Aquamarine’s Eyes To The Soul

If you are born in March or will be celebrating your 19^th wedding anniversary, Aquamarine is your stone! Known for its water-like coloring, this beautiful stone is the birthstone for March. Those born during this month are believed to be faithful, have courage and offer friendship freely. They also are aware, have quick response time and easily communicate problems. The word “Aquamarine” comes from the Latin words “aqua marina” meaning “sea water” which describes the color of the stone. Aquamarine is also worn by sailors as a charm for protection.

Aquamarine is the blue, or perhaps more correctly, blue-green or aqua variety of the mineral beryl. Other gemstone color varieties that are also the mineral beryl include Emerald, Morganite, and Heliodor. Other colors of beryl are simply referred to by their color, such as red beryl.

Aquamarine is colored by trace amounts of iron. Most gem aquamarines have been heat treated to produce the popular blue-green colors from less desirable yellow or pale stones. The leading producer of aquamarines is the country of Brazil, which has many mines. Pakistan, as well as many U.S. localities, produces wonderful specimens as well. Recently, a new mine in China has produced large numbers of excellent flat (stubby) hexagonal crystals, for a fraction of the price of those beautiful Pakistan specimens.

This gemstone is sometimes found in huge crystals (unlike emerald).  It is also known in a glassy form, often without showing crystal form, and sometimes with many holes or other odd shapes.  Other times a large cluster of prismatic crystals can be seen to all have the same alignment – a sign that it is really a single crystal with many faces.

Aquamarine often forms perfect, flawless crystals – also unlike Emerald for which flawless natural crystals are extremely rare.

Stop by Goldwiser and see our selection of gemstones! We are located at 24910 Kuykendahl Rd., Tomball, TX 77375 and open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 7 pm. If you have any questions, please call me at (832)943-7300 and just ask for Gina!