[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]March is the month of blue. The birthstone is aquamarine which is light blue, and although I can talk about aquamarine, so many other sites will talk about it, that I want to bring you something different. And, since I love blue gemstones and there are so many fine gemstones you can wear that are blue that are not aquamarines or sapphires or turquoise, that I thought it might be fun to explore some other blue gemstones that you can incorporate into your jewelry box.
Why Blue Gemstones
March 1 was the Day of Blue. Of course, today is not March 1, but we can celebrate a few days late. The color blue is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness and consciousness and intellect. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity. Blue gemstones promote peace and are used to calm ragged emotions. They are used to provide relief to people who have difficulty sleeping or who have nightmares. They offer inspiration and enhance the quality of communication.
Blue Topaz
Pure Topaz is usually colorless, but when it has color it is because it is tinted by impurities. Natural blue topaz is very rare. Typically to get a real blue color the topaz is heat treated. Blue topaz closely resembles the finest aquamarine. Some of the finer deeper blue topaz stones have been found to be radioactive and in the US, all blue topaz must be tested for radiation levels.
Blue Topaz is the state gemstone for Texas. Blue topaz has been said to work with ones creative energies and is also excellent for promoting concentration. Many believed wearing a topaz ring would keep death from coming prematurely and would control insomnia and greed. Topaz has also been long believed to be useful for those unable to control lust- a good stone for people with sex addictions. Worn around the neck, topaz was also thought to cure madness, dispel bad omens, heal poor vision and calm anger.
We just think it’s pretty!
Iolite
Named from the Greek ios, or violet, iolite at its best is a rich violet blue that is reminiscent of blue gemstones like tanzanite and sapphire. Iolite is usually a purplish blue when cut properly, with a softness to the color that can be quite attractive. It is more common to find iolite with beautiful blue in small sizes: larger sizes are often too dark, almost black. Iolite is readily available and surprisingly affordable in sizes up to 4 or 5 carats. The better and richer blue of this gemstone, the higher the price. The most common shape is oval and it is a relatively hard gemstone with a 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs Hardness scale.
Iolite means the path of enlightenment and is also known as the water sapphire. Iolite helps one to stay in the moment and bring harmony to the self within. It enhances leadership ability, power, inner strength and self-confidence and executive ability as well as offers physical protection from disease, establishing a constitution that defies physical disorder.
But, again…we think it’s pretty.
Tanzanite
These beautiful blue gemstones can only be found in Tanzania and was made famous by Tiffany & Company. The deep blue of the tanzanite runs from ultramarine blue to light violet-blue. The most coveted color is a blue surrounded by a delicate hint of purple, but no matter the color, because this stone is fairly rare, it commands a good price. It is rare because it can only be found in one place in the world.
Tanzanite is sometimes called the “workaholic’s stone”, this is due to the fact that this stone will help you slow down and take it easy. This in turn will bring success in more areas of your life. It is very balancing for highly active people, mellowing out extremes in personality. It is said to relieve stress and enhance composure, poise and harmony. It is very balancing for highly active folk, mellowing out extremes in a personality. It helps us in understanding why things are happening in life giving us awareness from the balance.
Tanzanite is a “stone of magic” that facilitates spiritual awareness and stimulates insight. It is also said to relieve depression. Tanzanite is known to both dispel and transmute negativity. We just love it.
What are your favorite blue gemstones?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
