March has two birthstones – aquamarines and bloodstone. They are quite different. Aquamarines are beautiful pale blue transparent gemstones while bloodstones are opaque stones with dark green backgrounds scattered with red dots and streaks.
To me, aquamarines are a feminine gemstone, light and summery, the colour of a clear sea. They go well with both gold and silver settings
Aquamarines are transparent and are normally inclusion free. The colour can range from clear stones with just a faint blue like the stones above or to a clear blue as seen below.
Popular for centuries, particularly with the Georgians, aquamarine experienced increased use in Edwardian jewellery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Bloodstone on the other hand is a more masculine stone. Used for centuries in jewellery, it is not seen much today. It featured predominantly in men’s jewellery in Victorian times – signet rings, tie pins and so on. However, it was also used in Scottish ‘pebble’ jewellery which was so popular in the same era. The gold locket below shows off the striking contrast of the dark green background and the blood red inclusions.
navette jewellery 