October's Birthstone

We can hardly believe its October already but it here so you might like to know a little bit about Aquamarine-the birthstone for the month.

Aquamarine is the pale blue variety of the mineral beryl, with a wonderful shine and is almost completely free of inclusions. Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5 – 8.0 on Moh's scale, which makes it extremely durable for jewellery. The intensity of the blue colour depends on the quantity of iron within the mineral. The most valuable aquamarines are those with an intense blue colour. Some aquamarines can even have a light green hue.
The most predominant deposits of Aquamarine crystals are found in Brazil but can also be found in Namibia, Kenya, Madagascar, Burma, the Ural mountains in Russia, Sri-Lanka, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin ‘aqua’ for water and ‘mare’ for sea, due to the colour. Since ancient times, aquamarine has been seen as a gemstone of vision and aquamarine crystals were often used for eyes in statues, to symbolize power and wisdom. According to legend, any person that looked at the statues became wise and gained the ability to see into the future. These statues were often placed in strategic positions on the coast where they could calm the wrath of Poseidon, thus ensuring the safe return of ships. It is perhaps from this myth that aquamarine has been regarded as the sailors’ lucky stone. With its association with the ocean, aquamarine is considered to be a gemstone of purification that cleanses the mind with fresh and positive thoughts and is used by those who meditate, due it its calming effect. It is also believed to eradicate fears and phobias. Additionally, wearing an aquamarine is said to ensure a good marriage and to bring the wearer happiness and good fortune.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and October. It can also be given to celebrate nineteen years of marriage. We have some very pretty Aquamarine pendants in the shops, starting from £19 and beautiful beaded necklaces in a variety lengths and styles, we can also make bespoke pieces especially for you if you would like us to.

However, Aquamarine can be a very expensive stone so we also have our 'Solitaire' pendant in Blue Topaz as an alternative. The Pendant is £25 and the studs are £15 so at just £40 for the whole set it makes a really lovely gift.