Aquamarine — blue to blue-green beryl coloured by traces of iron — is the gemstone assigned to the nineteenth wedding anniversary in modern gift lists published by major trade organisations, including Jewelers of America. The association places aquamarine among a structured calendar of anniversary gems that gained broad commercial recognition during the twentieth century, codifying what had previously been a looser folk tradition of gift-giving by material.

The Anniversary Stone Tradition

The practice of linking specific materials or gemstones to wedding anniversaries is generally traced to German and English folk custom, but the detailed, standardised lists familiar to contemporary consumers were largely shaped by North American jewellery trade bodies in the early-to-mid twentieth century. Jewelers of America and similar organisations published recommended gift lists that assigned gemstones to milestones — particularly the later, less commercially obvious anniversaries such as the nineteenth — partly to encourage jewellery purchases at intervals beyond the well-known silver (twenty-fifth) and gold (fiftieth) landmarks. The assignment of aquamarine to the nineteenth anniversary is not universal; some regional or historical lists differ, and no single authoritative international standard exists.

Aquamarine: The Gem

Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈), crystallising in the hexagonal system with a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. Its colour ranges from the palest sky blue through vivid medium blue to blue-green, with the finest stones displaying a pure, saturated blue free of greenish secondary hues. The colouring agent is iron: ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) produces blue, while a combination of ferrous and ferric iron introduces green. Heat treatment — routinely applied in the trade and considered stable and permanent — reduces the greenish component, shifting colour toward the more commercially desirable pure blue.

Major sources include Brazil (notably the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Bahia), Nigeria, Mozambique, Madagascar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The celebrated Santa Maria colour — an intense, deeply saturated blue — takes its name from the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Minas Gerais; the term is now applied informally to similarly coloured stones from other localities, including the Karur district of India and certain African deposits, sometimes qualified as Santa Maria Africana.

Symbolism and Suitability

Aquamarine's association with calm waters, clarity, and steadfast partnership lends it a natural symbolic fitness for a wedding anniversary stone. Its name derives from the Latin aqua marina, meaning sea water, and the gem has long carried maritime and protective connotations in European tradition. For anniversary jewellery, its practical attributes are equally relevant: aquamarine is widely available in large, clean crystals, is relatively affordable compared with ruby or fine sapphire, and its durability — good hardness and no cleavage concerns in normal wear — makes it well suited to rings, pendants, and bracelets intended for regular use.

In the Trade

When selecting aquamarine for anniversary jewellery, colour saturation and clarity are the primary value drivers. Eye-clean stones with a medium to medium-dark pure blue command the highest prices; very pale or strongly greenish stones are considerably less valuable. Most commercial aquamarine has been heat-treated, and buyers should assume treatment unless a reputable laboratory report states otherwise. For significant purchases, a report from a recognised laboratory — such as those issued by GIA, Gübelin, or SSEF — confirming colour origin and any treatments is advisable. Aquamarine is generally not subjected to fracture filling or coating, making it one of the more straightforward coloured stones from a treatment-disclosure perspective.

Further Reading

• GIA Aquamarine Description — gia.edu
• AGTA Aquamarine — agta.org