Nineteenth Anniversary Stone: Aquamarine

What is the 19th anniversary stone?

The 19th anniversary stone is aquamarine. Like year sixteen, nineteen is an easy one because the traditional and modern lists agree, which you can check on the International Gem Society anniversary list. There is no fork in the road here and no watch or metal to weigh against a stone. Aquamarine is simply the answer for nineteen, whichever tradition you prefer. It also happens to be one of the more universally likeable gems, so it is a safe gift even when you are not certain of someone's taste.

About aquamarine

Aquamarine is the blue-to-sea-green variety of beryl, the same mineral family that gives us emerald and morganite. Its name comes from the Latin for sea water, and the colour lives up to it: a clean, pale blue that occasionally drifts toward green. Where emerald is famously included and fragile, aquamarine tends to be beautifully clear, so most cut stones are clean to the eye and hold a bright polish. The market prizes the purer, more saturated blues most, but plenty of natural aquamarine reads slightly green and is genuinely lovely for less money. Buy the colour you actually like rather than chasing a grade.

On durability, aquamarine sits at roughly 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. That is a practical everyday hardness, comfortably tougher than quartz stones like amethyst or citrine and hard enough to wear on the hand for years. Its one weak spot is that beryl can carry internal fractures, so a hard knock in the wrong place is a bigger risk than a scratch. We cover more of its behaviour on our aquamarine page.

Why aquamarine for year nineteen

The anniversary lists assigned aquamarine to nineteen without any ancient rule behind it, so treat any deeper meaning as a nice story rather than a fact. That said, the stone carries an old and gentle set of associations. Sailors once kept aquamarine as a charm for safe passage across the sea, and its calm colour has long stood for steadiness and clear thinking. For a nineteenth anniversary, one year short of two decades, that reading is easy to appreciate: a partnership that has stayed calm and steady through a long stretch of water. It is a grounded, unflashy symbol, which suits the year.

Choosing an aquamarine piece

Aquamarine's pale colour is its charm and also its challenge, because a small, thin stone can look almost colourless. My advice is to give it some size. A larger pendant, a generous pair of earrings, or a cocktail ring lets the blue actually register, whereas a tiny accent stone tends to wash out. Emerald cuts and other long, open shapes are flattering because they show off the clarity, though a round or oval reads softer and more romantic. On metal, warm yellow or rose gold makes a pale aqua look a touch deeper and richer by contrast, while white gold and platinum keep it cool and icy. Both are valid; it depends on the effect you want. Because aquamarine is durable enough for daily wear, a ring is a fair choice, though I would still pick a setting that shields the corners of a faceted stone from knocks. We build every piece by hand in Coquitlam, so we can source a stone in the exact blue you want, cut or recut it to suit the design, and set it in the metal that flatters it.

Keeping aquamarine bright

Aquamarine is low-maintenance. Warm water, a drop of mild soap, and a soft brush will keep it clean and bright. Its main vulnerability is those internal fractures, so avoid sharp knocks and be cautious with ultrasonic cleaners if a stone has visible inclusions, since vibration can worsen an existing flaw. Long, strong sunlight can very slowly fade some aquamarine, so store it out of a hot, bright window. Store it apart from diamond and sapphire so nothing harder scratches it. Looked after simply, an aquamarine bought for a nineteenth anniversary stays clear and blue well past the twentieth.

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