Aquamarine is March's Birthstone
By Sam Serio

If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.

March Birthstone: Aquamarine
Birthstone Properties: Bestows courage, insight, and victory
Alternative Birthstone: Bloodstone

Aquamarine is the traditional birthstones for March. It is also the accepted anniversary gem for the 19th year of marriage. Aquamarine is mined primarily in Brazil, Nigeria and Zambia.

Water Baby

Created by combining Latin words for water (aqua) and sea (mare), aquamarine does indeed resemble the bottomless blue of seawater. Like Emerald, aquamarine is a variety of beryl (a mineral that crystallizes within large rocks on the earth's crust).

Aquamarine varies in color from blue-green to a light sky blue, and for generations, those stones containing green are often heat-treated to remove this less desirable color. Surprisingly, unlike other coveted gemstones, the majority of aquamarines are flawless. As a gift, aquamarine is unsurpassed in its legendary abilities to preserve and enhance mutual love, to ensure truth in relationships and to maintain a good marriage

When In Rome…

Ancient Romans believed the magnificent gemstone was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea. Some legends say that it was gift from mermaids, while others suggest that Neptune retrieved it after it fell from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed onto shore. Early sailors wore aquamarine talismans, engraved with the likeness of Neptune, as protection against dangers at sea.

The association with water led to the belief that the Aquamarine was particularly powerful when immersed. Water in which this gemstone had been submerged was used in ancient times to heal a variety of illnesses of the heart, liver, stomach, mouth and throat. Aquamarines were also used to reverse poisoning and to aid in fortune telling.

Heal Me

Many believe that aquamarine helps dependence on drugs, is an aid in digestion, and can be used as remedy for swollen glands and to maintain the health of the jaws and teeth.

On the non-physical plain, aquamarine is believed to release anger and negativity replacing them with mental peace and clarity, providing emotional and mental balance. It has been used as an aid in meditation and to assist in self-expression.

A Gift of Love

To dream of aquamarine signifies the making of new friends. To wear aquamarine brings love and affection. To give aquamarine is to offer the gift of knowledge, foresight and individual inspiration. It is a universal symbol of youth, fidelity, hope and health.

Ideal for carving into cameos and beads, the "blue sea" stone is said to aid seafarers so it is a wonderful gift for sailors, fishermen, and everyone who spends time at sea. A a gift of aquamarine symbolizes safety and security, especially within long standing relationships.

Caveat Emptor (Buyer beware): The beautiful light blue to blue-green color of aquamarine may fade upon prolonged exposure to light, so it is especially important to purchase this gem from a reputable source.