Aquamarine

Thought to enhance the happiness of marriages.

The name “aquamarine” is derived from two Latin
words: aqua, meaning “water,” and marina, meaning
“of the sea.” It has been said that the mineral beryl gives
the wearer protection against foes in battle or litigation.
It makes the wearer unconquerable and amiable,
and also quickens the intellect. Today, the gemstone’s
hardness, transparency and availability of large stones
make it popular with designers, artists and carvers.

​Color

Aquamarine is the light green-blue to blue variety of
the mineral beryl. It is generally light to medium in tone.
Aquamarine’s most valuable color is a vibrant, medium
blue to slightly greenish blue.

Clarity

Aquamarine may occur as large well-formed crystals
that are relatively clean, making them particularly
valuable to collectors of mineral specimens. Some
crystals might contain liquid inclusions, but clarity
characteristics are few or absent in most finished gems.

​Source

Brazil has been the main source of gem-quality
aquamarine since 1811. Most aquamarine mines are
located in northeast Minas Gerais, Brazil. The largest
aquamarine found in that region was discovered in
1910 and it weighed 244 lbs (110 kg). Another
significant producer of aquamarine is Pakistan.

Treatments

It is standard practice to cut the rough and then heat
the fashioned stones. Heat treatment of aquamarine
removes the green component and leaves a purer
blue color. Nearly all blue aquamarine found in jewelry
results from heat treatment of bluish green, greenish
yellow or even brownish yellow beryl.

---

All information are courtesy of Gemological Institute of America (GIA). OR DIAMOND are not affiliated with, connected to, or associated with GIA other than selling diamonds and gemstones graded by GIA and have GIA trained staff gemologist and accredited jewelry professional on site. 

Images courtesy: Neal Litman Company; Silverhorn, Santa Barbara, California