Whether it is the woman you want to marry, your mother or your beloved kid sister, you can't go wrong with jewelry.

All women love shiny things. Precious jewelry that catches her eye would certainly get her vote. It could be an absolutely gorgeous necklace that sets off her favourite dress beautifully. Or it could be a pair of stunning shoulder duster earrings that highlight her slender neck. Or it could be a cuff bracelet that makes a simple sheath dress look amazing.

When it comes to a birthday gift, nothing beats birthstone jewelry for her because birthstone jewelry bears the gemstone associated with her birth month. Actually, birthstone jewelry is useful when you are at a loss as to which jewel to give her. Birthstone jewelry is the easiest way to personalize your gift according to her birth month.

There are several versions of birthstone lists. It is believed the 12 birthstones originated from the breastplate worn by the high priest of the Jews. Each gemstone representing one tribe of Israel and later, representing one month of the year.

These 12 gemstones are beryl, topaz,ruby, turquoise, lapis lazuli, emerald, jacinth,agate, amethyst, crysolite,onyx and jasper.

Astrologers associated the gemstones with each zodiac sign. As each zodiac month overlaps largely with the calendar month, the monthly birthstone list can be derived from the zodiac birthstone.

The Tibetans, in ancient Tibet, had their own birthstone list. That list of mystical birthstones is more than a thousand years old.

Even the Indians have their Ayurverdic birthstone list, based on that branch of medicine originating from India.

Eventually, in 1912, a modern birthstone list was compiled by the National Association of Jewelers in Kansas with a specific gemstone associated with each month of the year. This is the list accepted in U.S.

According to this modern birthstone list, the birthstone for January is garnet. For february, the gemstone is amethyst. March calls for aquamarine, April's gemstone is the diamond. May's birthstone is Emerald. For June, the birthstone is Pearl. Ruby is the july birthstone while peridot is August's birthstone. September calls for Sapphire. October's birthstone is Opal. November calls for Citrine and the December birthstone is Turquoise.

This combines the various birthstone lists to let you choose the birthstone jewelry for your chosen month within your budget. Use that to help you choose your birthday gift for her.

There is no real hard and fast rule where jewelry is concerned. If you know what gemstone she wants and that isn't really her birthstone, then get her jewelry with the gems she prefers rather than sticking to a predefined birthstone list.