All About December's Four Birthstones

Topaz does come in other colors other than blue. For example, precious topaz (golden orange and brown) is one of the birthstones for November. But when choosing birthstones for December, we recommend staying with blue topaz as it’s the tradition.

There are several different shades of blue topaz to choose for your birthstone. Sky blue is the color of those perfect cloudless days, with a faint bluish-white sparkle. Swiss blue is just a little bolder, bringing tropical waters to mind. And last but not least is London blue. The darker green-blue gives these topaz a pensive and elegant touch.

Many people believe that topaz got its name from the Island of Topazios, a small island in the Red sea that supposedly produced topaz. However, as time passed, geology revealed that these were not the gems they thought they were. Regardless, the name stuck. 

Now, they are considered one of the many birthstones of December, alongside tanzanite, turquoise and blue zircon.

For more facts and information about the characteristics of topaz, check out the Topaz Gemopedia page.

Topaz has an eight on the Mohs Scale, so it can be trusted to last in jewelry if you treat it right. 

Something worth mentioning is that blue topaz isn’t common to be found naturally. In fact, most blue topaz is colorless topaz that is heat-treated and irradiated to give it a variety of blue colors, like sky, Swiss or London blue. But that doesn’t make it any less of a beautiful gemstone. 

Although these two materials, zircon and cubic zirconia, are frequently confused, they are really quite different. Cubic zirconia is not a December birthstone. It’s actually a man made diamond simulant. While natural cubic zirconia has been found, everything on the market is synthetic as the crystals found are too small for jewelry usage.

Zircon, on the other hand, is one of the oldest gemstones discovered to date. It’s naturally occurring and has been admired in many ancient civilizations. The confusion between these two gems increases because of zircon’s use as a diamond simulant. The stone, aside from its hardness and structure, has a shine similar to diamond. Zircon comes in colorless varieties as well as an array of other colors, including blue zircon, one of several breathtaking birthstones for December. 

Zircon’s been playing its part in history long before it became a birthstone for December. It may just be the oldest mineral on earth as a gemological find in Australia proved. The zircon found is believed to be 4.4 billion years old. 

The Old Testament mentions zircon throughout the books, and in the book of Exodus, zircon is one of the many gemstones adorning Aaron’s breastplate.

Throughout history, zircon was admired but not to the degree of diamonds, emeralds or rubies. The value and beauty of zircon did not escape the notice of George Kunz, gem buyer for Tiffany. With an attempted name change to “starlite,” he tried to bring blue zircon into the spotlight. Although he was largely unsuccessful, the people who discover this December birthstone beauty are not often disappointed. 

For more facts and information about the characteristics of zircon, check out the Zircon Gemopedia page.

Zircon has a Mohs hardness rating of 6.5 to 7.5.  It has a high dispersion rate and fire that can be similar to diamonds.

 While zircon as a December’s birthstone is primarily blue zircon, other colors of zircon are equally beautiful. Reds, yellows, greens and even colorless varieties are used in jewelry, but blue zircon tends to be the most popular shade. Although most zircon is natural, much blue zircon is actually heat treated to give it the well-loved blue coloration. 

Found in 1967, tanzanite was discovered in Tanzania, its country of origin. Manuel de Souza, a gem collector, stumbled upon some tanzanite. He first believed it to be sapphire, but closer inspection revealed this stone was softer than sapphire. It had to be a new, one-of-a-kind gemstone, one of the most astonishing gem discoveries since alexandrite. 

Tanzanite, to this day, is only found in the hills of Merelani in northern Tanzania. Since tanzanite can only be found in a five-mile strip of land, this December birthstone is actually one thousand times rarer than diamond! 

Tanzanite was added to the list of birthstones for December in 2002. The color changing ability of this extraordinarily rare gemstone has given tanzanite well-deserved popularity and attention over the years. 

Tanzanite is new to the gemstone world and even newer to the December birthstone group. However, over the years, tanzanite has come into its own symbolic meaning. 

Known as a compassionate and tranquil gemstone, tanzanite is said to promote thoughtfulness in situations with conflict. For this reason, tanzanite is also beloved as a gemstone representative of wisdom and self control. 

For more facts and information about the characteristics of tanzanite, check out the Tanzanite Gemopedia page.

Tanzanite, also known as zoisite, has a 6 to a 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. That makes it not quite as durable as diamonds or sapphires, but take care of this spectacular gemstone and it’ll keep on shining bright. 

Tanzanite is best described as a bluish-violet stone, but when tilted to be shown in different lighting, the colors dance and change before your eyes. In warmer lighting, it’s said to be closer to violet while cool lighting accentuates the blue tones. 

But in order to gain this stunning color-change ability, the mineral zoisite, must be heated to high temperatures. This heating process, whether natural or done in a lab, causes zoisite to change from a dull orange brown into a tantalizing tanzanite. 

Some in the past have connected rainbows with the magical appearance of turquoise. After a rainstorm, following the end of the rainbow and digging through the wet soil was the way to find turquoise. 

It only makes sense then that this birthstone for December would have associations with luck, good fortune and friendship. It’s also said to protect from evil making it a popular choice in spiritual jewelry. Some even think that turquoise can help one predict danger or encourage people to fall in love. 

Turquoise is also the national gem of Tibet. In Tibetian Buddist’s prayer bead necklaces called “malas,” turquoise are symbolic of spiritual journeys and wisdom. 

For more facts and information about the characteristics of turquoise, check out the Turquoise Gemopedia page.

Turquoise doesn’t have the crystalline structure of most gemstones. What this December birthstone lacks in clarity and sparkle it makes up for in bold green-blue tones that capture attention wherever they’re shown. 

A popular focal piece in southwestern style, turquoise has been incorporated into decor and jewelry for centuries. Some turquoise contains matrices, which are delicate lines that spread across the gemstone giving it depth and character. Others are pure and smooth and, when polished, it looks like a piece of the sky has fallen down to earth. 

Turquoise is in the middle of the Mohs Hardness Scale with a 5 to a 6 rating.

Turquoise is known to be a stone for purification. Physically, it’s said to be anti-inflammatory, which relieves pain from many ailments like joint pain, cramping and stabilizing. With turquoise, many believe you can boost your immune health and regeneration of tissue. 

Spiritually, this stone is lauded by a few, saying that it dispels negative energy while aligning your chakras. As a purification stone, it can supposedly ward against harsh emotional influences, assisting with mental ailments like depression, exhaustion and panic attacks. The colors of green and blue often mingle together in turquoise to create a calming effect, which is thought to facilitate peaceful introspection and creative problem solving.