Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater and it was said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. March’s birthstone was also thought to enhance the happiness of marriages. The best gems combine high clarity with limpid transparency and blue to slightly greenish blue hues.
Like many beryls, aquamarine forms large crystals suitable for sizable fashioned gems and carvings. Aquamarine grows in large, six-sided crystals that can be up to a foot long. This makes it a great gemstone to be cut and polished in larger carats for bold statement jewelry pieces.
This 20.83 carat stone from Africa represents the large size and attractive color that make aquamarine a much prized gem.
Its color is usually a light pastel greenish blue. Heat treatment usually gives it a more bluish appearance. (Emerald is the green to bluish green variety of the same mineral.) Aquamarine is also the gem of the 19th wedding anniversary.
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