May's traditional birthstone is emerald. Its everyday counterpart — green, lucky, and available in quantities emerald never will be — is green aventurine, a quartz shot through with tiny mica inclusions that give it a faint internal shimmer. The effect has a name: aventurescence.
Why green aventurine suits May
Aventurine is known as the stone of opportunity, and the folklore is unusually specific — it's the gambler's stone, associated with luck that arrives because you put yourself in its way. Given to someone born in May, when everything green is doing its best work, that reads about right.
What to look for when buying
Colour ranges from pale sage to a deep bottle green; the shimmer should be visible when you turn it under a light, not painted on. It's water-safe and hard-wearing, which makes it one of the better stones for jewellery someone will wear every day.
The full guide to Green Aventurine covers its chakra, care and everyday uses. Born this month, you'll also fall under Taurus and Gemini — each has its own stones.
Green Aventurine in the shop
Every month's birthstone
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