The August Birthstone: Peridot, Spinel, and Sardonyx Explained

The August birthstone is peridot, the lime-to-olive green gem variety of the mineral olivine, joined by two recognized companions, spinel and sardonyx. Modern birthstone lists from Jewelers of America name all three for August, with peridot as the primary stone. Peridot rates about 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, spinel an 8, and sardonyx around 6.5 to 7. People connect the August birthstones with renewal, protection, and prosperity, which makes them popular gifts for late-summer birthdays.

After years of guiding people through birthstone and astrology questions, I have a soft spot for August, because the August birthstone is not one gem but three. If your birthday lands in August, you have options: peridot, spinel, and sardonyx, each with its own color and story. What I'm seeing lately, in 2026, is more people delighted to learn they are not stuck with a single stone. So let me walk you through all three, what they mean, how they tie to Leo and Virgo, and how to choose the one that fits you.

So What Is the August Birthstone, Really?

Put simply, peridot is the primary August birthstone, with spinel and sardonyx as the two other recognized choices. Jewelers of America, the source of the modern US list, names all three, and the Gemological Institute of America and the American Gem Society agree that August is a three-stone month. I once had a client expect a single green gem and light up when she realized her birthday came with a whole palette. Here are the quick facts.

Stone	Status for August	Color	Mohs hardness	Good for daily wear?
Peridot	Primary modern birthstone	Lime to olive green	6.5 to 7	With care
Spinel	Added in 2016	Red, pink, blue, purple, and more	8	Yes, the toughest of the three
Sardonyx	Oldest, traditional	Banded reddish-brown and white	6.5 to 7	With care

Why Does August Have Three Birthstones?

Here's another way to look at it: the three stones arrived in three different eras. Sardonyx is the ancient one, treasured for thousands of years. Peridot became the primary modern birthstone through the official 1912 jewelers' list. Then, in 2016, spinel was officially added, giving August babies even more to choose from. I love contrasting a grandmother's banded sardonyx cameo with a sleek modern peridot ring, because together they show how birthstone tradition keeps growing rather than standing still.

What Do the August Birthstones Look Like?

This is the part I love, because the three could not look more different. Peridot glows in a yellowish to olive green, sometimes called the gem of the sun, with the best stones showing a pure grass-green from the iron in their structure. Spinel is the chameleon, appearing in red, pink, orange, purple, violet, and blue, and its finest reds are so vivid they fooled royalty for centuries. Sardonyx is the striped one, a banded chalcedony layering reddish-brown sard with white onyx, which made it perfect for carved cameos and signet rings. Here's what's really eye-opening: the famous Black Prince's "Ruby" in the British Imperial State Crown is not a ruby at all. It is a red spinel.

What Do the August Birthstones Mean and Symbolize?

Each stone carries its own symbolism. Peridot has long stood for renewal, light, protection, and prosperity, and it was worn in ancient times as a talisman against fear and nightmares. Spinel is associated with energy, vitality, and encouragement, a stone for revitalizing your spark. Sardonyx represents courage, stability, and strong communication, which is why it was prized for marriage and partnership. I want to be straight with you: these meanings come from history and crystal lore, offered for insight and entertainment, not as medical or scientific fact. If the energetic side speaks to you, the world of crystal energy is a lovely place to explore further. What I tell people is to let the meaning support their own choices, not replace them.

How Do the August Birthstones Connect to Leo and Virgo?

August is shared by two zodiac signs, and the stones suit both. Most of the month belongs to Leo, the sun-ruled sign, and peridot's sunny green glow could not be a more natural match for Leo's warmth and confidence. From about August 23, Virgo takes over, and the grounded, thoughtful Virgo tends to appreciate sardonyx's themes of stability and clear communication. None of this is a rule, just a lens, but I have watched a Leo and a Virgo born only days apart gravitate to completely different stones, and it fit each of them perfectly.

Where Do the August Birthstones Come From?

The history here is genuinely fun. Peridot was mined by the Egyptians on the island of Zabargad in the Red Sea, and some historians think Cleopatra's famous "emeralds" were actually peridot. A shrine in Cologne Cathedral held green gems long believed to be emeralds, until modern analysis revealed they were peridot too. Peridot is even one of the few gems found in meteorites, so a little of it is genuinely from space. Spinel spent centuries misidentified as ruby until 18th-century mineralogy told them apart, and sardonyx has a 4,000-year story running through Roman seals and the High Priest's breastplate. Today peridot comes largely from Arizona, Myanmar, Pakistan, and China, while fine spinel hails from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

How Does One August Birthstone Compare to Another?

If you are choosing between them, this side-by-side makes it easier.

Feature	Peridot	Spinel	Sardonyx
Signature color	Glowing yellow-green	Vivid red, pink, blue, more	Banded orange-brown and white
Hardness (Mohs)	6.5 to 7	8	6.5 to 7
Everyday durability	Moderate	High	Moderate
Typical price	Affordable	Mid to higher (fine red is rare)	Very affordable
Best use	Earrings, pendants, occasional rings	Rings and daily-wear pieces	Cameos, signet styles, pendants
Symbolic vibe	Renewal and light	Energy and vitality	Courage and stability

The short version: spinel is the workhorse for a ring you will wear every day, peridot is the sunny everyday-with-care choice, and sardonyx is the characterful pick for a vintage-style piece.

What Should You Do to Choose and Care for Yours?

Trust me, the easiest way to choose is to start with how you will wear it. If you want a ring for daily life, spinel at a Mohs hardness of 8 is the most durable. Peridot and sardonyx are wonderful for earrings, pendants, and rings you wear now and then. Peridot loves a yellow-gold setting that echoes its warmth, while spinel works with anything. As for gifting, peridot is the traditional 16th-anniversary gem and spinel sometimes marks the 22nd. To care for them, use warm soapy water and a soft brush, skip steam and ultrasonic cleaners (especially for peridot), and store each piece apart from harder stones. One reader wore a peridot ring daily and was sad to find it scratched, so for everyday wear I would point her to spinel and save the peridot for special occasions. If you want to pick a stone that truly matches your chart, an astrology reading can help you decide.

How Do You Wear and Style August's Birthstones?

Here is where the fun really starts, because these three stones want completely different settings. Peridot's lime-to-olive green sings against yellow gold. I almost always steer people toward a warm gold setting for peridot, because the metal picks up the gem's sunny undertone and makes that green look richer than it does against cool white metals. A peridot pendant or a pair of drop earrings catches the light beautifully, and since the color is always some shade of green, you can lean into it as a statement rather than trying to match it to an outfit. Think of it as your built-in pop of summer color.

Spinel is the one I call the styling chameleon, because it shows up in so many colors, including that vivid red people still mistake for ruby. With a Mohs hardness of 8 it is tough enough to anchor a ring you wear every single day, which is exactly where I tell clients to put it. A red or hot-pink spinel makes a gorgeous cocktail ring, while a soft lavender or grayish-blue spinel reads as quietly modern. Because spinel comes in such a range, you really can match it to your wardrobe or your mood, and it plays nicely with both gold and white metals.

Sardonyx asks for a different kind of styling altogether. Its banded reddish-brown and white layers were practically made for carving, which is why you see it in cameos and signet rings. If you love vintage or heirloom looks, sardonyx is your stone. I think of it as the storyteller of the group, the piece that looks like it has history even when it is brand new. A sardonyx signet ring or a carved cameo brooch gives you that old-world character that the faceted stones simply cannot. Just remember it is a little softer, so I keep my sardonyx pieces for occasions rather than rough daily knocking around.

When Do the August Birthstones Make the Perfect Gift?

The obvious answer is an August birthday, and honestly, having three stones to choose from makes gift shopping easier, not harder. If you are buying for an August-born friend, you get to match the stone to the person. I'll often suggest spinel for someone who is hard on their jewelry and wants a daily-wear ring, peridot for the friend who loves color and sunshine, and sardonyx for the one who collects vintage-style pieces. You are not locked into a single look the way you would be with most birth months.

Beyond birthdays, peridot has a lovely second life as an anniversary gem. It is the traditional stone for the 16th wedding anniversary, so it is a thoughtful choice for couples marking that milestone, and spinel sometimes turns up as a marker for the 22nd. I have helped people pick a peridot piece for a 16th anniversary precisely because it feels a little unexpected, warmer and more personal than the usual default gem. And because sardonyx has carried themes of courage, stability, and strong partnership for thousands of years, it makes a meaningful gift for engagements or any moment you want to wish someone steadiness. Whatever the occasion, I tell people to let the recipient's color preference and lifestyle lead, and the right August stone almost always picks itself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying August's Stones

A few honest cautions can save you disappointment, and I see the same three slip-ups again and again. The first is confusing spinel with ruby. For centuries even royalty got this wrong, which is how a red spinel ended up named the Black Prince's "Ruby" in the British crown jewels. When you are shopping, ask the seller to confirm the stone is spinel and not a ruby or a treated imitation, because the names and prices are not interchangeable. The flip side is also worth knowing: a fine red spinel is a beautiful, durable gem in its own right, so you are not settling for a lesser stone, just a different one.

The second mistake is expecting peridot to be a deep, dark, emerald-style green. Peridot's color is always green, but it lives in the lime, yellow-green, and olive range, never the saturated forest tone some people picture. If you go in hoping for a dark emerald look, you will be let down, but if you embrace peridot for what it is, that glowing, sunny green is genuinely one of a kind. I always show clients a real peridot in daylight before they buy, so the color is exactly what they expect.

The third mistake is treating the softer stones too roughly. Peridot and sardonyx both sit around 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, which means they can scratch or chip if you knock them against hard surfaces or store them loose with tougher gems. I have watched more than one person wear a peridot ring through gardening, dishes, and gym sessions, then feel crushed when it dulled. Save those stones for earrings, pendants, and occasional-wear rings, reach for spinel when you want something for everyday, store each piece separately, and clean them gently with warm soapy water rather than harsh chemicals or ultrasonic machines. Treat them right and all three will keep their beauty for years.

Questions I Get Asked Most

Bottom Line on the August Birthstone

Bottom line, August spoils you with three beautiful birthstones: glowing peridot, versatile spinel, and the storied banded sardonyx. Each one carries real history and warm symbolism, so you get to choose the color, the meaning, and the level of everyday durability that fits your life. Pick the stone that makes you smile when you see it, wear it with a little care, and enjoy knowing your birth month offers more options than almost any other. You've got this.