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Section: March

March — Aquamarine

Aquamarine — blue beryl, emerald's cleaner sibling

Mohs 7.5 to 8, but beryl has one direction of imperfect cleavage. Occasional wear; avoid sharp knocks.

3 pieces in this month, ordered by how often they can sensibly be worn — the most forgiving first.

Mineralogy

Aquamarine is the blue to blue-green variety of beryl, beryllium aluminium silicate, coloured by iron. Mohs 7.5 to 8. Unlike emerald, which is the same mineral family, aquamarine typically grows with very few inclusions.

What the trade does to it

Most aquamarine on the market has been heated to around 400°C to remove a yellow-green component and leave a cleaner blue. The change is stable and permanent. Every aquamarine here is declared heated.

Documented history

Aquamarine replaced bloodstone as the principal March stone on the 1912 list. The largest recorded gem aquamarine crystal, found in Marambaia, Brazil in 1910, weighed over 110 kg.

March pieces

From £165 · all prices include VAT

Nothing in March reaches Mohs 8, so no piece in this month is graded for daily wear. If the piece needs to be worn every day without special care, look at April, July or September instead. We would rather say that than sell you something that will not survive the way you intend to wear it.

Wear grades in this month

  • Suitable for daily wear

    0 pieces in March

    • Remove before contact sports and heavy manual work
    • Remove before swimming pools and hot tubs — chlorine attacks the metal, not the stone

  • Occasional wear — avoid knocks

    3 pieces in March

    • Remove before gym equipment, gardening, DIY and washing up
    • Do not stack against harder stones, which will abrade this one
    • Avoid sudden temperature change

  • Delicate — special occasions only

    0 pieces in March

    • Remove before any physical activity — knocks will chip this stone
    • Keep away from perfume, hairspray, cosmetics and hand sanitiser
    • Avoid sudden temperature change and prolonged dry heat
    • No ultrasonic tank, no steam, no soaking

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