March - Aquamarine, Bloodstone
March: Aquamarine; Bloodstone
Aquamarine is a lovely blue gem, reminiscent of the
sea. In fact, the name is derived from
Latin terms, “Aqua” for water, and “Mare” for the sea. In ancient times, it was believed that
Aquamarines were a gift from the god Neptune (the God of the Sea), and that
these gems were good luck for sailors.
Today, Aquamarines are associated with hope, youth, fidelity, and
health.
Aquamarines come in
several shades of blue, from light to dark, all equally striking. These are also naturally very clean stones,
usually completely free of internal inclusions.
Aquamarines are generally affordable, with the exception of the larger
and more intensely blue stones, which can be very pricey. The best and most important Aquamarine mine
is in
Bloodstone
The alternate birthstone
for March is the much more masculine Bloodstone. Bloodstone is green jasper, sprinkled with
red iron oxide. This stone is also known
as Heliotrope, perhaps because the ancients felt that it looked like the sun
setting over the ocean. Ancient
Christians believed this to be a Martyr’s stone. They felt that the stone’s appearance
symbolized Christ’s blood falling on the jasper that was at the bottom of the
crucifix. The ancient’s would carve
bloodstone to reflect such biblical scenes.
Examples of carved Bloodstone can be found at the Louvre in
Bloodstone mining is done in