Aquamarine: The March Birthstone, Explained

Aquamarine is the March birthstone, and it is one of the easiest colored stones to live with — hard enough for daily wear, and a color that goes with almost everything. Here is what it is and what to look for.

What aquamarine is

Aquamarine is a variety of beryl. That matters more than it sounds, because the other well-known beryl is emerald — chemically they are the same mineral, separated only by which trace element colored them. Iron gives aquamarine its blue; chromium or vanadium gives emerald its green.

The practical difference is condition. Emerald is typically full of inclusions and fragile. Aquamarine usually grows clean, which is why you see it in large, transparent, unflawed pieces far more often.

The name, and the color

The name comes straight from the Latin aqua marina — sea water — and it is accurate. The color runs from a very pale, almost colourless sky blue through to a deeper blue-green.

Worth knowing if you are buying: paler aquamarine is far more common than deeply saturated stone, and the deeper material is valued accordingly. Neither is “better” — a pale aquamarine next to a warm gold finding is a completely different mood from a deep one, and we use both.

Why it wears well

Aquamarine sits at about 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. That is harder than quartz and considerably harder than moonstone, pearl or turquoise. It is one of the colored stones we are most comfortable recommending for a piece someone intends to wear constantly rather than occasionally.

It still is not indestructible — a hard enough knock at the wrong angle will chip any stone — but it will not scuff from ordinary daily life the way softer stones do.

The folklore

Aquamarine’s traditional associations are nearly all maritime. It was carried by sailors as a stone of safe passage and calm water, and that association has followed it for centuries into ideas about steadiness and clear communication.

As with every stone, we offer that as history rather than as a promise. The sea connection is at least easy to understand — hold a good aquamarine up to the light and the comparison makes itself.

Caring for aquamarine

• Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush is all it normally needs
• Still put it on after perfume and hairspray
• Store it separately from softer stones, which it will scratch
• Prolonged strong sunlight can fade some aquamarine over time, so do not store it on a sunny windowsill

A note on March birthdays

Because aquamarine is the March birthstone, it is one of the most-given colored stones of the year. If you are buying for a March birthday, order earlier than you think you need to — every piece here is one of a kind, so when one sells there is not another like it.

Our aquamarine pieces

• Dainty Aquamarine Short Necklace
• Aquamarine and Labradorite Gemstone Necklace
• Aquamarine Pastel Ombre Gemstone Necklace
• Aquamarine and Citrine Bracelet Stack
• Natural Aquamarine Bracelets
• Aquamarine Blue Gemstone Bracelet with Tree Charm

More in the shop.