March's Birthstones: The Aquamarine & Bloodstone

Aquamarine Gemstone

In ancient days, they believed that there was a spiritual connection between the twelve stones on the breastplate of Aaron, the twelve zodiac signs, and the twelve months of the Roman calendar.  This is the basis for the different birthstones associated with each month. March (which is unique) has two birthstones:  aquamarine and bloodstone.

Aquamarine: the First Birthstone of March
Aquamarine means water, and the sea varies in color from deep blue to blue green and is considered cool; this color is associated with keeping the wearer calm and levelheaded:  cool under pressure! Often referred as the poor man’s diamond, it is with the same family of gemstones like morganite, emerald, and heliodor. The legend of aquamarine derives from the jewel caskets of sirens, coming ashore from the sea depths. These gemstones were very sacred, representing Neptune the Roman god of the sea. Aquamarine is believed to help heal a large number of ailments, mainly related to the jaw, liver, throat, and stomach. Its decorative use in eyeglasses is well-known and dates back almost 2000 years back.

Relationship to the Zodiac Sign
Aquamarine is the first birthstone of the month of March and is also the 19th wedding anniversary’s gemstone (how’s that for an interesting tidbit?). The Zodiac sign for this birthstone is Pisces (born between February 20 & March 20). Pisces is also the sign of the fish and is the twelfth sign in the zodiac calendar, its ruling planet is Neptune. The Aquamarine birthstone is associated with courage, faithfulness, and friendship.

Jewelry has made with the aquamarine gemstone for centuries, for all types of jewelry, from rings, brooches, pins, cufflinks, bracelets, pendants, earrings, to, of course, necklaces.  The aquamarine makes a wonderfully rich and tasteful gift, especially to those born under the sign of Pisces!

There is a poem written for March’s birthstone, can you guess the author?

"A March born shall always be
Soothed by Aqua, gem of sea
This mermaid's treasured stone you wear
Will bring happiness, love, affection and care."

The Other March Birthstone

The Bloodstone or Heliotrope

The second (or alternative) birthstone for March is the Bloodstone which is also known as Heliotrope. The stone’s properties make it ideal for carving and this gemstone is believed to increase vitality and have healing powers. Character traits associated with the Bloostone are courage and solace.

The Bloodstone is dark-green in color, jasper flecked, with vivid red spots of iron oxide (hence Bloostone!).  This gem in the ancient era was used by Babylonians to make seals and amulets, and is believed to possess healing powers especially associated with healing blood disorders.

So for your March births, here are your gemstones:  Aquamarine and the Bloodstone.  And don’t forget, a beautiful luxury jewelry box or standing jewelry armoire is a great place to store these and other treasures!

Guest Blogger, Noelle, ChasingTreasure.com

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