Aquamarine

The March birthstone Aquamarine is named from the Latin “water of the sea”. 

It is a light blue to blue–green variety of the mineral beryl, which also includes emerald.  Iron is the substance which gives aquamarine its color, a color which ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. 

Aquamarine is a very wearable gem symbolizing youth, hope and health.  It is a durable stone with hardness on the Mohs scale of 7.5 to 8 but like most colored gemstones should not be exposed to prolonged sunlight. 

Sources of aquamarine include Brazil, India, Russia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Afghanistan and Pakistan.