March birthstone

March birthstone is aquamarine.

In her book ‘The Crystal Bible’ Judy Hall writes “aquamarine is a stone of courage.  Its calming energies reduce stress and quiet the mind.  It harmonizes its surroundings and protects against pollutants.  In ancient times it was believed to counteract the forces of darkness and procure favor from the spirits of light.  It was carried as a talisman against drowning.”

I love it for its watery cool blue colour, which reminds me of Spring skies and clear seas and lakes.

Aquamarine has good hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale – This is a scale of comparative hardness devised in 1822 by Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist.  Hardness can be described as the ability to resist abrasion when a pointed fragment of another gem substance is drawn across it.) and an eye-catching clarity.  That hardness makes it tough which makes it a good stone to set and wear in rings.