The birthstone for March is aquamarine, a blue-green variety of the mineral beryl. Aquamarine ranges in color from colorless to a dark blue and gets its name from the Latin phrase for "water of the sea." Throughout history, aquamarine was believed to have powers like bringing victory, curing illnesses, and ensuring a happy marriage. Major sources of aquamarine include Brazil, Madagascar, and the United States.
2.
The birthstone for the month of March is
Aquamarine.
A close relative to the emerald.
Aquamarine is greenish-blue in colour and
can vary from almost colourless with a slight
bluish tint to a very intense dark blue.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
3. About Aquamarine
The gem gets its name from the Latin aqua
marina, which means water of the sea.
Aquamarine is extremely hard and has a
glass-like luster.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
4. What is Aquamarine?
Aquamarine is a variety of the precious
beryl, which is a group of minerals most famous
for the green emerald – one of the „Precious Four‟
gems in the world. The other three being
diamond, sapphire and ruby.
Beryl is a mineral that is composed of beryllium
aluminum cyclosilicate with hexagonal crystals
that give it form. Those hexagonal crystals can
vary in size from very small to quite large.
Pure beryl has no colour but tinted colours
produced from impurities include
green, blue, yellow, red and white.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
5. Folklore points to Aquamarine
Bringing victory in battles and disputes.
It was effective in curing
jaw, throat, stomach and liver ailments.
It was said to be able to ease the pain of
toothaches and was credited in curing
excessive belching and yawning.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
6. Attributes of Aquamarine
As the name of aquamarine implies, it
was used in ceremonies to bring rain or
to curse enemies with drought.
When it was worn as an amulet included
pain relief, friendliness, quick
intelligence and was even a cure for
laziness.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
7. Aquamarine Believes
In the Medieval Ages the stone was
believed to render soldiers invincible.
Roman bridegrooms gave aquamarine to
their brides as a gift believing it would
assist in building a happy, fulfilling
marriage.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
8. Aquamarine Believes
Various myths and legends exist
regarding the aquamarine from Romans
who thought enemies would become
friends if a figure of a frog was carved on
the stone, and that it “absorbed the
atmosphere of young love.”
Both the Greeks and Romans
appropriately viewed the aquamarine as
the gem of the sea, or a sailor‟s gem
which was believed to bring safe passage
on rough seas.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
9. Locations of Aquamarine
The gem is found in Sri Lanka, Brazil has clear
yellow beryl.
Deep blue aquamarine is in Madagascar.
It is also found in various locations in the
United States.
Also mined in
Columbia, Norway, Austria, Germany, Swede
n, Ireland, Russia, Mozambique, Zambia, Mal
awi, Tanzania and Kenya.
The Ontario amethyst is from the Thunder
Bay area of Canada and it is also found in
various locations in Nova Scotia.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
10. Symbols of Aquamarine
It was a symbol of joy and youth to the
Sumerians, Egyptians and Hebrews.
It was identified with the Apostle St.
Thomas in Christian circles as it resembled
the sea and air as the Saint took long sea
journeys to preach salvation.
In the Middle Ages aquamarine was a
superior stone for fortune telling when cut
into a crystal ball, which made it the most
popular of oracle crystals at that time.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
11.
The largest aquamarine of gemstone
quality on record was mined in Brazil in
1910.
The specimen weighed just over 110kilograms.
The world‟s largest known naturally
occurring crystal of any mineral is a
massive beryl crystal in Madagascar which
weighed 380,000-kilograms. It measured
18 metres long and 3.5 metres in diameter.
Created by: www.birthstonebrilliance.com
