Gemstones & Birthstones

January through June

The first half of the year runs from garnet red to the moonlit glow of pearl. Each stone below lists its birth month along with the qualities it's traditionally said to carry.

• January — Garnet: deep red, symbol of friendship and trust. Durable and affordable, beautiful in warm gold.
• February — Amethyst: royal purple, said to bring calm and clarity. Once as rare as ruby; today wonderfully accessible.
• March — Aquamarine: ocean blue, the sailor's stone of safe passage. Clean, cool, and elegant in white metals.
• April — Diamond: the hardest natural material on earth, symbol of enduring love.
• May — Emerald: vivid green, treasured since Cleopatra. Inclusions are part of its character — look for rich color over perfect clarity.
• June — Pearl: the only gem made by a living creature. Look for bright luster above all.

July through December

The year's second half brings ruby red through the winter blues of tanzanite and turquoise — the latter a stone close to our hearts here in the Southwest.

• July — Ruby: king of gems, symbol of passion and protection. Fine rubies are rarer than diamonds.
• August — Peridot: fresh lime green, formed deep in the earth and even found in meteorites.
• September — Sapphire: royal blue, symbol of wisdom and loyalty. Sapphires come in every color except red — that's ruby.
• October — Opal & Tourmaline: opal's shifting play-of-color; tourmaline in every hue. Kabana's opal inlay work is a signature of our store.
• November — Citrine & Topaz: warm golden stones, symbols of abundance and energy.
• December — Turquoise, Tanzanite & Zircon: turquoise has been prized in New Mexico for over a thousand years — you'll find it in many Kabana pieces.

What to look for in a colored gemstone

Unlike diamonds, there's no universal grading system for colored stones — color is king. A fine gemstone should look vivid, not murky or washed out. Ask about treatments: heat treatment of sapphires and rubies is common and accepted, while some treatments (like fracture filling) dramatically lower value. We'll always tell you exactly what you're looking at.

Also consider durability for the piece you have in mind. Rings take daily knocks — sapphire and ruby (9 on the Mohs hardness scale) are excellent everyday choices, while opal, pearl, and tanzanite deserve gentler wear in pendants and earrings.

Kabana's inlay artistry

As the global source for Kabana jewelry, we see gemstone cutting at its finest: slivers of opal, turquoise, onyx, and mother of pearl cut and fitted by hand into seamless inlay. If a stone's story matters to you, explore the Kabana collections — every piece is made in Albuquerque.