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How to Choose a Birthstone Necklace
How to Choose a Birthstone Necklace
To choose a birthstone necklace, start with the month and then settle the length, because length decides where the stone sits and what the wearer can put it with. An 18 inch chain is the most common choice and falls just below the collarbone on most adults. After that, check whether the listing is a complete necklace or a pendant sold on its own, pick a metal, and look at how the stone is set. A necklace takes far fewer knocks than a ring, so softer stones such as opal and pearl are much easier to wear this way.
Each of those choices gets its own section below, with a length chart, a durability table for all twelve months, and examples from our birthstone necklaces so you can see what each option looks like on a real piece.
From the Birthstone Company collection
A complete necklace, ready to wear
Brilliant Gemstones Sterling Silver with 14K Accent Rhodium-plated Sky Blue Topaz and Diamond 18 Inch Necklace with 2 Inch Extender
$89.77
View Piece →This one arrives ready to wear. The listing gives an 18 inch cable chain with a 2 inch extender and a lobster clasp. The setting is sterling silver with a 14K accent and a diamond, and the sky blue topaz is irradiated, which is how nearly all blue topaz gets its color.
Start with the month, then the person
Most people know their own month. If you are buying for someone else, our month-by-month birthstone finder lists every stone, including the months that have two, three or four. Those extra options are useful on a necklace. June can be pearl, alexandrite or moonstone, and December can be blue topaz, tanzanite, turquoise or zircon, so you can choose the color the wearer actually likes.
Then think about how it will be worn. A small pendant on a fine chain goes under a collar and to the office. A larger or multi-stone piece reads as an evening necklace. It also helps to know if the person already wears a necklace every day. If they do, a short, light piece that layers with it is the safer gift.
Necklace length: where each chain sits
Length is the detail buyers guess at most often, and it changes the look more than anything else. These are the standard chain lengths and roughly where each one falls on an average adult. Height, build and neckline can move the result an inch or so either way.
| Chain length | Where it usually sits | Works well for |
|---|---|---|
| 14 inches | Close around the neck, like a choker | Open necklines and smaller necks |
| 16 inches | At the base of the neck, near the collarbone | Small pendants with crew or V necklines |
| 18 inches | Just below the collarbone | Most pendants; the most common length |
| 20 inches | A little below the collarbone | Higher necklines, or layering under an 18 inch chain |
| 22 inches | At or just above the top of the bust | Larger pendants and layered looks |
| 24 inches | At the bust | Wearing over sweaters and high necklines |
If you are unsure, choose 18 inches. An extender takes some of the risk out of it: a 2 inch extender on an 18 inch chain lets the wearer fasten it anywhere from 18 to 20 inches. Each necklace lists its length in the key features on the product page, so check it before you order.
When in doubt, an 18 inch chain with a 2 inch extender covers the most necklines.
Complete necklace or pendant only?
Read the title and the key features before you buy. A complete necklace gives a chain length, a chain style such as cable or rope, and a clasp. A pendant listing gives the size of the pendant itself in millimetres and no chain length, so plan to add one of our chains or use one the wearer already owns.
When you pair a pendant with a chain, make sure the chain fits through the bail, the small loop at the top of the pendant. Fine chains suit small pendants. A heavy pendant on a very thin chain can twist and tangle.
From the Birthstone Company collection
Pendants sold on their own
Sterling Silver Ruby & Diamond Pendant with Rhodium-Plated Finish July Birthstone
$35.81
View Piece →
Sterling Silver Rhodium-Plated Citrine & Diamond Pendant Elegant November Birthstone Piece
$41.65
View Piece →
All three are sterling silver with a bright rhodium finish, and all three are listed as the pendant alone. The ruby and the citrine are oval, prong-set and heat-treated, each with a small diamond accent, and each measures 10 mm wide and 16 mm long. The peridot is a natural oval stone held in prongs with nothing beside it. Any of them would hang well on a fine 16 or 18 inch chain.
Which birthstones suit a necklace
A ring gets knocked against desks and door handles all day. A necklace mostly rests against fabric. That is why we are more relaxed about softer stones in a pendant than in a ring. Hardness still counts. The Mohs scale runs from 1 to 10 and measures how well a stone resists scratching, and everyday dust contains quartz, which rates 7. Here is how every month compares when it is worn around the neck.
| Month | Birthstone | Mohs hardness | As a necklace |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Garnet | 6.5 to 7.5 | Good for daily wear |
| February | Amethyst | 7 | Good for daily wear |
| March | Aquamarine | 7.5 to 8 | Very good for daily wear |
| April | Diamond | 10 | Excellent; the hardest gem |
| May | Emerald | 7.5 to 8 | Good; a protective setting helps because inclusions make it brittle |
| June | Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone | 2.5 to 4.5, 8.5, 6 to 6.5 | All workable as pendants; keep pearl away from perfume and hairspray |
| July | Ruby | 9 | Excellent for daily wear |
| August | Peridot, Spinel | 6.5 to 7, 8 | Good for daily wear |
| September | Sapphire | 9 | Excellent for daily wear |
| October | Opal, Tourmaline | 5 to 6.5, 7 to 7.5 | Tourmaline for daily wear; opal suits a pendant with some care |
| November | Topaz, Citrine | 8, 7 | Good for daily wear |
| December | Blue Topaz, Tanzanite, Turquoise, Zircon | 8, 6 to 7, 5 to 6, 6 to 7.5 | Blue topaz for daily wear; tanzanite and turquoise with care |
Opal and pearl, the stones we steer people away from in rings, make good pendants. They still scratch more easily than harder stones, so store them apart from other jewelry and take them off for the gym or a swim. If the wearer would also like a ring, our guide on how to choose a birthstone ring covers the harder stones that hold up on a hand.
From the Birthstone Company collection
A June pearl on an 18 inch chain
Sterling Silver Rhodium-plated 6-7mm White Near-Round Freshwater Cultured Pearl 18-Station 18 inch Necklace
$100.88
View Piece →Eighteen white freshwater cultured pearls, each 6 to 7 mm, are spaced along this rhodium-plated sterling silver chain. It measures 18 inches and closes with a pearl clasp. The listing notes that the pearls are bleached, a common treatment that evens out the white. Pearl is the softest birthstone at 2.5 to 4.5, so put it on after perfume and hairspray, never before.
Pick a metal for the stone and the wearer
Most birthstone necklaces come in sterling silver, 10K gold or 14K gold, and our gemstone necklaces include all three. Karat is the share of pure gold in the alloy: 10K is 10 parts in 24 and 14K is 14 parts in 24. That makes 10K a little harder and less costly, while 14K has a deeper yellow. Sterling silver is softer and tarnishes over time. Most of the silver pendants in this guide are rhodium-plated, which keeps them bright and slows tarnish.
As a starting point, warm stones such as garnet, ruby and citrine glow in yellow gold, while cool stones such as aquamarine, sapphire and blue topaz look crisp in white gold or silver. Then go with the metal the wearer already wears most. A necklace sits close to earrings and often a watch, so matching those counts for more than any color rule.
From the Birthstone Company collection
Two pendants in 10K yellow gold
The garnet is a natural emerald-cut stone measuring 7 x 5 mm with a diamond accent, in a pendant 15.9 mm long overall. The aquamarine is a heat-treated cushion cut with a checkerboard facet pattern, set with diamond accents in a pendant 7 mm wide and 13.5 mm long. Both are listed as the pendant only, so pair them with a yellow gold chain.
Setting and stone size
Prongs hold the stone up so light reaches it from the sides, which gives the most sparkle, and the three silver pendants above all use them. A bezel wraps a thin rim of metal around the stone's edge. It protects softer stones such as tanzanite (see our December birthstone guide) and catches less on knitwear. A halo surrounds the center stone with smaller ones and makes it look larger.
Size comes down to taste. To our eye, a pendant around 10 to 16 mm long reads as a quiet everyday piece, and one past 20 mm starts to look like a statement. Bigger pendants weigh more, so give them a sturdier chain. Every listing gives the pendant's width and length, which is the quickest way to compare two pieces you cannot hold.
Natural, lab-created or simulated
A natural stone formed in the earth. A lab-created gemstone has the same chemistry, hardness and optical properties but was grown in a laboratory, so a lab-created sapphire is still sapphire. A simulant only imitates the look, and cubic zirconia in a birthstone color is the usual example. Our product pages say whether a stone is natural or lab-created, and many also name treatments such as heating or irradiation, so you can compare like with like.
From the Birthstone Company collection
Two lab-created stones
Sterling Silver Rhodium-Plated Sapphire Pendant with Floral Design September Birthstone
$35.43
View Piece →
The floral pendant sets a round lab-created blue sapphire in prongs on rhodium-plated sterling silver and measures 20 mm overall. The heart is 14K white gold with a single round lab-created opal of 0.24 ct, and the listing gives the opal's treatment as impregnated. At 18.6 mm wide and 25.25 mm long it is the larger of the two, and it will sit better on a slightly heavier chain.
Necklaces for more than one birthstone
A mother's necklace often carries one stone for each child, and couples sometimes pair their two months. You can do this with one multi-stone piece. You can also layer two or three single-stone pendants on chains of different lengths, for example 16, 18 and 20 inches, so each one hangs clear of the next.
For layering, keep the pendants small and stay with one metal, or mix two on purpose. About 2 inches between chains helps keep them apart.
From the Birthstone Company collection
Three stones on one chain
Sterling Silver Polished Amethyst, Garnet and Pink Tourmaline Circles with 2 Inch Extension Necklace
$65.46
View Piece →This sterling silver necklace gathers round amethyst, garnet and pink tourmaline in a cluster of circles 22.47 mm wide, on a 16 inch cable chain with a 2 inch extension and a spring ring clasp. Those are the February, January and October stones, so one necklace could stand for three birthdays.
From the Birthstone Company collection
A February heart and a September oval
Brilliant Gemstones Sterling Silver with 14K Accent Rhodium-plated Amethyst and Diamond Heart 18 Inch Necklace with 2 Inch Extender
$116.14
View Piece →
The amethyst heart comes complete on an 18 inch cable chain with a 2 inch extender and a lobster clasp, in sterling silver with a 14K accent and a diamond. Its amethyst is heat-treated. The lab-created sapphire pendant is a small prong-set oval, 4.5 mm wide and 12 mm long, sold as the pendant alone, and it is small enough to layer beneath the heart on a shorter chain.
Caring for a birthstone necklace
Fasten the clasp before you put a necklace away so the chain does not knot, and give each piece its own pouch or compartment so harder stones do not scratch softer ones. Clean most stones with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Keep opal, pearl, emerald and tanzanite away from ultrasonic and steam cleaners. Take necklaces off to sleep, swim and exercise, and check the clasp now and then for a weak spring.
Birthstone necklace questions
What length is best for a birthstone necklace?
18 inches suits the most people and necklines. It falls just below the collarbone on most adults. A 16 inch chain sits closer to the base of the neck, and a 2 inch extender lets the wearer adjust the length.
Does a birthstone pendant come with a chain?
It depends on the listing. A complete necklace gives a chain length, chain style and clasp in its key features. A pendant-only listing gives the pendant's size in millimetres and no chain length, so you will need to add a chain.
Can I wear an opal or pearl necklace every day?
More easily than a ring, because a pendant takes far fewer knocks. Pearl rates 2.5 to 4.5 and opal 5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, so store them apart from harder stones, keep pearls away from perfume and hairspray, and take them off for swimming and exercise.
Is 10K or 14K gold better for a birthstone necklace?
Both work well. 10K gold has more alloy metal, so it is a little harder and costs less. 14K gold has more pure gold and a deeper yellow. Most people decide on budget and on the shade of gold they already wear.
Are lab-created birthstones real gemstones?
Yes. A lab-created sapphire or opal is grown in a laboratory instead of the earth, and a lab-created sapphire has the same chemistry, hardness and optical properties as a mined one. Our product pages say which one you are buying.
How can one necklace show several birthstones?
Choose a multi-stone piece with one stone per person, or layer single-stone pendants on chains of different lengths, such as 16, 18 and 20 inches, so each pendant hangs on its own.
Related guides
For gift ideas across every type of jewelry, see our birthstone jewelry gift guide. Shopping for the holidays? The birthstone Christmas gift guide sorts pieces by recipient. Our November birthstone guide covers the two November stones in more depth.
Ready to choose? Browse our birthstone necklaces by month, stone and metal.
