March Birthstone
Aquamarine
Alternates: Bloodstone
- Color
- Aquamarine: pale to medium blue and blue-green (a variety of beryl). Bloodstone: dark green chalcedony with red spots.
- Hardness (Mohs scale)
- Aquamarine 7.5 – 8; bloodstone 6.5 – 7
Meaning & history
Aquamarine takes its name from the Latin for "seawater." By sailors' tradition it was a talisman for calm seas and safe voyages. Bloodstone, March's alternate, has been carved into seals and ornaments since antiquity.
Folklore and symbolism are shared here as tradition, not as fact or as health claims.
Care tips
Aquamarine can be cleaned with warm, soapy water and a soft brush and is generally safe in ultrasonic cleaners unless it has fractures or inclusions. Clean bloodstone with warm, soapy water only.
Design ideas
- An aquamarine engagement or right-hand ring
- An emerald-cut aquamarine pendant
- Aquamarine studs for a spring birthday
- March stones set into a mother's ring
Imagining something with aquamarine or bloodstone? Let's design it together.
Design with aquamarine