Mermaids Treasure: Aquamarines for March
Aquamarine is a lovely light blue variety of beryl. As a stone that's defined largely by its colour, the only shades called aquamarine are blue and blue-green. If you've heard the term “aquamarine blue,” you know it's a slightly greenish-blue. However, a pure robin's egg blue is more accurate. The name derives from the Latin for seawater, blue with a green cast. Because of this lovely blue colour, aquamarine has captivated people who make a living on the high seas for thousands of years.
"the beautiful Beryl family also includes emerald, morganite & heliodor"
Aquamarine is from the beryl gemstone family and other varieties of Beryl include the always-expensive green Emerald and the trendy pink Morganite and lesser known yellow Heliodor. Chemically, beryl is a beryllium aluminum silicate, and to get aquamarine some of the aluminum is replaced with iron. Raw aquamarine, like other beryl, has a hexagonal crystal structure. Its is a reasonably hard gemstone, the harder the gemstone the more sparkly the facets. It facets well and is available as an ultra expensive flawless and transparent aqua down to the more interesting included varieties which add depth and history to their provenance. For example: Moss aquamarine, once discarded for its inclusions, now appreciated for the depth of colour and interest that the needle threads display.
The largest and best known deposits of Aquamarine is found in Brazil but other areas include Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine and more recently in Africa. More recent discoveries of Aquamarine have been found in Kenya and Zambia in the 1980’s and Mozambique in the 90’s.
Recently, some of the world's finest Aquamarine has been discovered in nearby Mozambique. These stones rival the colors of the famous Santa Maria Aquamarine from Brazil, long recognized as the pinnacle of Aquamarine color. These stunning Aquas from Mozambique have been named Santa Maria Afrique after their Brazilian counterparts.
Throughout history, aquamarine has been associated with courage, clarity, and inner peace. Ancient civilizations believed that this gemstone was a treasure from the mermaids, bringing protection to sailors and travelers on their journeys across the
While many have seen the late Queen Elizabeth wearing fabulous Brazilian aquamarines, the world's largest cut aquamarine (top left), the Dom Pedro was faceted as an elongated obelisk with straight channels crossing each other. The 10.363ct gem measures approximately 14 inches (36 cm) long by 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Found in Brazil in the 1980s, It was named Dom Pedro after the first two emperors of Brazil, Pedro I and Pedro II.
Aquamarine is said to have a powerfully soothing influence on relationships and ensuring long and happy marriages. Hence, why it considered such a perfect gift on a special occasions and in particular to celebrate the 19th wedding anniversary.
A very wearable light blue gemstone, it can transition easily from day to evening and can take a few knocks without chipping or scratching. They can be set into all forms of jewellery and look stunning combined with diamond and an array of other coloured gemstones.
Next time you desire some clarity and calmness, reach for aquamarine and let her subtle blues soothe the way.
