Do you or someone you love have a birthday in March? Did you know there are 2 birthstones and they are RADICALLY different?! Let's see how and find a few fascinating things along the way.
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What's ahead:
- What is the March birthstone?
- What does Aquamarine look like?
- What is Aquamarine?
- What is the alternative March birthstone?
- What if I don't like my birthstone?
- Why is Aquamarine the March birthstone?
- Why should I wear Aquamarine?
- Why should I wear Bloodstone?
What is the March birthstone?
The traditional March birthstone is Aquamarine. Aquamarine (or "Aqua" for short) gets its name from the blue of the ocean water.Â
What does Aquamarine look like?
Aquamarine is usually light blue to blue-green. Typically it has few visible inclusions, but raw or rougher specimen can be found with a variety of patterns and marks inside the stone, even dendritic Aquamarine know as Moss Aquamarine.
What is Aquamarine?
Did you know that Aqua is technically a blue Emerald?! Yup! Aquamarine is Beryl, which means it's in the same family as Emerald, but instead of having a combination of chromium, iron, and vanadium in it to make it green, Aqua gets its blue color from iron. (Green is a combination of blue and yellow, so it makes sense that Aqua would have less color contributing compounds than its green sister.)
 
What is the alternative March birthstone?
March has an alternative birthstone much different from the bright and often transparent Aqua, Bloodstone! Bloodstone is a dark green gemstone with red inclusions. It got its name because people believed the red spots in it to be or represent the blood of Christ. Bloodstone is in the Quartz family and opaque, so you can call it a Jasper.
What if I don't like my birthstone?
If you don't like the light blue, ocean reminiscent Aqua or the dark and dramatic Bloodstone, you can substitute any member of the Beryl (Emerald) family. If you like pink, Morganite is essentially a pink Aquamarine. There's also Yellow Emeralds, clear Beryl, or you can use any of the hundreds (or perhaps thousands) of kinds of Jasper there are!
Why is Aquamarine the March birthstone?
While it's unclear as to why each birthstone is attributed to each month, we do know that the system has its roots in the Torah. Moses was instructed to make a breastplate for his brother Aaron to wear featuring 12 different gemstones to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. Later, this was combined with astrological signs, the months of the year, and the structure of the birthstone system became popularized.
Birthstones were not intended to only be worn by the person born in that month. In fact, it was common practice for many years for everyone to wear the birthstone of whatever month it was currently. That means plenty of jewelry for everyone and a fresh set to bring out every month!
Why should I wear Aquamarine?
Wear an Aquamarine if you want to carry a reminder of a peaceful ocean with you. Wear Aqua if you want to celebrate the month of March and the coming of Spring!
Why should I wear Bloodstone?
Wear Bloodstone to give yourself a feeling of courage and strength. It's a reminder of great sacrifice and it just may give you the strength you need to get through your next hurtle.
In conclusion, you certainly don't have to be born in March to enjoy wearing Aquamarine or Bloodstone (both of March's birthstones.) If you want a reminder of a peaceful ocean to wear, wear an Aquamarine piece of jewelry! If you want the dramatic symbolism of courage and sacrifice, find the perfect Bloodstone to wear!
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