Aquamarine and Spring

Hello March, time for the world to wake up, warm up, and get ready for Spring!  Our featured stone for March is Aquamarine.  Besides being the birthstone for March, Aquamarine also has the distinction of being the stone given as a 19th anniversary present.  But what do you know about this lovely gemstone? If you are like many of us, you probably don’t have a large knowledge base on Aquamarine.  Stick around and become enlightened about a very under-rated gem.

Historical Reference:

Aquamarine comes from the Latin and means ‘water of the sea’.  During 19th century, people preferred Aquamarines to have a sea green color. However the color hues of Aquamarine can run from deep teal to cyan to pale crystal blue.  Today, the most valued colors for Aquamarine go from sky blue to dark blue. It should be noted almost all Aquamarines today is heat treated to enhance the color.  Furthermore, overheating of this stone may render it colorless.

Whew, what a scary thought!  (https://www.gia.edu/aquamarine). The earliest known reference of Aquamarine dates back to 300 B.C.  Back then, Romans and Greeks believed that Aquamarines came from the treasure chests of mermaids.  More specifically, ancient Romans believed Neptune, (god of the sea), found Aquamarine when it washed up on the shore after falling out of a sirens’ jewel box.

Sirens were Greek mythological creatures. Sirens lured sailors with enchanting music and singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.  Because of this, sailors believed wearing Aquamarine protected them from this harm. (C.F Brandt Jewelers: 10 Cool Facts About Aquamarine).

Properties of  Aquamarine:

Aquamarine is part of the Beryl family.  Beryl is a mineral that occurs naturally in nature.  According to Wikipedia, the most popular beryl gemstones are Aquamarine, Emerald and Morganite.  Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5  to 8 on the Mohs scale.

Additionally, Aquamarine grows in six-sided prismatic crystals that sometimes can grow up to a foot long! (https://www.gia.edu/aquamarine) Aquamarine occurs in many parts of the world but Brazil is the biggest producer. In fact, the world’s largest faceted Aquamarine came from Brazil.  This original crystal, before cut, weighed 100 pounds! (C.F Brandt Jewelers: Ten Cool Facts About Aquamarine) Jewelers like Aquamarines.

They know this stone lends itself well to a variety of cuts and shapes. This helps to give a designer artistic freedom during the creation process. Aquamarines are graded using the same system that diamonds are graded.  That’s right, color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.  All in all, one very cool stone. (https://turleyjewelers.com: Thirteen Fascinating Facts About Aquamarines)

Folklore and Healing Properties:

Aquamarine creates soothing energy, making it the perfect companion for calming fears and phobias. Similarly Aquamarine encourages clarity of thought and aids in the assimilation of new knowledge.  If you are into meditation you should know how Aquamarine is a powerful meditation tool. It is supposed to lead the person meditating to his or her core spirituality.

Last but not least, Aquamarine is associated with the zodiac sign of Pisces and the planet Neptune.  (https://turleyjewelers.com – Thirteen Fascinating Facts About Aquamarines)