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Aquamarine Birthstone March Gemstone

You could practically drop an Aquamarine gemstone into a glass of water and it would disappear

Sort of…

That’s because Aquamarine looks exactly like water. Light, transparent (so transparent that you could even read newsprint through it), blue hues, some dark tones, some paler, some stones even have a hint of green coloring to them… Just like the real tropical waters.

Soothing isn’t it?

Aquamarine name:

Aquamarine actually gets it’s name from 2 Latin words: “Aqua” for “water“, and “Marina” for “of the sea“.

Legend of Aqua:

Legend says that Aquamarine was a treasure of the mermaids. Mermaids wore Aquamarines and protected sailors so they were safe on the seas. Princess Ariel?

In reality, Aquamarine is just a variety of rock called beryl. Most Aquamarines can be found in pegmatites, but some have also been found in river beds like the gem qualities found near Teofilo, Otoni (Brazil).

Aquamarine color:

Aquamarine is more of a yellow-greenish-blue hue when mined (it gets it’s color from traces of iron).

This greenish-blue color was the preferred color to wear prior to the 1900’s.

Nowadays, greenish Aqua is out. Today’s Aquamarine is heat treated to enhance the blue color (heat treating removes the yellow tones). The great thing about this heat treatment is that the treatment is permanent. It will never fade or change colors over time. That’s great (too bad all gemstones aren’t like this). You won’t have to worry about the ultrasonic cleaner turning your blue Aqua stone colorless.

Large carat weights:

Aquamarines can be found in some extremely large carat weights. Some have been faceted up to 2594 carats. That’s one big rock. The larger the stone, the deeper and more intense the color can be. With Aquas, the darker the color the better. Plus, the darker gemstones are the most valuable ones as well.

March birthstone:

Aquamarine is the official birthstone for the month of March. It’s also the zodiac gem for Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 21). Some also have linked Aqua to the astral signs of Gemini, Pisces and Aries.

Aquamarines have a limited color range; pale blue, light blue, blue, blue-green, green-blue… They will vary according to intensity, but they will all have some shading of blue.

Some Aquamarines are so dark blue that they actually look like blue topaz (birthstone for December). Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between them. But Aquamarines are much more rare and expensive than a blue topaz is. Aquamarines can demand anywhere between $200 to $1000 per carat (where topaz is just $5 to $100 per carat).

Aquamarine anniversary gifts:

Having an anniversary? Aquamarine is the anniversary gemstone gift to buy for the 2nd, 16th, 18th and 19th anniversaries. Give her an Aqua on your voyage through the Caribbean. How perfect is that?

Facts about Aquamarine:

Aquamarine has a hexagonal crystal formation (I’m sure you had to know that). It has a specific gravity of 2.69 (lighter than a diamond). It rates a 7.5-8 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness (pretty durable, but still soft at the same time).

That hardness is what makes Aqua a gemstone to be careful with. Aquamarines are just like Emeralds (also a variety of beryl), so they can break or fracture if hit too hard. Always be cautious not to strike the edge of the stone too hard, you could shatter or chip it.

Locations of Aqua:


Aqua is pleochroic:

The interesting thing about Aquamarine is that it’s pleochroic. Which means at different angles the stone can actually look like 2 different colors; blue, colorless, greenish-blue… It’s a pretty cool thing. What color is your Aqua?

Aquamarine chakra:

Aquamarine is the chakra stone for the throat chakra. Which is said to help with digestion, promote healthy teeth, purify the body, calm the soul, give inner peace, courage, aid with communication and meditation. All good stuff. Who doesn’t want healthy teeth?

Aquas are beautiful, elegant, and classy. But the most wonderful thing about this stone is that almost all Aquamarines are eye-clean (free of any eye-visible inclusions). Visually, they are almost perfect. Which makes Aqua a very good stone to own.

Now… Which way did that mermaid go?

Check out Amazon for some great deals on Aquamarine jewelry here.

Cheers! :)

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