Aquamarine or Bloodstone - March Birthstones
Two gem stones have been assigned as birthstones for the month of
March: the aquamarine and the bloodstone.The aquamarine derives
its name from aqua and mare meaning "sea water." It was
poetically described by an ancient writer as "...a thousand
leagues of sunlit sea imprisoned in a cup." Its color varies
from deep blue to greenish-blue and is like the transparent sea
itself. Aquamarine has long been considered the symbol of happiness
and everlasting youth. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans valued it
highly, and many museums exhibit aquamarine specimens enhanced by
old intaglio engraving and cameo carving. It was once the special
talisman of ocean travelers, reputedly assuring them a successful
voyage and safe return. The hopeful counted on it to renew married
love, develop forbearance, cure laziness and further litigation.In
the Middle Ages the aquamarine was said to bestow insight and foresight
and, on the other hand, to have the power to induce sleep. The supposed
power of the stone to fight evil was said to enable its wearer to
conquer all wickedness. Water in which an aquamarine was soaked
was believed to cure eye trouble, stoppage of breath and hiccups.
Aquamarines were associated with the purity of the oceans and hence
were credited with the power to keep its wearers clean in body and
spirit. The ancients wore aquamarines engraved with the head of
Neptune, the sea god, to protect them against the perils of the
deep. In Egypt the stone is believed to have been used to invoke
the aid of cunning water spirits and mighty heroes. In the ordering
of the New Jerusalem, the gem was assigned to St. Thomas, the apostle,
who made long journeys by sea to preach the faith.The lovely color
in aquamarines is caused by a minute amount of iron compound. The
aquamarine is the blue variety of beryl, the same mineral as emerald.
The best aquamarines have great transparency and brilliance and
often come in large crystals.In 1910 an aquamarine crystal was found
in Brazil that weighed 243 pounds and was so transparent that objects
could be seen through its long dimension of nineteen inches. The
British Museum of Natural History has on display a flawless sea-green
specimen that weighs 879.5 carats, and the American Museum of Natural
History has several cut specimens, including a 271-carat Russian
aquamarine, a 335-carat gem from Sri Lanka, an emerald-cut 144.5-carat
Brazilian stone, and another one of top quality weighing 400 carats.
Experts consider the most beautiful aquamarine ever discovered to
be one that came from Brazil and was once owned by that country's
emperor Dom Pedro. Aquamarines are mined principally in Brazil.In
America the aquamarine was given an enormous boost in popularity
in 1906 when President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Roosevelt
Longworth of "Alice Blue Gown" fame, was given a beautiful
heart-shaped aquamarine by Vice President William Howard Taft as
a wedding gift.The companion birthstone for March is the bloodstone,
which is mainly worn by men and is often carved with monograms,
initials or crests.The bloodstone is said to represent the blood
of Christ Jesus. Bloodstone gems have been embellished with a thorn-crowned
head of Jesus so placed that the red of the bloodstone simulate
drops of blood trickling down his hair and face. Such gems are especially
revered as Christian amulets.The bloodstone was once thought to
be able to check hemorrhages. Certain Indians also considered the
bloodstone a remedy, but they first cut it into the shape of a heart.
Because of its religious significance, the bloodstone has reputedly
had many other curative powers and was once used to counteract poisons.As
the March birthstone for men, the bloodstone is supposed to give
its wearer courage and make him brave in the face of all danger.
In addition, it is reputed to impart wisdom and an ability to detect
and foil enemy plots.
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