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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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