Description
Aquamarine is a coloured variety of beryl and takes its name from the Latin aqua
mare meaning 'water of the sea'. Colours range from pale green and pale blue through
various deepening shades of blue-green, on up to pure and deep blues. The bluer the
colour, the more valuable the stone, and the darker colours tend to be seen only in the
larger stones. Almost all aquamarine on the market today has been heat-treated. Light
green beryl can be transformed into aquamarine if heated to 750ºF (400ºC) and the yellow
or green hues in natural aquamarine can also be removed through heating. Aquamarine
gemstones are usually flawless, but occasionally show inclusions such as snow-stars, which
are drops of liquid in a star pattern. Because of its hardness, it is often known as
'Poor Man's Diamond', and because it belongs to the same gemstone family as emeralds, it
is sometimes called 'Blue Emerald'.
The Science
Aquamarine is beryl, and owes its colour to traces of iron. There may also be
inclusions of biotite, rutile, pyrite and hematite. The colour may fade if the stone is
exposed to sunlight for an extended period of time.
7.5 to 8 on the Moh's Hardness Scale
Care and Cleaning
Soft polishing cloth or soft brush, water rinse or mild soap and water solution. It
should never be cleaned with a steam cleaner or an ultrasonic cleaning machine, but it can
be cleaned with a commercial gem cleaner solution.
History
Greek legend has it that Aquamarines came from jewelled caskets belonging to the Sirens
and that the stones were washed up on the shores from the depths of the sea. The Greeks
believed that carrying an Aquamarine stone to sea would result in prosperous and safe
journeys, by protecting the sailors from sea monsters and other perils. The Greeks are
known to have carried Aquamarine amulets with them to sea as early as 500 B.C. with an
image of the God of the Sea, Poseidon, sometimes engraved on them. They also used
Aquamarines as eyes in statues. The owner of such a statue was believed to be able to see
into the future. At times of storms, these statues were placed at strategic points on the
coastline, where they could calm the anger of Poseidon and ensure the safe return of those
at sea. The Ancient Greeks believed that Aquamarine contained the spirit of the sea and
that it would protect them while shipboard from seasickness. If the ship encountered rough
water, the sailors would throw Aquamarines overboard to placate Poseidon.
The Romans believed that Aquamarine was a gift to the mermaids from Neptune, the Roman God of the Sea. They used it medicinally to heal ailments of the mouth, throat, liver and digestive system, as well as prescribing it against the excesses of compulsive over-eaters, in the belief that it aided digestion and eliminated excess fluid from the body. They used it for foretelling the future, and Emperor Nero is said to have used eyeglasses made from Aquamarine to view the proceedings in the arena.
Early Christians saw Aquamarine as symbolising harmony, happiness, innocence, youthfulness and purity, and as a way of reducing fear.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed to be an effective antidote against poison. Soothsayers, who called it the 'magic mirror', considered Aquamarine to be their source of power and used it for telling fortunes and answering questions about the future. It was also believed that a person holding an aquamarine in his mouth could summon the Devil and have any questions he posed answered. Those who wore aquamarine pendants were thought to possess great knowledge, insight and foresight, and to be free from the troubles of insomnia.Water in which an aquamarine had been soaked was believed to cure eye troubles and hiccups.
In later years, its use in optics was revived in Germany, where eyeglasses made from Aquamarine were used to cure short-sightedness. From the 17th century onwards, its use as a gemstone became more widespread.
Over the centuries, Aquamarine has been credited with many powers, including providing courage, curing laziness, quickening the intellect, protection from the tricks and traps of the Devil and the belief that it is the stone of the Genie, who will give those who wear it anything the wearer desires. To the present day, in some parts of Thailand it is believed that wearing Aquamarine will prevent death by drowning. Another widespread belief is that dreaming of Aquamarine means meeting with new friends.
Aquamarine is believed to promote creativity and healing, and as such is a stone associated with singers, musicians, artists, dancers, animal lovers, and healers.
Many huge aquamarine crystals have been found, and large gem-quality crystals are not uncommon. The largest crystal known was found in Brazil in 1920 and was 19 inches long and 16 inches wide. It weighed 243 pounds and was cut into a number of important gemstones. The American Museum of Natural History owns a 13-pound, uncut piece of the green outer portion of this crystal. The British Museum of Natural History owns an 879.5 carat flawless, step-cut aquamarine which has a beautiful sea-green colour.
The Aquamarine was adopted as the official state gemstone of Colorado on April 30, 1971.