December Birthstones: Turquoise, Tanzanite and Zircon Meaning History

September 27, 2025

What is the December Birthstone?

December is one of the few months with different December birthstones to choose from.
The main December Birthstones ones are turquoise, tanzanite, and zircon, though blue topaz is also often included.
Turquoise, with its blue and green shades, is known as a stone of protection and good luck.
Tanzanite, a rare gem with violet-blue tones, is linked with change and spiritual growth.
Zircon is shiny and beautiful, believed to bring knowledge, success, and helps you think clearly.
Blue topaz, found in many shades of blue, it is linked with calmness, clarity, and simple beauty. Topaz is often included as the birthstone for December born.

Note: Explore different natural crystals on our website.

Why Does December Have Three Birthstones?

December has three birthstones:turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite because modern lists were expanded to include both traditional and newly found gems.

This change gave people more options and reflected market trends and demand.

Turquoise is the traditional stone with long historical importance, zircon was added as a more affordable choice, and tanzanite, introduced in the late 20th century, became popular for its dark blue-purple color.

Evolution of Birthstone Lists

Ancient origin: Linked to the Breastplate of Judgment in the Bible.
1800s: Tiffany & Co. promoted birthstones through a Gregorian poem
1912: National Association of Jewelers created a standard list, later updated

Reasons for Multiple Stones

Mix of traditional and modern choices
Marketing added more affordable options
New discoveries, like tanzanite in 1967, expanded the list.

Why Does December have 3 birthstones?

Turquoise: Traditional stone, valued for its blue-green color and history
Zircon: Bright stone with medieval healing lore, added as an affordable choice
Tanzanite: Rare blue-violet gem from Tanzania, officially added in 2002

Tanzanite Birthstone Meaning and Symbolism

Tanzanite is a rare blue-violet gemstone first found in Tanzania in 1967. As a December birthstone, it stands for transformation, knowledge, and new beginnings.

December Tanzanite Stone Meanings:

Transformation & Growth: Sign of change and fresh starts.
Spiritual Awakening: It is used to strengthens knowledge and awareness.
Emotional Healing: It brings calm, peace, and release you from past pain.
Clarity & Wisdom: It supports clear thinking and self-control.

Tanzanite Birthstone Associations

Birthstone Month: December
Zodiac Connection: Sagittarius, Capricorn
Anniversary Gift: 24th Anniversary Gemstone
Symbolism & Meaning: Transformation, intuition, calmness, spiritual awareness
Colors: Blue to violet-blue, sometimes with red or purple flashes
Popular Jewelry: You can use loose cut Gemstone and raw crystals in Rings, Pendants, Earrings, Bracelets
Lore: Known as the “Stone of Transformation”

Varieties and Unique Features of Tanzanite

Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite, best known for its deep blue-purple color. This mineral is found in Tanzania, it is one of the rarest gemstones in the world.

Varieties Of Tanzanite By Color

Blue & Purple: The classic and most valuable type, ranging from sapphire-like blue to deep purple.
Fancy Colors: Rare green, pink, yellow, or orange varieties, prized by collectors.
Peacock/Chameleon: A greenish-yellow type with shifting tones.
Color-Change: Rare gems that shift from blue in daylight to purple in warm light.
Unheated: Naturally blue-purple stones, extremely rare since most are heat-treated.

Unique Features

Trichroism: Shows blue, purple, and brown/yellow tones from different angles. Skilled cutting highlights the best color.
Rarity: Found only in the Merelani Hills near Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
Color Treatments: Most stones are heat-treated to achieve their vivid hues.
Hardness: it has the hardness of 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, softer than sapphire, making it better for occasional wear.
Lighting Effect: Looks bluer in daylight and more purple in warm light.

Healing and Metaphysical Benefits of Tanzanite Crystals

Tanzanite crystal is known as a stone of transformation, inner peace, and spiritual growth. It is believed to calm the mind, support emotional healing, and awaken higher knowledge.

Metaphysical Properties

Spiritual Awakening: It supports meditation, higher consciousness, and spiritual purpose.
Intuition: Strengthens inner guidance and psychic abilities.
Chakra Activation: Connects with the Third Eye and Crown chakras for insight and awareness.
New Beginnings: Helps with life changes and personal growth.

Emotional & Mental Benefits

Inner Peace: It brings calm, balance, and mental clarity.
Emotional Healing: It aids in releasing past trauma and negative patterns.
Self-Expression: Builds confidence and clear communication.

Physical Benefits

It relief your stress, reduce tension and anxiety.
Immune Support: It linked to strengthening the immune system.
Detoxification: It Believed to aid overall cleansing and vitality.

December Birthstone: Turquoise Birthstone Meaning and Symbolism

Healing & Balance: It is belived to calm the mind, reduce stress, and support emotional healing.
Protection: In many traditions, it is believed to guard against the evil eye and provide safety.
Hope & Creativity: Inspires ambition, creativity, forgiveness, and kindness.
Friendship & Love: In Europe, turquoise rings symbolize “forget me not” and are often given as tokens of love or friendship.

Turquoise Birthstone Associations

Birthstone Month: December
Zodiac Connection: Sagittarius, Pisces
Anniversary Gift: 11th Anniversary Gemstone
Symbolism & Meaning: Protection, wisdom, healing, friendship
Colors: Sky Blue, Greenish Blue, Teal
Popular Jewelry: Rings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Cuff Jewelry
Lore: One of the oldest known gemstones, symbol of luck and protection

Varieties and Origins of Turquoise

Turquoise forms in dry, desert regions around the world, with major sources in the Southwestern U.S., Iran, and Mexico.

Notable Varieties

Sleeping Beauty (Arizona): It is known for its clear, pure sky-blue color.
Persian (Iran): It is highly valued for its bright blue tones and historical importance.
Carico Lake (Nevada): Noted for green shades, sometimes with golden shades.
Royston (Nevada/Arizona): Shows blue-green mixes with fine “spiderweb” patterns.

Healing and Metaphysical Benefits of Turquoise

Healing Properties ( Emotional and Mental)

Brings emotional balance and calm
Supports mental clarity and focus
Helps release stress and encourages forgiveness

Metaphysical Benefits

Protects against negative energies
Connected to the Throat chakra for clear communication
Strengthens self-expression and creativity

December Birthstone: Zircon Birthstone Meaning and Symbolism

Symbolism of Zircon

Wisdom & Prosperity: Brings wealth, success, and knowledge.
Spiritual Growth: Deepens insight and supports the spiritual path.
Confidence & Clarity: Builds courage and clear thinking.
Protection: Keeps away negativity and misfortune.
Honesty & Purity: Stands for truth and sincerity.

Zircon Birthstone Associations

Birthstone Month: December
Zodiac Connection: Sagittarius
Anniversary Gift: 10th Anniversary Gemstone
Symbolism & Meaning: Wisdom, prosperity, confidence, spiritual grounding
Colors: Blue (most popular for December), Yellow, Green, Red, Clear
Popular Jewelry: Earrings, Rings, Pendants
Lore: Known for brilliance and fire, often mistaken for diamond

Types and Varieties of Zircon

Zircon Types by Color

Blue: It is the most popular color of zircon, which is oftenly made by heating brown stones.Most popular, often made by heating brown stones.
Colorless: this is very bright and you can also used it instead of diamond (Matura Diamond)
Brown: This is the common color of zircon crystal, it available in very low cost and it is often heated to change its color.
Yellow & Orange: The orange and yellow color of zircon are more affordable
Red & Pink: These are very rare and higly valuable gemstone.
Green: There are also rare sometimes their color comes natural, sometimes heated.

Zircon Types by Structure

High-Type These type of zircon are strong and clear crystal, these are used in most jewelry.
Intermediate-Type These are partly changed by radiation, with mixed traits.
Low-Type (Metamict) these are Heavily changed by radiation, weak or broken crystal form.

Healing and Metaphysical Benefits of Zircon

Healing (Emotional, Mental & Physical)
Brings calm and emotional balance
Clears the mind and improves focus
Helps reduce stress and negative vibes.
Believed to support sleep and ease pain in some traditions.

Metaphysical (Spiritual & Energetic)

It is linked with knowledge, truth, and spiritual growth
It strengthens confidence and self-expression
It will protects against negativity and misfortune
Connected to purity, honesty, and clear communication

Best December Birthstone Jewelry Gift Ideas

Tanzanite pendant: You can wear it cusually
Turquoise cuff bracelet: Best to wear on weddings and in parties
Blue zircon stud earrings: These looks very bright and suits on all types of skin color
Stackable birthstone ring: Best for december birthstone
Halo ring: These rings are surrounded by smaller stones.
Turquoise bead necklace: Colorful statement piece.
Zircon drop earrings: It has a classic evening style.

Tips:

Tanzanite and turquoise are softer, best in pendants or earrings.
Match the metal (gold, silver, platinum) to their style.
Deeper colors = higher value.
Turquoise is budget-friendly; tanzanite & zircon are pricier.

Shop December Birthstone Collection with Folkmarket

How to Order:

Browse our December Collection__Discover Tanzanite, Turquoise, and Blue Zircon jewelry and loose stones.
Pick your favorite piece – Add it to your cart.
Checkout securely – Enter your shipping details.
Choose payment method – Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bank Transfer, or PayPal (on request).
Receive with care – Get your gem safely shipped with tracking.
Celebrate December with a gift of authentic beauty and timeless meaning from Folkmarket Gems.

FAQs about December Birthstones

What is the official December birthstone?

Turquoise: the traditional and oldest recognized December stone.
Tanzanite: added in 2002 by the American Gem Trade Association.
Blue Zircon: also widely recognized as a December birthstone.

Why does December have three birthstones?

December is unique because it has three birthstones: turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite. Turquoise is the oldest and most traditional, zircon adds shine with its bright blue shades, and tanzanite, found more recently, brings a rare and modern look. Together, they give December a wide choice of beauty and meaning.

What color is the December birthstone?

The December birthstones come in shades of blue:

Turquoise:sky blue to greenish blue.
Zircon: bright blue, sometimes with a hint of green.
Tanzanite: deep blue with touches of purple.

Is tanzanite more valuable than turquoise or zircon?

Tanzanite is usually the most valuable of the December birthstones because it is rare and found only in Tanzania. Zircon is bright and beautiful but usually costs less, while turquoise is the most affordable, though high-quality pieces can still be worth more.

Can December birthstones be used in engagement rings?

Yes, December birthstones can be used in engagement rings. Tanzanite is beautiful but needs care, turquoise is softer and best for occasional wear, while zircon is harder and a good option for daily use.

Conclusion: Choosing Between Tanzanite, Turquoise, and Zircon

Each December birthstone is special. Tanzanite is rare and dark in color, turquoise is historic and known for its sky-blue shades, and zircon is bright and shiny. Your choice depends on whether you want rarity, tradition, or brilliance, these all are perfect picks for December.