Aquarius is the champion of humanity. One of the strongest signs of the zodiac, Aquarius loves people, and likes to bring them together. This extremely sociable personality, however, may leave the Aquarian feeling empty and depressed when he is all by himself. Choices of Aquarius birthstone have been identified that not only reinforce his strong sociable personality, but also prevent melancholy from wearing him down.

Garnet

You shall make a breastplate of judgment. … You shall set in it settings of stones in four rows: a row of sard, peridot and emerald shall be the first row; and the second row a garnet, a lapis lazuli and an onyx …

— Exodus 28:15-18

Garnet is the Aquarius birthstone from Aaron’s breastplate in Exodus. Known as nophekh in Hebrew,¹ garnet was called anthrax in Greek² and carbunculus in Latin.³ Garnet is a fiery-red gemstone that resembles burning coal, hence the name carbunculus, which means “small coal.” This birthstone for Aquarius indeed specifically designates the red varieties of the otherwise colorful group of garnet minerals. These red garnet species include the violet-tinted almandine, brownish pyrope and rose-red rhodolite.

Blue Hyacinth

The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, lapis lazuli … the eleventh, hyacinth …

— Revelation 21:19-20

Blue hyacinth is the Aquarius birthstone from the Book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible mentions hyakinthos as the 11th Foundation Stone,⁴ and hence the birthstone of the 11th sign of the zodiac, Aquarius. However, unlike today’s hyacinth, which denotes the warm-colored zircon, the ancient hyacinth, hyakinthus in Latin, was of a blue color similar to that of the hyacinth flower.⁵ This puts the blue variety of zircon in the limelight as Aquarius gemstone.

More brilliant than sapphire, zircon is a popular substitute for diamond. Of zircon’s different colors, the bright blue zircon is arguably the most popular variety today.

Sapphire

Sapphire is the gemstone associated with Aquarius’ traditional ruling planet, Saturn, and is hence the planetary birthstone of Aquarius. This connection was made by both the ancient Chaldeans and the Hindus. In addition, sapphire may have been the Aquarius birthstone from the Book of Revelation. Called hyakinthus in Latin, this gem is described by a 1st-century writer as a gemstone similar to amethyst but with color diluted by the blue of hyacinth flower.⁵ If this hyakinthus did not mean the blue zircon, the biblical gem must be the blue sapphire.

Whether as biblical or planetary gem, the Aquarius birthstone refers in particular to the blue variety of sapphire, which otherwise occurs in a wide range of colors. See also —

Turquoise

Turquoise is planetary Aquarius birthstone. This popular opaque gemstone is associated with Aquarius’ traditional ruling planet, Saturn, in the Middle Ages.⁶ Turquoise also bears the blue-green color linked with the sign’s modern ruling planet, Uranus.⁷ Turquoise is a planetary Aquarius stone in both traditional and modern rulership of signs.

Amethyst

Amethyst is assigned as alternate gem to Saturn in Hindu astrology.⁶ Saturn’s rulership over the zodiac sign makes amethyst a planetary Aquarius birthstone. Amethyst is likewise Aquarius gemstone in contemporary crystal therapy.⁸

Amethyst is a variety of quartz occurring in shades of violet, purple or lavender.

Sugilite

Sugilite is an Aquarius birthstone⁸ ranging in shade from pink to purple.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine is an Aquarius birthstone⁹ that reproduces the blue-green color associated with the zodiac sign’s modern ruling planet, Uranus. Aquamarine can also be similar in color to the Aquarius stone from Revelation, blue hyacinth.

Ranging in shade from blue to blue-green, aquamarine comes from the mineral beryl, which also produces emerald.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is an intensely blue Aquarius birthstone.⁹

Lapis lazuli is a rock consisting mostly of lazurite, which is responsible for the gem’s intense blue color. Sprinkles of fool’s gold or cuprite is scattered across lapis lazuli, which may also have cloudy layers of white calcite.

Aquarius Birthstone Color

Should Aquarius birthstone color be cool or warm? The best-known Aquarius gemstone, garnet, is a smoldering red. Others — including blue zircon, sapphire, turquoise and aquamarine — are cool-colored choices of Aquarius stone. Purple amethyst and sugilite stand in the middle, neither warm as garnet nor cool as blue sapphire.

Know Their Magic

Each birthstone for Aquarius is attributed with magical properties. Know the magical powers of Aquarius stone when you read my book Power Birthstone.

See Aquarius in Action

Curious about Aquarius and other zodiac signs? An enjoyable way to understand the different signs is to see how they behave, interact or fight in a narrative. Deomar Pandan has recently started a novel whose character profiles are based on astrology’s zodiac signs. Read his fantasy novel for FREE: Cosmons and the Tree of Immortality.

Footnotes

1

“Exodus 28.” The Bible. Bible Hub, biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/28.htm. Accessed 28 July 2019.

2

“Exodus 28.” Septuagint. Blue Letter Bible, www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/exo/28/1/s_78001. Accessed 28 July 2019.

3

“Exodus 28.” Biblia Sacra Vulgata. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+28%3A17-20&version=VULGATE. Accessed 28 July 2019.

4

“Revelation 21.” The Bible. Bible Hub, biblehub.com/interlinear/revelation/21.htm. Accessed 28 July 2019.

5

Pliny. “Book 37 – XLI.” Natural History. Trans. D. E. Eichholz. Loeb Classical Library ed. Vol. X. Harvard University Press, 1962. Wikisource, en.wikisource.org/wiki/Natural_History_(Rackham,_Jones,_%26_Eichholz)/Book_37. Accessed 27 July 2019.

6

Knuth, Bruce G. “Birthstones.” Gems in Myth, Legend and Lore. Revised ed. Parachute: Jewelers Press, 2007. pp. 293-327.

7

Conway, D. J. “Personal Gemstones.” Crystal Enchantments: A Complete Guide to Stones and Their Magical Properties. Crossing Press, 1999. Google Books.

8

Eason, Cassandra. “Birthstones.” Healing Crystals: An Illustrated Guide to 150 Crystals and Gemstones. Collins & Brown, 2005. Google Books.

9

Mella, Dorothee L. “A Practical Guide for Astrological Colors, Gemstones, & Metals.” Stone Power II. Albuquerque: Brotherhood of Life, 1986. p. 23.