March has two birthstones in the US: aquamarine, a light blue to greenish blue beryl, and bloodstone, a dark green chalcedony flecked with red.
March is one of the few months whose order has flipped. On the 1912 list adopted in Kansas City, bloodstone came first and aquamarine was the alternate. By most accounts the positions were swapped in a 1952 revision, and Jewelers of America now lists only aquamarine, while the American Gem Society and GIA continue to name both. The pairing still reads like a portrait of the season: one stone the color of thawing water, the other the dark green of early growth.
Aquamarine takes its name from the Latin for seawater, and sailors' lore held that it calmed waves and kept voyagers safe on the open sea. It was also traditionally linked with a happy marriage and remains the customary 19th-anniversary gem. Bloodstone carries a very different story. Its other name, heliotrope, comes from the Greek for turning the sun, and Christian legend connected its red flecks with the blood of Christ.
Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family, the same mineral as emerald, but its color stays in the cool range from light blue to greenish blue. At 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale it is durable enough for everyday rings. Brazil heads a long list of notable sources that also includes Pakistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya and the United States. Its watery tone is so closely tied to its name that the two are hard to separate.
Bloodstone, also called heliotrope, is a form of chalcedony, a quartz whose crystals are too small to see. Its look is unmistakable: a dark green body scattered with red spots. Hardness falls at 6.5–7. India, Brazil, Australia, China and the United States are notable sources. Bloodstone was March's primary stone on the 1912 list, and the American Gem Society still keeps it as an alternative.
Aquamarine tolerates most cleaning methods: warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush, with ultrasonic and steam usually safe unless the stone has fractures or liquid inclusions. Bloodstone needs a gentler routine. Wash it in warm soapy water, dry it with a soft cloth, keep it away from harsh chemicals and extreme heat, and wrap it in soft fabric before putting it away.
| US list | UK list | Japanese list (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Aquamarine(Bloodstone (heliotrope)) | Aquamarine(Jade) | AquamarineCoralBloodstone (heliotrope)Iolite |
On the current Jewelers of America list, aquamarine is the March birthstone. The American Gem Society and GIA keep bloodstone as an alternative because it was the original 1912 choice, so both stones have a legitimate claim to the month.
The UK's National Association of Jewellers also lists aquamarine first, but its alternative is jade rather than bloodstone. Bloodstone did appear as the March alternative on an older UK chart from the National Association of Goldsmiths.
JanuaryGarnet
FebruaryAmethyst
MarchAquamarine
AprilDiamond
MayEmerald
JunePearlMoonstoneAlexandrite
JulyRuby
AugustPeridotSpinel
SeptemberSapphire
OctoberOpalTourmaline
NovemberTopazCitrine
DecemberTurquoiseTanzaniteZirconBirthstones are a jewelry and cultural tradition, and their meanings are folklore. Gem facts are compiled from public material by GIA, the American Gem Society and Jewelers of America.