The March Birthstone – Aquamarine
As you know, a new month means a new gemstone and for those of you born in March, you may be wondering what your birthstone is.
What is the March Birthstone?
The March birthstone is the aquamarine. The name aquamarine derives from the Latin words, aqua- meaning ‘water’ and marina- meaning ‘of the sea’.
What is an Aquamarine?
Aquamarines have been linked to the Romans and Greeks, and the gemstone was considered to be sacred by Neptune, Roman God of the Sea. It was believed that any sailors who carried an aquamarine would be granted safe passage across the seas.
In 1910, Minas Gerais, the largest aquamarine ever found, was discovered in Brazil. It weighed 243 pounds and contained over 200,000 carats.
The colour of an aquamarine tends to vary along the blue-green colour spectrum. The majority of aquamarines are of light blue colour, but the most expensive and coveted aquamarines are dark blue. Aquamarines are often described as a cross between an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
When buying an aquamarine gemstone you should be careful. Light blue topaz is cheaper than an aquamarine, but is very similar, so similar in fact, fraudulent jewellers may advertise and sell a topaz as an aquamarine.
Aquamarine and diamond rings tend to work best when set in white gold or platinum which further enhances the lighter toned sparkle of both stones. We offer an assortment of aqua & diamond rings in a range of precious metals and styles.