Aquamarine is my personal favorite gemstone! I was born in March, so this beautiful gem is my birthstone. The first piece of jewelry I was given that had aquamarine in it was by my grandfather who I called “Tata”. It was a beautiful sterling silver and gold ring with an oval aquamarine in the center. He gave it to me for my 14th birthday and I have treasured it to this day. Because it is something I want to keep in good condition, I have actually retired it and will wear it one day at my wedding.
The word aquamarine comes from the Latin word “seawater”, which is very fitting as the color of these stones is a light blue like the ocean water. It was believed that wearing aquamarine would keep sailors safe while at sea or bring luck to fishermen. Some also believed that if you carved a frog into aquamarine that it would reconcile enemies and make them friends. Traditionally this stone is given for the 19th wedding anniversary because it is a symbol of loyalty and hope. However, because it is so beautiful, I believe it should be a gift for any anniversary.
Aquamarine is a 7-8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest. The only stone that can achieve that level on the scale is a diamond. I personally wear an aquamarine every day, but it definitely is not recommended for those who are very hardon their jewelry, as it is still a soft stone. Today’s aquamarine is mostly all heat treated to bring out a brighter blue color. When the stone has no treatments, it can even appear light green.
However, that color of aquamarine is very hard to find now. Aquamarine can be found all over the world, but it is most commonly found at elevations of 15,000 in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, Mozambique, and Brazil.
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