Aquamarine: Meaning, Colours & How to Wear the March Birthstone
Chic and BlingAquamarine is the birthstone for March. It is the pale blue member of the beryl family — the same mineral as emerald, coloured by iron instead of chromium — and it runs from the faintest sky blue to a deep sea blue. At 7.5–8 on the Mohs hardness scale it is the hardest stone in the first quarter of the year, and unlike February's amethyst its colour is stable in daylight.
What is the March birthstone?
The March birthstone is aquamarine. The name is Latin — aqua marina, “water of the sea” — and it is well earned: no other common gemstone holds that particular clear, cool blue.
Aquamarine is beryl. So is emerald. The difference is the trace element doing the colouring: chromium and vanadium make beryl green, iron makes it blue. The other difference matters when you are buying — emerald is famously included and fragile, while aquamarine typically grows clean, so a well-cut stone is usually eye-clean with no visible inclusions at all.
March has a second, older birthstone: bloodstone, a dark green chalcedony flecked with red. It is rarely used in modern jewellery, but it is why some older lists show two stones for the month.
From sky blue to sea blue
Most aquamarine comes out of the ground with a green cast and is gently heated to bring the blue forward — a stable, permanent and universally accepted treatment. Untreated blue-green stones have their own following. Hover or tap any stone to see what sets it apart.
How tough is it, really?
Hardness decides whether a stone survives being worn every day. The Mohs scale runs 1 to 10, and anything at 7 or above resists the everyday scratching that dulls softer stones.
Aquamarine and emerald are the same mineral and sit at the same hardness — but emerald is riddled with inclusions that make it brittle, while aquamarine grows clean. In practice aquamarine is the far more forgiving stone to wear.
Meaning & symbolism
Aquamarine is the sailor's stone. Roman and Greek sailors carried it as a talisman for safe passage and calm water, and it was believed to settle both the sea and the stomach on a long crossing.
It is also the traditional gemstone for a 19th wedding anniversary.
How to wear aquamarine
With gold or with silver?
Aquamarine is a cool stone, so the metal either agrees with it or argues productively. Sterling silver, white gold and platinum keep it crisp and icy — the most common choice, and the one that flatters paler stones. Yellow gold warms the setting and nudges the blue towards its green end, which suits deeper, sea-toned stones and reads more vintage.
Everyday versus occasion
At 7.5–8 aquamarine is one of the more durable coloured stones, harder than both garnet and amethyst. It takes daily wear comfortably, and unlike amethyst it will not fade in sunlight — there is no need to think about where you leave it.
Buying it as a gift
Aquamarine works as a gift when the meaning is doing the work. It suits:
- A March birthday — the most direct use.
- A 19th anniversary, where it is the traditional stone.
- Someone travelling or moving away, drawing on the safe-passage symbolism.
- A family piece, where several birthstones sit together and March is one of them.
If you are combining birthstones for a mother or grandmother, start from the birthstone by month range so the stones match.
Caring for aquamarine
- Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Rinse and dry fully.
- Daylight is fine — ordinary aquamarine does not fade the way amethyst can.
- Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners if the stone has visible inclusions or fractures.
- Store separately from harder stones — sapphire, ruby and diamond will scratch it.
Every birthstone by month
Looking for a different month? Each one has its own stone, colour and meaning.
Common questions
Photography: Pexels. Hardness values are approximate midpoints of each stone's published Mohs range and vary by specimen.
