Birthstone March – Aquamarine

Aquamarine was adopted by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912 as the birthstone for March. Aquamarine is also the birth stone for the Zodiac sign of Scorpio. The gemstone Aquamarine has been nominated as a stone to give on the 16th and 19th wedding anniversaries.

Stone Information

Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family of minerals and varies in color from pale blue to blue-green with the most prized color being a deep-blue aqua color. Aquamarine gets its name from Latin words meaning water and sea and is 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Some of the finest and largest aquamarines have been found in Brazil, but also occur in Africa, Madagascar, Zambia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Australia. Gem quality aquamarines are usually faceted, and more included stones are often cut into cabochons, and occasionally they may display a cat’s eye effect known as asterism.

Folklore, Legend and Healing Properties

Since ancient times, aquamarine has been believed to endow the wearer with foresight, courage, and happiness. A legend says that sailors wore aquamarine gemstones to keep them safe and prevent seasickness and in the Middle Ages it was thought that aquamarine would reduce the effect of poisons. Aquamarine is also said to increase intelligence and make one youthful.