One aquamarine crystal dug from a Brazilian pegmatite at Marambaia weighed about 244 pounds, more than most grown men, and was 19 inches long. It was still clear enough to be cut into gems. Aquamarine is the same mineral as emerald, yet where emeralds are almost always flawed inside, aquamarine grows in big, clean crystals like that one.
Aquamarine meaning comes down to two things the sea does well: settling down, and carrying words across a distance. It's the throat chakra's calm blue, and the particular shade of that blue is the quickest way to tell it from topaz and glass.
Aquamarine quick facts
- Chakra: Throat
- Zodiac: Pisces
- Element: Water
- Birthstone: March
- Color: Pale sky blue to deep blue, often with a hint of green
- Hardness: 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale
- Commonly from: Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mozambique
- Pairs with: rose quartz, moonstone, clear quartz
Calm water, clear words
Calm. Aquamarine's pale blue is read as still water, a stone for slowing down when feelings run high.
Clear speech. It's kept for saying what you mean, kindly and plainly, in conversations you'd rather avoid.
Trust. It's a stone for close relationships too, for honesty between partners and the patience to hear each other out.
Its name is Latin for seawater, and it was said to calm the waves and keep sailors safe at sea. Old lapidary lore held that beryl, the mineral aquamarine belongs to, protected its wearer in battle and in lawsuits. It was also thought to bring happiness to a marriage, and today it marks the 19th wedding anniversary.
A throat stone for a water sign
Aquamarine belongs to the throat chakra, the center of communication, matching its link to honest, gentle speech. It's the March birthstone, and most of March falls under Pisces, a water sign, which suits a stone named for the sea. Its element is water.
Before the hard talk. On the morning of a difficult conversation, hold your aquamarine and write the one sentence you most need the other person to hear. Keep the stone and the note in your pocket, and say that sentence first.
Soft blue, electric blue or bubbles: aquamarine, topaz and glass
| Aquamarine | Blue topaz | Blue glass | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kind of blue | Pale, soft blue, often a little green | Bright, saturated "electric" blue | Any blue, perfectly even |
| Look inside | Often clean to the eye | Often clean to the eye | May show round bubbles or swirls |
| Hardness | 7.5 to 8 | 8 | About 5.5 |
| How it got its color | Iron, often heated | Usually colorless topaz treated to turn blue | Coloring added to the glass |
The kind of blue is the clue: aquamarine is the softer, sea-tinted one. A stone that's vividly, evenly blue and very cheap is more likely topaz or glass.
Talks, travels and anniversaries
- Worn before an interview, a speech or a hard conversation
- On a desk where you write the letters that matter
- Packed for a trip to the coast or a day on a boat
- As a gift for a March birthday or a 19th anniversary
Pink and moonlight for the sea stone
Wear. Aquamarine and rose quartz are often paired, cool blue beside warm pink. The rose quartz heart tassel bracelet brings that pink, finished with a little heart.
Hold. A rose quartz heart palm stone is smooth and pocket-sized, good company for an aquamarine on a day of hard talks.
Moon. Our crescent moon rose quartz necklace adds moonstone, and the moon is what pulls the tides, a fitting partner for a stone named after the sea. Rose quartz has its own full guide.
More stones for honest, easy words are in our throat chakra crystals.
Caring for aquamarine
Aquamarine is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, tough enough for rings and bracelets, but a hard blow on an edge can still nick it. Warm, soapy water and a soft brush clean it well. Keep it away from sudden heat, and store it apart from diamonds and sapphires, which can scratch it. To cleanse it, rinse it in cool running water and let it air-dry on a towel. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Aquamarine FAQ
Is aquamarine a birthstone?
Yes. It's the birthstone for March.
Is aquamarine blue or green?
Both. Natural aquamarine runs from greenish blue to blue, and most cut stones are heated to bring out the blue.
Is aquamarine expensive?
Pale stones are affordable. A deep, strong blue is valued most, and since the color usually only gets intense in larger stones, big deep-blue gems cost the most.
Can aquamarine get wet?
Yes. Water won't harm it, so a rinse or warm, soapy water is fine.
Can you wear aquamarine on your wrist?
Yes. An aquamarine bracelet is a quiet blue reminder on days full of talking, and at 7.5 to 8 in hardness the beads handle everyday wear.
The blue beryl
Aquamarine is a variety of beryl, the same mineral as emerald. Traces of iron give it its blue to greenish-blue color, while emerald's green comes from chromium or vanadium. Most of it grows in pegmatites, coarse granite bodies where the last fluids of a cooling magma crystallize slowly, which is why its crystals can grow so large and clean. Seen through a gem tester, a crystal looks almost colorless from one direction and bluer from another, so cutters angle the stone to show its best blue. Heating removes a faint yellow tint and leaves a purer blue that stays stable. The record crystal, found at Marambaia, Brazil, in 1910, was 19 inches long and weighed about 244 pounds.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.