So, March has arrived and we’re looking at another birthstone. How much do you know about Aquamarine?
The name, Aquamarine is derived from the Latin words meaning water and sea. After all the colour of the stone is blue-green.
Many Aquamarine stones are treated with heat because this helps to bring its colour to a more vibrant blue. The colour is then permanent, and it doesn’t harm or damage the structure of the stone. You can tell if they have been treated because it will be clearly marked, and they are often lower in price than stones that have the natural hue.
It is believed by many sailors that Aquamarine will help to protect them while at sea and has the power to get them safely back home. In addition to this, many people believe in natural healing powers of crystals, they use the stone to help reduce symptoms of stress.
It is a semi-precious gem and is a member of the beryl family, this includes Emerald and Morganite. Gemstones are graded using the same system for diamonds – by colour, cut, clarity and carat weight.
Most valuable Aquamarine stones are mined from Columbia, Brazil, Kenya, Zambia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Madagascar.
The largest Aquamarine stone ever found was mined in Brazil in 1910 in the village of Minas Gerais. It was a 243-pound stone which was cut into more than 100,000 carats of finished gemstones!