A Guide to December Birthstones

December: a month of wintry weather, seasonal colours and celebration. Despite being one of the most popular months of the year for many due to a certain holiday taking place, December actually boasts the least-common birthdays in the UK. This means that those born in December are lucky enough to be some of the few who get to enjoy the beauty of December birthstones.

In this post, we’ll discover the two December birthstones and their history, as well as share some of our favourite December birthday gifts we have to offer.  

What is the December birthstone?

The most popular December birthstone is tanzanite, a dark indigo stone of incredible beauty. The other December birthstone is turquoise, a stone of mesmerising blue that makes it a highly desirable stone, especially in jewellery.

Let’s look at these beautiful birthstones and delve into their history.

Tanzanite

This stunning bluish-purple stone is highly coveted for its lustrous shine and unique colouring. Only discovered in the 1960s, this stone is mined in Tanzania from a tiny 4.3 miles by 1.2 miles area in the Simanjiro District of the Manyara Region. The incredibly small mining area means that tanzanite is a truly finite mineral and something to be cherished.

Though we know this beautiful indigo stone as tanzanite, it was originally called blue zoisite before it underwent a name change. We have some truly lovely pieces available featuring this deep blue stone, including these delicate drop earrings of 9CT white gold.

Turquoise

Incredibly popular, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a jewellery lover without some turquoise in their collection. This stone is thought to be named turquoise from the French ‘pierre tourques’, which means ‘Turkish stone’, likely due to the mineral first arriving in Europe from Turkey. This beautiful stone has been found to have been carved by Chinese artisans over 3000 years ago and worn in Ancient Egypt.

Turquoise hasn’t lost popularity over the last thousands of years; it features in almost every jewellery and accessory boutique due to how well-loved it is by all. This beautiful blue stone is found the world over, from China to southwest England, as it is formed simply by acidic water coming into contact with copper. This reaction forms nuggets or veins of the soft turquoise stone we know and love.

You can see some beautiful pigment in our hummingbird turquoise necklace; a memorable present for a female family member. 

Why does December have two birthstones?

This is a question asked frequently by those searching for their birthstone. December has multiple birthstones, as does every other month. This is so there are more affordable options available alongside the original stone. Everyone should have access to beautiful gems, which is why having multiple birthstones for December should be viewed as a positive. Who doesn’t love having options?

December birthstone jewellery from Aleks Jewellers

We have several favourite pieces that make excellent gifts. Here is a selection of pre-loved 9CT gold rings, studded with shining turquoise stones across their vintage surfaces. This bold jewellery piece will turn heads, but if you’re not into statements, then choose one of the other, more subtle options.

Another favourite of ours is another pre-loved piece: a 9CT white gold necklace, complete with a swirling pendant featuring tanzanite and diamonds. We highly recommend visiting us to view these stunning items in person, where we’re certain you’ll instantly fall in love with their sparkle.

So, which December birthstone jewellery pieces will you choose? Something subtle yet unique, or a showstopping, vibrant piece? For advice on finding the perfect December birthstone gift for a partner or loved one, pop into Aleks Jewellers today and browse our collection. Our team is friendly and approachable and would be more than happy to assist with finding a sentimental December birthday gift this winter.