Aquamarine

From the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea, aquamarines shine over an extraordinarily beautiful range of mainly light blue colours. Aquamarine is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone. People the world over love it for its fine blue shades which can complement almost any skin or eye colour.

Aquamarine belongs to the Beryl group of gems, and it is so named because of its sea water colour (in Latin – water of the sea). Aquamarine was used as a talisman for sailors, generally for protection. Aquamarine is the birthstone associated with March. It is also the gemstone for the 19th anniversary.

Where is aquamarine mined?

While aquamarine is found in numerous locations, Madagascar was one of the earliest known sources. Brazil is now the major source of the stone.

Why are aquamarines blue?

Its blue colour comes predominantly from iron and, when cut, the stone is generally clear of inclusions and can occur in large sizes. This is because aquamarine is generally found in large crystals with a flawless clarity from which large stones can be cut.

Aquamarine needs to be of considerable size to ensure a blue colour, with small stones generally not exhibiting colour visible enough to be attractive. The deeper the blue colour, the more valuable the aquamarine.