Aquamarine: A precious stone, derives its name from the Latin aqua marinus, meaning “water of the sea,” is a good luck charm to protect sailors. Astrologers also associated aquamarine with the moon, perhaps associating with the lunar cycle and the tides. In Europe during the Middle Ages it was thought to save someone who had been poisoned. Others would ground the stone into powder to cure all sorts of ailments and diseases.
Roman philosopher Pliny described the gemstone rather fittingly “the lovely aquamarine, which seems to have come from some mermaid’s treasure house, in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied.”
Modern believers swear by the meditative powers of aquamarine, which is said to bring about harmony. It is connected to the throat chakra, soothing the fear of speaking and allowing the speaker to express their truth and wisdom.
Aquamarine: Origins
Although it’s named for the color of the sea (Aquamarine means water blue), Aquamarine was first discovered in modern times far from the sea in Siberia. The year was 1723, and by the end of the 18th century, large deposits were being mined and sent to Western Europe.
Like most minerals, Aquamarine forms deep inside the earth. Unlike some minerals, this precious gem forms in a variety of rock, including both igneous and metamorphic rock. As a source of beryllium, the mineral beryl is fairly rare. That’s because beryllium, is a rare element in and of itself, and therefore beryl can only form where there are large amounts of it.
Today, the main deposits are in Pakistan (high in the mountains) and Brazil. Other locations include the Ural mountains in Russia, as well as China, California, and Colorado in the US, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Africa. Most of the mining is either done by picking through surface deposits, or by strip mining.
Aquamarine isn’t found in deep enough deposits to warrant shaft mining. Early on, most of these light blue gems were found on the ground or in rivers, and this was especially true in Russia. Pakistani miners scale cliffs in the mountains and Brazilians sometimes use strip mining.
Aquamarine Properties
Beryl is a silicate mineral and is considered to be quite rare, it can usually be found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Moreover, it has a chemical make-up of Be3Al2Si6O18 and scores a 7.5 to 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. The scale runs from 1 to 10 and is used to measure a mineral’s resistance to scratching, so this gem scores relatively highly.
Beryl is a silicate mineral and is considered to be quite rare, it can usually be found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. Moreover, it has a chemical make-up of Be3Al2Si6O18 and scores a 7.5 to 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. The scale runs from 1 to 10 and is used to measure a mineral’s resistance to scratching, so this gem scores relatively highly.
Aquamarine Grading
A fairly affordable gem. Largely, this is due to the fact that it is much more abundant, and large crystals are common. According to the GIA, it is a gemstone that doesn’t have as many inclusions, so a large eye-clean Aquamarine gem is easy to obtain.
For this reason, there isn’t a large premium on large carat-weight. Prices go up linearly by the size of the gem, assuming other quality factors are the same. As a result, this is a relatively affordable gem for gorgeous Aquamarine jewelry.
Clarity
One of the great things about cutting this light blue gem rough is that it tends to have a high clarity rating, to begin with. The GIA calls this a “type I” gemstone, meaning that many specimens are very clean when mined. However, there are plenty of rough pieces with inclusions. These are very inexpensive and used in creative carvings or jewelry.
Cut
When there is a roughly cut gemstone, it’s an opportunity to create something really beautiful. Options include faceted gems, which are the most familiar option for most aquamarine jewelry consumers. This option is usually selected for raw Aquamarine that’s already close to transparent.
However, lower quality material is also made into cabochons (domed polished pieces) or carved. Some cuts are more expensive than others due to the technical difficulty of producing them. They might also cost more because they waste more of the original Aquamarine.
Color
By far, color is the most important factor in its value. When mined, most Aquamarine has a slightly green cast. However, more valuable material is pure blue. Because Aquamarine is a light-colored gem, the most desirable pieces are larger than two carats. This allows the pure blue to come through in the stone.
Precious Stone Jewellery
Aquamarine is a versatile precious stone and can be used to fashion pretty earrings, pendants, bracelets, and rings. There are a number of aquamarine ring styles available at Kanjimull, including solitaire, halo, and three-stone rings.
Elegant and whimsical fine gold ring for women. Brilliant cut real genuine aquamrine gemstones and diamonds. Top quality craftsmanship jewelry for ladies. High polish metal. Timeless solid gold feminine fashion. Beautiful bling bold shaped stone. Comfortable for all day use.
Wear as a classic accent or main flirty accessory. This dressy ring is for everyday its versatile form makes it perfect for formal dressed up functions: galas parties’ dinners or for cocktails or semi-formal in your daily jeans and a t-shirt. Get your own custom precious stone jewellery made at Kanjimull and Sons
