Art & Artists, Volume 1, number 3, March 1999 Judie's Gems: aquamarine and bloodstone Lucky is the person born with the March birthstone because you have two choices (don’t ask me why, not all of us are so blessed): aquamarine and bloodstone. Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5 on the Moh scale, which means it’s a good choice for a ring. It is part of the beryl family and is a translucent stone. Aquamarine ranges in color from the palest whisper of blue to a deep, electric blue. To me the color has more of the ocean in it than the sky. Of course, the deeper the color the rarer and more expensive it will be. It is mined in India, Siberia, and Brazil. This gemstone has been revered for its purity and sensitivity to personal influence. So if you know someone who is getting married and want to give them something blue, aquamarine will help preserve and increase the couple’s mutual love. Now to bloodstone: this deep green stone with flecks of red is part of the jasper family. It has a hardness of 6.5. The red flecks are formed by iron oxide. This is an opaque stone which can be highly polished. In the past it has occurred in large quantities, so it was a fairly inexpensive stone. However, it is my understanding that it is becoming more difficult to find, so the price is creeping up. It is not a stone that one sees very often in jewelry stores. Bloodstone is said to have curative properties and when placed upon a wound, will staunch the flow of blood (supposedly because of the antiseptic properties of the iron oxide). It’s not something I would try but it might be a good stone to consider if you work with knives a lot. Sometimes it is good to have more than one choice! Next month’s birthstone is diamond, so stay tuned and have the secrets of this overpriced gemstone debunked. | ||
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