The birthstone for march is the Aquamarine, which makes the commonly accepted March birthstone color light blue. These stones will come in colors from deep blues to bluish/greenish, all with different intensities. The difference in colors is caused by traces of iron that are found in a beryl crystal. The most prized stones are those that are deep blue because they are very rare and are quite expensive. A yellow beryl stone can be heated up to change the color to blue.

Aquamarines are often referred to as being the poor man’s diamond. These stones are a form of the mineral beryl that includes other types of gemstones such as morganite, heliodor, and emeralds. Beryl is made up of four elements, oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and beryllium.

History of Aquamarines

The word aquamarine comes from the Romans, the word aqua means water and mare means sea. The romans gave the stone this name because it looked like water from the sea. Aquamarines were believed to originate from the siren’s jewel caskets. It was believed that they were washed ashore from the bottom of the sea. Aquamarines were considered to be sacred to Neptune. The association with the sea made it the gem of the sailor. It promised safe and prosperous journeys and protection from perils and other monsters of the sea. The first documented use of the aquamarine comes from the Greeks sometime around 480 to 300 B.C. The Greeks wore amulets made of the aquamarine stone that had Poseidon engraved on them.

At the start of the Roman period the stone was thought to have medicinal powers and healing powers. It was thought that the stone could cure ailments affecting the jaws, liver, stomach, and throat. In the middle ages it was thought that it would help against poison. Soothsayers would use the stone as a mirror for fortune telling and for providing answers about the future.

In some areas the birth stone for the month of March is said to be the bloodstone. This stone is also called a heliotrope and is a type of quartz. This variety of quartz is called chalcedony. Bloodstone is green chalcedony that has spots of red in it. Bloodstone is the material this most often used for carving religious subjects such as the crucifixion.

March Birth Flower

The birth flower for the month of March is the daffodil. Daffodils are mostly recognized as being a yellow flower, but there are other color varieties as well including white and orange. The daffodil is a widely cultivated plant that has clustered flowers around a central crown that is shaped like a trumpet. The daffodil is native to the south part of Europe.

Romans brought the flower to Britain and believed that the flower’s sap has healing powers. Christians have adopted the flower as an Easter symbol and believe that the flower first bloomed when Christ was resurrected. Legend states that daffodils were present at the Garden of Gethsemane at the real time of the last supper and symbolized great sorrow.