Aquamarine
Name
The name comes from the latin words "aqua" (water) and "marina" (the sea), which means water of the sea. A very well chosen name for such a beautiful stone which perfectly resembles the different shades of water at any stage.
Mineral group
The Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family, such as the red bixbit, the green emerald, the white goshenite, the yellow heliodore and the pink morganite. Also interesting to know: The beryl (ancient Greek "beryllos" for blue-green stone) is often referred to "mother of gems", as it includes many other varieties.
Locations
Most of the aquamarines are found in Brazil. But also in Pakistan, Australia, China, India, Sri Lanka, the USA and some African countries like Zambia.
Colour
The color is given to the aquamarine by traces of iron, which provide in varying concentrations for an exceptionally beautiful color palette of delicate pastel tones to an intense dark blue, sometimes with a slightly greenish shimmer.
Cut
The aquamarine often has an emerald cut, as it emphasizes the blue even more. Aquamarines which are a bit more „cloudy“ are usually cut as cabochon.
Cabochon cut: This shape is an unfaceted, round or oval cut, in which the underside is flat and the top is arched outwards. The cabochon cut accentuates and enhances the shimmer inherent in the stone's structure. Those shimmers are especially vivid in cat's eye quartz, falcon and tiger's eye, moonstone and opals.
Faceted cut: There is wide variety of faceted cuts - some of them are displayed in the picture to your right.
Mohs scale
The Mohs hardness describes the hardness of a mineral on a scale of 1 to 10 and is named after its inventor, the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773 - 1839). It is the basis of the hardness test. Friedrich Mohs scored various minerals against each other and arranged them according to their hardness. The scale consists of a series of 10 minerals, each of which "scratches" all standing in front of him. Diamonds have a Mohs hardness of 10 and are therefore the hardest minerals.
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1 + 2 can be scratched with the bare fingernail
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1 - 5 can be scratched with the knife
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6 - 10 can be scratched with pane
The aquamarine has hardness 7.5-8 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Care
The best way to care for an aquamarine is to clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
Power
The aquamarine is said to strengthen self-esteem, love and protect marital happiness. Furthermore it is said to relieve depression, respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis, lung diseases) as well as throat and limb pain. In addition the mineral beryl is said to give the wearer protection against foes in battle or litigation. So for all the lovebirds out there, put a thought into getting an aquamarine as engagement ring which would be a great start into marital happiness.
Birthstone
The aquamarine is the birthstone of March. So embrace the blossom of spring time, boost your self-esteem by getting one of those magnificent stones for yourself.
Combination
The aquamarine reflects the blue of the sea and blends well with garments that support its color, such as blue and white. Captured in silver, white gold or platinum it will best show off its prestige.