Move Over Peridot, Spinel is the New August Birthstone

Peridot just got bumped. Well, to be fair, the light green stone still maintains its place as the August birthstone, but for the first time in more than 100 years, a new stone has been added to the birthstone lineup. Spinel is now officially also an August stone – giving lucky Leos (and a few Virgos born late in August) a choice in color.

Spinel is most frequently found in a ruby red color or dark pink, but the stone actually can be found in a painter’s pallet of colors that include lavender, orange, blue and even gray. The stone, generally mined in Burma, Brazil, Thailand and Tanzania, graces many Crown jewels in Britain, including the British Imperial State Crown that was said to hold the Black Prince Ruby, which, it turns out, is actually spinel.

The addition of spinel to the official birthstone lineup that was established in 1912 by Jewelers of America was the doing of Jewelers of America and the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA).