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Blue Beryl by any other name would be…Aquamarine! |
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| Aquamarine Basics | |
| The name Aquamarine was derived by the latin terms “aqua” which means water, and “mare” which means sea, reflecting in it’s name how much it resembles the beauty of sea water. It comes in all the irresistible colors of the sea – from light blue to bluish green to greenish blue to deep blue. Aquamarine is Emerald’s most famous sister. It is simply a different color variety of the mineral beryl. |
 27.67 ct unheated Aquamarine |
 5.53 ct heat treated Aquamarine |
Fine Aquamarines are valued for their pure tone of color, crisp transparency and brilliant internal reflections. It’s beautiful sparkling color has entranced people for thousands of years. In the 19th century, the sea green colors of Aquamarine were more popular, where today’s gemstone buyer seems to prefer a more blue variety. |
| Aquamarine is often heated to remove the yellow color components and leave a pure blue, but it is the intensity and clarity of color that establishes value, not the specific hue. The color change from heat treatment is permanent and is accepted by the jewelry trade without question. American consumers tend to prefer bluer gems that have likely been heated, while Europeans tend to prefer greenish-blue (seafoam) varieties that have likely not been heated. Both are equally valuable. |
 7.15 ct unheated Aquamarine |
| Because high quality Aquamarine can be costly, Blue Topaz, glass (man-made or natural) and synthetic spinel have all been observed being sold as Aquamarine. However, there are no “man made” Aquamarines on the market at this time and the natural gem is pleochroic in nature, which means it shows different colors when viewed from different angles. This quality is not found in any of the imposters, so that even the amateur gem buff can spot a fake Aquamarine quite easily. | |
 unheated Aquamarine & Diamond Pendant by Tom Costigan; Aqua carved by Sherris Cottier Shank |
It is a durable gem and is appropriate for any kind of setting. It is one of the few gemstones that looks beautiful with both white and yellow gold or platinum: yellow gold adds warms to the piece of jewelry; white gold or platinum accentuates the coolness of the gem’s color. If one compares Aquamarine and Emerald (as both are varieties of Beryl), Aqua is definitely the tougher gem. Aqua is usually free from the inclusions that make Emerald more fragile. |
| Aquamarine is considered the main birthstone for the month of March. It was the Ancient Arabic, Hebrew, and Roman birthstone for October. It is considered an “astral stone” for the astrological signs of: Aquarius, Pisces, and Scorpio. It is associated with the Throat Chakra and the element of water. Aquamarine is also suggested as the gift to give on the 19th wedding anniversary. |
 Aquamarine Pendant/Brooch by Paula Crevoshay; Aqua carved by Sherris Cottier Shank |
 31.08 ct Aquamarine Pendant by Barbara Berk; Aqua carved by Sherris Cottier Shank |
The gem has been associated with the properties of foresight, faithfulness, courage, happiness, and friendship. The traditional metaphysical properties for Aquamarine are awareness, quick response and easing communication problems. The healing properties of Aquamarine are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to throat problems, anxiety, and stress-related illness. |
| History of Aquamarine | |
| This gem was considered sacred to Neptune (or Poseidon), god of the sea. This association often was thought to ensure safe voyages as well as protection against perils and monsters of the sea. Ancient Greek and Roman sailors wore aquamarine amulets engraved with the god on a chariot. |
 27.67 ct unheated, carved Aquamarine on unheated, rough Aqua crystal |
| The Sumerians, Egyptians, and Hebrews also admired and valued aquamarine greatly. It was a symbol of happiness and everlasting youth. The Romans believed that if the figure of a frog were carved on an aquamarine, it served to reconcile enemies and make them friends. Another Roman legend stated that the stone absorbs the atmosphere of young love: “When blessed and worn, it joins in love, and does great things.” Aquamarine was considered the most appropriate gift to give to a bride by her groom on the morning following the consummation of their marriage. In the Christian era, the aquamarine was identified with the Apostle, St. Thomas. Identifying a certain jewel with one of the twelve apostles was a common practice at that time. | |
 6.65 ct unheated Aquamarine |
In Medieval times, Aquamarine was thought to reawaken the love of married couples. It was believed to instill courage in soldiers and render them invincible. During this period it was also believed to be an effective antidote against poison. Unlike other gems that were ground up and added to drinks or food to protect against poison, it was thought that one could merely wear an Aquamarine in a piece of jewelry for the same sort of protection. |
| Medieval writers believed that Aquamarines were the source of power for soothsayers, who called it the “magic mirror”, and used it for telling fortunes and answering questions about the future. One method was to cast an aquamarine crystal into a bowl of pure water. The disturbances in the water would reveal messages on the surface of the liquid. If Aquamarine was cut as a crystal ball, it was thought to be a superior stone for fortune telling. Aquamarine’s powers of revelation were also said to help one in search for lost or hidden things. |
 6.53 ct heat treated Aquamarine |
| The largest known aquamarine was found in Brazil in 1920. It was 19 inches long, 16 inches wide and weighed 243 pounds. This amazing specimen was greenish on the outside, blue on the inside, and so transparent that objects were clearly visible through its length. This massive crystal formation was then cut into smaller stones, yielding over 200,000 carats of total weight. A green 13-pound uncut piece of the outer portion of the crystal resides in the American Museum of Natural History. | |
| Some little known modern facts are that Beryl is the state mineral of New Hampshire, and that Aquamarine is the official stone of the state of Colorado. | |
 36.23 ct Aquamarine |
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Archive for the ‘gemstones’ Category
Aquamarine: the stunning gem for the month of March
Saturday, March 6th, 2010An emerald? Think again – it’s Chrome Tourmaline!
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Rare and beautiful, with a vivid and intense green hue, chrome tourmaline is one of only two natural gems that closely resemble the esteemed emerald.
Chrome tourmaline is the name given to the emerald green variety of dravite tourmaline from East Africa. Ours has come from Tanzania. It’s vivid green hue is produced by trace amounts of chromium and vanadium atoms within the crystal; these are the same elements that produce the pure green colors in emeralds and tsavorite garnets.
Like emerald and tsavorite garnet, fine chrome tourmaline is a visually pure “forest” green with slightly yellowish to bluish secondary hues. The best examples of chrome tourmalines resemble fine emeralds and tsavorite garnets. Chrome tourmalines are often found associated with the deposits of tsavorite garnets, though the miners focus on the tsavorites for their higher market value.
Good, large crystals of chrome tourmaline are very rare because of the tendency of the gem to appear nearly opaque in larger sized specimens. The opaque appearance is because chrome tourmaline tends to have a grey or black overtone. Chrome tourmaline is very difficult to buy in the raw state because transmitted light through the rough gives the appearance of open color when in fact the color may be muted by the darker overtones. Large crystals, with good, clear color, and no dark overtones of grey or black, that are also suitable for faceting or carving are extremely rare. Gemscapes has been incredibly lucky with our supplier in Tanzania as we’ve had at least seven very large crystals come to us within the last year. Two are sold pieces, two are available, two are in pre-form stage, and 1 has just arrived and is still in rough form.
“Chrome tourmaline is quite rare generally, and particularly rare in sizes over one carat. A stone of fine quality over one carat is very rare. Therefore, the collector should expect a large percentage increase in the price of stones in carat-plus sizes. The next jump in rarity occurs at five carats. Stones of fine quality above ten carats are extremely rare, so rare in fact that I have never seen one.” (as quoted from Richard W. Wise on the website: Ganoksin, The Gem and Jewelry World’s foremost Resource on the Internet)
Caring for your chrome tourmaline: use of ultrasonic cleaners is generally safe; use of a steamer is not safe and not recommended. The best way to care for a chrome tourmaline is to clean it with warm, soapy water. Avoid exposing it to heat or acids.
3.11 carat Chrome Tourmaline - SOLD
 3.87 carat Chrome Tourmaline - AVAILABLE |
 5.57 carat Chrome Tourmaline - AVAILABLE |
Chrome Tourmaline: rough and pre-formed for carving
10.39 carat Chrome Tourmaline - SOLD
Birth of The Oregon Green Bellied Roadrunner
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
In The Beginning
Occasionally clients bring me a special piece of rough to carve and that is how I first came in contact with the glowing red Oregon sunstone that produced the Roadrunner.
Carving Begins
The opal was fractured in several places requiring me to saw the stone into five smaller, more solid chunks. This is not as easy as it sounds, in that saw blades are straight, and cracks curve and wander.
A Sculpture is Born
Gemstone roundtable – What the heck is that?
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
For many years, Sherris has had close partnerships with select jewelers around the country. Together they host “gemstone roundtables” that are held by the jeweler. These provide their customers the opportunity to have a “hands on” experience with her spectacular carved gems and a chance to visit with Sherris herself and learn more about her carvings.
After a couple years off, Sherris started her roundtables again this year in high style. Sherris unveiled her new gems (carved from the rough we had aquired from Tanzania) in April at Knowles Jewelry in Bismark, North Dakota. It was the first time customers were able to see pieces carved from spectacular, huge iolites, chrome tourmalines, spessartite garnets and golden scapolites. Many of these gems were of sizes unheard of in the U.S.
“Chrome tourmaline is quite rare generally, and particularly rare in sizes over one carat. A stone of fine quality over one carat is very rare. Therefore, the collector should expect a large percentage increase in the price of stones in carat-plus sizes. The next jump in rarity occurs at five carats. Stones of fine quality above ten carats are extremely rare, so rare in fact that I have never seen one.” (as quoted from Richard W. Wise on the website: Ganoksin, The Gem and Jewelry World’s foremost Resource on the Internet)
In the April show, Sherris unveiled a 10.39ct Chrome Tourmaline, along with many other breathtaking pieces.
In June, Sherris was invited to do her first European show by Atelier Staehli AG, in Bern, Switzerland. Lisa Elser, of Custom Cut Gems in Vancouver, BC, Canada, was also invited to present her unique faceted gems. This small “group” show was put together by Michael Staehli, director of Atelier Staehli AG because we’d all been in Tanzania together in January.
After spending her summer in the studio carving almost non-stop, Sherris embarked on the fall roundtable season with a gusto. First stop was Christopher’s Fine Jewelry in Champaign, Illinois, where Christopher Jupp and Lois Wacholtz are the gracious hosts. Three nights (and one afternoon) of roundtables helped to reconnect her with customer’s who’ve been in love with her work for years, as well as offering new folks the chance to get familiar with a world-renown gem carver.
The atmosphere is one of a relaxed, fun social gathering – with great tidbits of food, good wine, and lots of energy. People come to the roundtables to enjoy stunning, beautiful gems and to have a good time. Ideas about designs are discussed while stones go around the table. People anxiously await “their turn” with a specific stone so they can day dream about how it might be set and worn. Overall, it’s a very unique experience that allows people the chance to have a personal relationship develop with a gem artist and a jeweler. Enjoy these photos from two of the nights at Christopher’s!
Some of the new Tanzanian gems, and several stunning Oregon crystal opals have new homes after these shows including:
Just two weeks after her stop at Christopher’s, Sherris was on her way to T Lee’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In her two nights of round tables there, several more of the Tanzanian gems were discovered by people who fell in love with them, including a huge malayan garnet and a rare Tanzanian fire opal that actually had play of color within it.
Sherris is now back in the studio working on more carvings to present in Boise, Idaho, in February of 2010. Wink Jones will be hosting her roundtables at Winfield’s, on Overland Road. This is her first time to Idaho and she’s working on some brand new styles especially for this show! If you’d like information about this upcoming set of roundtables, please contact Winfield’s.
8.38ct Spessartite Garnet
10.39ct Chrome Tourmaline
Lisa Elser & Michael Staehli
 Roundtable 9-11-09 |
 Sherris at a roundtable |
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 Socializing before the roundtable begins |
 Christopher sharing design ideas |
 58.46ct Hydrogrossular Garnet |
 10.17ct Crystal Opal |
 9.81 ct Iolite |
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 41.96ct Malaya Garnet |
 10.65ct Fire Opal |
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mmmmm…Tanzanite!
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
10.68 ct Tanzanite
10.68 ct Tanzanite (on black)