.
Black Friday offer - Get Premium access for 30-days, on us. No credit card required. Ends Dec 07.
Claim offer

Inspiration in the color aquamarine.

Learn the history and meaning of the color aquamarine, a color named from a stone named from the sea.

Design with aquamarine

What is the meaning of the color aquamarine?

The color aquamarine was named after the precious stone admired for its delicate sealike hue. Its name comes from the sea, too, from the Latin words aqua and marina, meaning seawater. Search for “aquamarine color” and you’ll discover the spectrum of aquamarine stone quality based on its saturation.

In fashion, interiors, art, and design, the color aquamarine is an exact mix of green, cyan, and blue.

The history of aquamarine.

Aquamarine color is named after the gemstone of the same name.

The gemstone aquamarine is a mineral found mostly in granite rocks. The mineral acquires its signature blue color when iron is added during the crystal formation. The level of iron varies, though, and so the color of aquamarine does, too. The color aquamarine in fashion, art, and design has been set and defined as a greenish-cyan shade of light blue.

The name of the stone comes from the Latin word for seawater.

The word aquamarine was first recorded in English in 1590 as agmarine. The word traveled to English from French, and its original root was Latin. With aqua meaning “water” and marina meaning “sea,” the name of the gemstone was perfect. Even the variety of aquamarine color stone-to-stone is poetic. Just like the color of seawater varies, so, too, does the color of the gemstone, from light blue to rich blue and then to greenish-cyan blue.

Aquamarine color was used figuratively for the first time in the mid-19th century.

For generations, aquamarine color referred only to the shade of an aquamarine stone. By 1846, the use of aquamarine color to describe anything bluish-green was first recorded. By the 1930s, aquamarine color was commonly shortened to aqua. Its use in English tells us something about the color’s popularity. Between 1850 and 1900, aquamarine tripled in use. In the 1950s, it spiked even more before a 20-year dip. Since the 1980s, it’s climbed steadily again.

The color aquamarine across different cultures.

As far back as Ancient Greece and Rome, aquamarine has been tied to the sea.

The Latin root of aquamarine meaning “seawater” leaves no room for surprise that the Ancient Romans and the Greeks tied aquamarine to the sea. Aquamarine is still thought to bring protection to ocean travelers. Aquamarine was used in ancient medicines to cure infections, too, especially of the eye. The color aquamarine is also associated with safety and healing as a result.

Look where aquamarine gemstones are mined and see how the color aquamarine varies.

Aquamarine is commonly mined in Southeast Asia, Russia, and central Africa. The biggest mines, however, are in Brazil. The color aquamarine is defined as a hue a little bluer in areas where the gemstone is mined, because aquamarine is considered higher quality the bluer it is. Mining populations know this. The aquamarine color used in fashion and design is a lighter blue-green.

The meaning of aquamarine color is also tied to gemstone traditions.

Aquamarine is the typical gemstone for children born in March. It’s thought to represent happiness, hope, and enduring youth. Aquamarine is also the wedding anniversary stone associated with 19 years of marriage.