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Taurus
Leo
Leo falls between July 23 and August 22 and is typically associated with a lion. The symbol for this sign isn't just any lion though, it's the Nemean lion from Greek mythology. Its golden fur made it immune to mortal weapons, but eventually, the hero Hercules killed it.
Gemini
Pisces
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Taurus or Gemini
Capricorn or Aquarius
Aquarius or Pisces
Aquarius and Pisces are the two signs that overlap the month of February. In a curious twist of symbolism Aquarius, symbolized by the water-bearer, is not considered a water sign but an air sign. Why? Well, that's a good question.
Pisces or Ares
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Gemini
Geminis fall between May 21 and June 21. If you're a Gemini your birthstone is agate which has been used for centuries to make art. Archaeologists uncovered agate at Knossos, the oldest city in Europe.
Capricorn
Sagittarus
Libra
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Andromeda
Castor
Ophiuchus
Ophiuchus has been considered the 13th sign of the zodiac by some. It's sometimes used in what's called "sidereal" zodiac as opposed to the traditional zodiac that most of us know which is called "tropical."
Cassiopeia
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Pisces
Leo
Aquarius
Garnet has been the traditional birthstone for people born in January since the 15th century and this has carried over to modern times as well as being the traditional birthstone for Aquarius. The stone's name derives from the same root as pomegranate which makes sense when you think about it since the stone and the fruit look very similar.
Capricorn
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Cetus
Cetus was proposed as a 14 zodiac sign the 13th being Ophiuchus, to fall between May 12 and June 6. As zodiac signs are defined by the positions of stellar bodies, the sun, moon, and planets are briefly in Cetus during the year.
Andromeda
Cygnus
Perseus
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Pisces
March 17 is St. Patty's Day and if it's your birthday it means you're a Pisces. It also means your birthstone is amethyst. Fun fact about amethyst, it's a rich purple until you apply heat. Once it gets heated up it turns yellow and will look a lot like citrine.
Aries
Taurus
Cancer
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Red and black
Leo's birthstone is onyx and comes in both black and red. Most people only associated onyx with the black as it's the most common color for the stone but sardonyx is a bright red variety that usually has bands of white running through it.
Blue, red, orange, yellow, and green
Green and blue
Only green
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Aquarius
Garnet, the gemstone for Aquarius, has been used as jewelry for literally thousands of years. It has been found in ancient Bohemian graves and in tombs of Egyptian mummies. The book of Exodus includes a reference to it on the breastplate of Aaron.
Taurus
Libra
Capricorn
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Carnelian
Ruby
Artificial rubies called "Geneva rubies" appeared in 1885 under mysterious circumstances. Under very close inspection they were observed to have tiny gas bubbles but otherwise were the same hardness and density as rea rubies. No one knows who made them or how they were made.
Emerald
Sapphire
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Taurus
Virgo
Sagittarius
Scorpio
Scorpio ranges from October 24 to November 21 and beryl is its birthstone. If you've ever heard of Heliodor, it's a trademark that someone came up with for greenish-yellow beryl from Namibia, though nowadays it's used for any beryl of that color.
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Sapphire
Sapphires are the birthstone for Taurus. They're also the traditional birthstone for April but the modern birthstone for September. For whatever reason, it's also the 45th anniversary stone and, weirdly, the 65th anniversary stone as of the year 2017.
Diamond
Emerald
Ruby
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Dragon
Ox
Rabbit
The year of the rabbit corresponds to pearl as a birthstone. The Chinese zodiac works by year rather than month so the year of the Rabbit last occurred in 2011 and before that 1999. The next one will be 2023.
Rooster
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Zircon
Citrine
Opal
Diamond
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend but they're not the zodiac's friend. Though it's the birthstone for the year of the dog and the traditional and modern stone for the month of April it's not used in the zodiac birthstones at all.
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Taurus and Gemini
Leo and Virgo
Libra and Scorpio
Cancer and Leo
July is the month in which you'll find both Cancer and Leo represented with emerald and onyx as their respective birthstones. While Cancer is most often depicted as a crab it is sometimes depicted in ancient artworks as a lobster for some reason. One shellfish is as good as another in astrology, apparently.
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Gemini
Taurus
Libra
Virgo
The symbol for Virgo is a maiden but not just any maiden. The figure is actually a character from Greek mythology called Astraea. According to legend, she was the last of the immortals to live amongst mankind.
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Aries
Cancer
Taurus
Taurus, spanning from April 21st to May 21st, is represented by the symbol of a bull. This was the first zodiac sign established all the way back in ancient Mesopotamia. Cults that worshipped sacred bulls some 4,000 to 6,000 years ago.
Libra
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April 21 to May 21
February 19 to March 20
November 22 to December 21
Sagittarius, from November 22 to December 21, is represented by the symbol of a bow and arrow and, often, a hunter centaur. Sometimes it's associated specifically with the centaur named Chiron who was, according to mythology, the wisest and most just of all the centaurs.
October 24 to November 21
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May 22 to June 21
Gemini ranges from May to June and is represented by the sign of the twins. The specific twins shown in the Gemini symbol are supposed to be the twin half-brothers Castor and Pollux. How were they both twins and half brothers? That's mythology for you.
December 22 to January 21
April 21 to May 21
July 23 to August 22
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