Aquamarine has been worn for thousands of years as a stone of courage, clarity, and safe passage. Most people recognize it as March's birthstone or as the cool blue-green stone in their grandmother's ring, but aquamarine has a far richer history and more practical character than that framing suggests. It is one of the most durable colored gemstones available for everyday jewelry, one of the few that are almost never treated beyond gentle heat, and one whose meaning has stayed remarkably consistent across wildly different cultures and centuries. This guide covers everything from what aquamarine actually is to how to keep it looking its best for years.
What Is Aquamarine?
Aquamarine is a variety of beryl, a beryllium aluminum silicate mineral that also produces emerald, morganite (peach beryl), heliodor (golden beryl), and several other gemstone varieties. The blue-green color that defines aquamarine comes from trace amounts of ferrous iron within the beryl crystal structure. When the iron is in a ferric state instead, the resulting beryl is golden yellow; the specific oxidation state of iron in aquamarine is what creates its distinctive sea-colored tone.
The chemical formula for beryl is Be3Al2(Si6O18). Aquamarine forms in granite pegmatites — igneous rock formations with exceptionally large crystal growths — under conditions of slow cooling that allow large, well-formed crystals to develop. This is why aquamarine is frequently found in sizes and qualities that allow for larger jewelry stones, unlike emerald, which tends to be heavily included.
The most prized aquamarine color is a deep, saturated blue with minimal green. This is sometimes called "Santa Maria" aquamarine after deposits in Santa Maria de Itabira, Brazil, which historically produced the deepest blue stones. Lighter sky-blue aquamarines are more common and offer excellent value for larger pieces. The stone is naturally transparent to nearly flawless — high-clarity aquamarine is the norm rather than the exception, which is unusual among colored gemstones.
Major sources include Brazil (the largest and most important producer), Pakistan and Afghanistan (sources of particularly fine deep blue material), Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and the United States, including Colorado, where deposits are found in the Platte Canyon and other pegmatite zones.
Aquamarine Meaning and History
The name aquamarine comes from the Latin "aqua marina," meaning water of the sea — a reference both to its color and to its ancient association with the ocean. The connection between aquamarine and water is one of the most consistent threads in the stone's history across cultures and centuries.
The Romans believed aquamarine was sacred to Neptune, god of the sea, and that it had fallen from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed ashore. Sailors carried it as a protective talisman against storms and drowning, and it was engraved with Poseidon or Neptune to increase its power. Ancient Greek sailors considered it the sailor's stone and believed it could calm waves and ensure safe passage across open water. The stone was also associated with fresh beginnings, as sailors traditionally departed on new voyages in spring when aquamarine was at its most powerful.
In the Middle Ages, aquamarine was believed to reawaken the love between married couples and was given as a wedding gift. Medieval healers used it to treat throat and stomach ailments, connecting it to its later association with the throat chakra. It was also believed to counteract the effects of poison, making it a popular stone among royalty who feared assassination.
Ancient legends refer to aquamarine as the treasure of Atlantis and the treasure of mermaids — stories that persisted long enough to become part of the stone's common mythology. The stone was used in the breastplates of Hebrew high priests, and ancient Egyptian mummies were found buried with aquamarine amulets.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, aquamarine became a fashionable stone in European jewelry, particularly in the neoclassical and later Art Nouveau periods. Queen Victoria of England received numerous aquamarine pieces throughout her reign, and the stone appeared frequently in the elaborate parures — matched sets of necklace, earrings, brooch, and bracelet — fashionable among European aristocracy.
Aquamarine is the official March birthstone, recognized by the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America. It is also the traditional gemstone gift for the 19th wedding anniversary.
Aquamarine Symbolism and Spiritual Meaning
Across its long history, aquamarine has carried a remarkably consistent set of meanings. The most common associations are courage, clarity, honest communication, protection, and new beginnings. These trace back to ancient traditions that linked the stone's clear blue-green color to water, and water to purification, truth, and the crossing of thresholds.
Aquamarine has been called the "Stone of Courage" for its historical connection to sailors facing dangerous open water, and the "Stone of Communication" for its association with the throat chakra and honest speech. Both threads — courage and clarity in expression — remain the stone's primary symbolic identity today.
In medieval European tradition, aquamarine was thought to reveal hidden truths and make the wearer more perceptive. Diviners used it in scrying — reading the future in a polished stone or water surface — and it was believed to sharpen the mind and reveal the truth of complex situations.
In modern crystal healing practices, aquamarine is connected to two primary areas:
Throat Chakra (5th Chakra): Located at the center of the throat, the throat chakra governs communication, self-expression, and the ability to speak one's truth. Aquamarine's blue-green color corresponds directly to this chakra, which is why it is one of the most commonly recommended stones for improving honest communication, reducing communication anxiety, and supporting clear self-expression. Practitioners often carry or wear aquamarine when preparing for difficult conversations, presentations, or creative work that requires authentic expression.
Heart Chakra (4th Chakra): Some traditions also associate aquamarine with the heart chakra due to its green-blue tones and historical use as a stone of love and relational harmony. Its calming energy is said to ease emotional wounds and encourage compassion.
Aquamarine and Zodiac Signs
Aquamarine is the official birthstone for March, which spans two zodiac signs:
Pisces (February 19 to March 20): Pisces is known for deep intuition, emotional sensitivity, and a powerful connection to imagination and the unconscious. Aquamarine is considered the primary birthstone for Pisces. The stone's association with water, truth, and emotional clarity is thought to complement Pisces's natural empathy while encouraging grounded communication and clearer boundaries. For Pisces who tend to absorb the emotions of others, aquamarine is said to support emotional resilience and honest self-expression.
Aquarius (January 20 to February 18): Aquarius is known for independent thinking, humanitarian values, and original ideas. Aquamarine is a secondary birthstone for Aquarius. Its calming, clarifying energy is thought to ground Aquarius's expansive intellectual energy and support the honest communication that Aquarius values in relationships and advocacy. It is believed to help Aquarians speak difficult truths with care and calm.
Aquamarine is also the traditional gemstone for the 19th wedding anniversary, making it a meaningful gift for couples celebrating that milestone. Explore our zodiac jewelry collection for pieces designed around specific signs.
Aquamarine Physical Properties
Understanding aquamarine's physical properties helps you make informed decisions when buying and wearing it. Here are the key facts:
Mineral family: Beryl (Be3Al2(Si6O18))
Color: Pale blue to deep blue-green; color caused by ferrous iron (Fe2+)
Mohs hardness: 7.5 to 8
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Transparency: Transparent to translucent; high clarity is typical
Luster: Vitreous (glass-like)
Specific gravity: 2.68 to 2.74
Cleavage: Imperfect in one direction; breaks by conchoidal fracture
Refractive index: 1.567 to 1.590
The Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8 is the most important number for jewelry purposes. This places aquamarine solidly in the range for everyday wear — harder than most common minerals in household dust (quartz, at 7, is the relevant benchmark), which means surface scratching from normal daily contact is not a significant concern. For comparison: diamond is 10, sapphire and ruby are 9, and topaz is 8. Aquamarine can be scratched by topaz, sapphire, and diamond, so store pieces separately from harder gemstones.
Aquamarine is also notably resistant to heat compared to many other gemstones, though sudden extreme temperature changes should still be avoided. It is stable under normal lighting conditions, though prolonged direct sunlight can gradually lighten the color of highly saturated stones over many years.
Is Aquamarine Natural or Treated?
This is one of aquamarine's most practical selling points for buyers who care about gemstone authenticity: aquamarine is almost always natural in origin, and the one treatment it typically receives is both minor and permanent.
Most aquamarine as found in nature has a greenish-blue or blue-green color due to the combination of ferrous and ferric iron in the crystal. Gentle heat treatment — typically 400 to 450 degrees Celsius — drives off the ferric iron component, leaving only the ferrous iron and producing a cleaner, purer blue color. This is the standard treatment for virtually all gem-quality aquamarine on the market. The treatment is permanent, stable, and widely accepted by the industry. It does not affect the stone's durability, care requirements, or value in the way that more intensive treatments (like fracture filling or coating) would.
Unlike many other gemstones — ruby (routinely glass-filled), emerald (routinely fracture-filled), tanzanite (routinely heated to high temperatures), most blue topaz (irradiated and heated) — aquamarine's treatment protocol is minimal and honest. You are getting close to what the earth produced.
At Erin Gallagher Jewelry, our aquamarine is genuine and ethically sourced. Like the vast majority of gem-quality aquamarine on the market, our stones are heat-treated to enhance the blue color. This is a standard, permanent, and widely accepted practice in the gemstone industry — not a coating or artificial enhancement. We hand-select every stone for color quality before setting.
Aquamarine vs. Blue Topaz: What Is the Difference?
Aquamarine and blue topaz are the two most commonly compared blue gemstones, and buyers frequently ask which one to choose. They look similar at first glance but differ meaningfully in origin, treatment, price, and character.
Color origin: Aquamarine's blue-green color is naturally occurring — the result of iron in the beryl crystal structure. Most aquamarine receives only gentle heat treatment to remove greenish tones. Blue topaz, in contrast, is almost always colorless topaz that has been irradiated and then heated to produce blue color. The blue in blue topaz does not occur naturally at commercial scale; it is entirely a product of treatment. There is no meaningful supply of naturally blue topaz.
Color character: Aquamarine tends toward a softer, more muted, watery blue — the kind of blue that shifts slightly green in different lighting conditions. Swiss blue topaz is a brighter, more vivid cyan-blue. London blue topaz is deeper and more inky. Sky blue topaz is very pale. If you prefer a saturated, vivid blue, topaz offers more options. If you prefer a subtle, shifting sea-blue, aquamarine is the better choice.
Hardness: Blue topaz rates 8 on the Mohs scale; aquamarine rates 7.5 to 8. They are very close in durability, and both are appropriate for everyday wear in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. For rings, both are solid choices, though neither approaches the hardness of sapphire (9) or diamond (10).
Price: Blue topaz is generally less expensive than aquamarine of the same size, in part because blue topaz starts from colorless rough (which is common and inexpensive) while aquamarine color quality varies and finer stones command a premium. A large, well-saturated aquamarine costs significantly more than comparable blue topaz.
Meaning and birthstone status: Aquamarine is the official March birthstone. Blue topaz is one of three December birthstones (alongside tanzanite and zircon). Blue topaz is not a March stone.
The short answer for buyers: If you want a naturally colored gemstone with March birthstone significance, choose aquamarine. If you want a more vivid blue at a lower price point, or if you are buying for December, blue topaz is the practical choice. Both are natural gemstones with legitimate character — neither is an imitation of the other.
Can Aquamarine Go in Water?
Yes, aquamarine is safe for brief contact with water. At Mohs 7.5 to 8, it will not dissolve or degrade from normal water exposure, and its beryl structure is stable in fresh water. You can clean aquamarine jewelry with warm soapy water, a soft brush, and a thorough rinse.
There are limits worth knowing:
Avoid prolonged soaking. Extended time in water can affect metal settings, particularly sterling silver (which can oxidize) and gold-fill (where repeated soaking may eventually stress the bond).
Avoid salt water. Salt is abrasive at a microscopic level and can dull the stone's polish over time. Remove aquamarine jewelry before swimming in the ocean.
Avoid chlorinated pools and hot tubs. Chlorine and pool chemicals can affect both the stone's polish and the metal setting, particularly silver and lower-karat gold alloys.
Avoid steam cleaning. While aquamarine is generally stable under heat, steam cleaning subjects jewelry to rapid temperature changes and high-pressure moisture, neither of which is ideal for the stone or setting over time.
Showering: Brief exposure is fine, but daily shower exposure to shampoo, conditioner, soap, and hot water leaves residue buildup on the stone and can affect metal finishes. The safest habit is to remove jewelry before showering and put it on after.
How to Care for Aquamarine Jewelry
Aquamarine is one of the lower-maintenance gemstones, but a few consistent habits will keep it looking its best for decades.
Clean regularly. Use warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, a soft brush or soft cloth, and rinse thoroughly under clean water. Dry with a lint-free cloth. This removes the oils, lotions, and residue that build up from daily wear and are the main cause of a dull-looking stone. Aim for a gentle cleaning every two to four weeks if you wear the piece daily.
Ultrasonic cleaning: Generally safe for aquamarine without visible fractures or inclusions. If your stone has any visible cracks or inclusions, skip the ultrasonic and stick to hand cleaning.
Steam cleaning: Avoid. Rapid temperature changes are unnecessary risk for aquamarine.
Put jewelry on last, take it off first. Apply perfume, hairspray, lotion, and sunscreen before putting on aquamarine jewelry. Remove it before gardening, exercising, cleaning with household chemicals, or doing anything that involves impact or abrasion.
Store separately. Aquamarine (Mohs 7.5 to 8) can scratch softer stones, and harder stones — diamonds (10), sapphires (9), and even topaz (8) — can scratch aquamarine. Keep pieces in individual soft pouches or compartments in a lined jewelry box.
Avoid prolonged direct sunlight. Most aquamarine is stable in light, but prolonged UV exposure over years can gradually fade very saturated stones. Store jewelry away from windowsills.
Professional cleaning once a year. A jeweler can inspect prong tips and settings for wear, give the piece a professional cleaning, and catch small issues before they become problems.
How to Tell If Aquamarine Is Real
Aquamarine is sometimes imitated by glass, blue topaz, synthetic aquamarine (lab-created beryl with the same composition), or occasionally other blue stones. Here are practical ways to assess authenticity:
Color character. Genuine aquamarine has a soft, watery blue-green that shifts slightly in different lighting. It is typically not neon, not deeply saturated to the point of looking artificial, and not perfectly uniform in color. Glass imitations tend to look more uniformly colored without the slight depth variation of a crystalline stone.
Clarity. Aquamarine is typically very clean — eye-clean with no visible inclusions. This is normal for aquamarine (unlike emerald, which is routinely included). However, "too perfect plus very cheap" is a red flag for glass or synthetic material.
Temperature. Real gemstones feel cool to the touch initially and warm slowly with handling. Glass warms faster. This is an imperfect test but useful when comparing stones directly.
Hardness. Aquamarine (Mohs 7.5 to 8) will scratch glass. A stone that doesn't scratch glass is likely glass itself or a very soft imitation.
Weight. Aquamarine has a specific gravity of about 2.68 to 2.74. Glass is typically slightly lighter (around 2.5). A gemologist with a refractometer or specific gravity testing tools can confirm identity definitively.
Buy from transparent sources. The most reliable approach is to purchase from a jeweler who discloses stone details — natural vs. lab-created vs. treated — clearly and plainly. At Erin Gallagher Jewelry, every aquamarine piece uses genuine, ethically sourced aquamarine. We are happy to answer questions about any stone in our collection.
Shopping for Aquamarine Jewelry
When choosing aquamarine jewelry, here is what to consider:
Color first. Look for a blue tone that appeals to you — aquamarine ranges from very pale sky blue to a richer, more saturated medium blue-green. The paler stones offer the most value for size; the deeper blues are rarer and command a premium. Neither is more "authentic" than the other — it is a matter of personal taste and budget.
Clarity is usually excellent. Unlike emerald or ruby, high-clarity aquamarine is the norm. If a stone has visible inclusions, it should be priced accordingly and disclosed clearly.
Appreciate the treatment context. As discussed above, most aquamarine has been gently heat-treated for color enhancement. This is standard and expected. What you want to avoid is coating, fracture filling, or dyeing — practices that are not standard for aquamarine and would represent misrepresentation. Ask your jeweler directly if you want confirmation.
Metal choice. Aquamarine's blue-green tone works well in most metals. Sterling silver and white gold create a clean, contemporary contrast. Yellow gold adds warmth and creates a more classic look that echoes antique aquamarine jewelry traditions. Rose gold is less traditional but creates an interesting warm-cool balance. At Erin Gallagher Jewelry, aquamarine is available in 14K gold (yellow, white, and rose), gold-fill, and recycled sterling silver.
Jewelry type and use. For everyday wear, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are the most practical choices for aquamarine. Rings are also appropriate given the stone's hardness, but consider a bezel or protective prong setting for rings worn constantly. For pieces you plan to wear occasionally or for special occasions, any setting style works well.
Know your jeweler. Look for transparent sourcing, quality metals, and clear disclosure of stone treatments. At Erin Gallagher Jewelry, every piece is handcrafted in our Colorado studio using ethically sourced aquamarine and recycled precious metals. Prices start at $20 for charms and $95 for jewelry. Orders over $150 ship free, and everything arrives gift-ready in an eco-friendly box. Browse our aquamarine jewelry collection, or design your own piece through our GemBar.
For stone-specific buying guides and care instructions, visit our Birthstone Guides resource.