Aquamarine is a lovely light blue gemstone. The name actually comes from the Latin phrase meaning “water of the sea.”

Aquamarine is a member of the Beryl species of gemstones, which comes in a wide variety of colors including yellows, greens, blues, pinks, and even a rare red! Aquamarine is second in popularity only to emeralds among the beryl family, though there are several more rare gemstones as well such as Heliodor and Morganite . It’s color ranges from light blue to bluish green, caused by trace amounts of iron within the crystal structure. The most valuable color is a moderately strong, medium dark blue to slightly greenish blue.

Heliodor- member of the Beryl family

Morganite- member of the Beryl family

Aquarmarines are often fashioned as emerald cuts or as round or oval brilliants to take advantage of the fact that most are “eye clean” (meaning that you can’t see any inclusions of fractures within the stone with the naked eye).  In order to show an intense color, aquamarines frequently have to be cut as larger gemstones. Though, there are some stones from African mines (Nigeria, Madagascar, Mozambique) that can show an intense blue color even in smaller sizes.

The colors of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is an affordable gemstone due to it’s availability. Since 1811, the world’s biggest source of aquamarine has been Brazil. Other sources include Pakistan, Australia, Kenya, Zambia, the U.S, and China.

Aquamarines were originally associated with the Zodiac sign of Scorpio (how this got changed to March is a bit of a mystery, though I personally suspect that jewelery professionals have something to do with it..). It was believed this clear, blue gemstone came from the treasure chests of mermaids.  Gemstones were long believed to possess magical properties and Aquamarines endowed the wearer with foresight, courage, happiness, higher intelligence, and youth. They were used to treat anxiety and help keep sailors safe and prevent seasickness.

Aquamarine and Diamond Ring

Aquamarine is a 7.5-8 on the Mohs hardness scale which means that it’s a fairly scratch resistant and durable stone making it a good choice for any jewelry. However, like all gemstones it can chip or crack if it’s hit hard. Most aquamarines on the market have been heat treated to remove yellow tints, resulting in a purer blue color. This is a permanent treatment that only affects the stone’s color. It’s durability makes Aquamarine ideal for carving as well, so it can be found as a Fantasy cut as well as the more traditional styles.

Fantasy cut Aquamarine