March Birthstone

For the lucky individuals born in March, the birthstone associated with this early spring month is aquamarine.

The serenely colored aquamarine invokes the tranquility of its namesake, the sea. In fact, the name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea.

Aquamarine is most often light in tone and ranges from greenish blue to blue-green; the color usually is more intense in larger stones, and darker blue stones are very valuable. This gemstone is mined mainly in Brazil, but also is found in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, and Mozambique.

Like emeralds, this gemstone is actually a variety of a mineral called beryl. Large stones have been found all over the world, including one stone found in Brazil that weighed over 240 pounds. Aquamarine grows in large, six-sided crystals that can be up to a foot long, making it a great gem to be cut and polished in larger carats for statement pieces.

Not only is aquamarine the March birthstone, it’s also used to celebrate 19th wedding anniversaries. It’s a beautiful stone with little or no yellow in it, so it looks great in many settings with different colored metals and gemstones.

• January
  Garnet
• February
  Amethyst
• March
  Aquamarine
• April
  Diamond
• May
  Emerald
• June
  Pearl
  Alexandrite
• July
  Ruby
• August
  Peridot
  Sardonyx
  Spinel
• September
  Sapphire
• October
  Tourmaline
  Opal
• November
  Topaz
  Citrine
• December
  Tanzanite
  Zircon
  Turquoise