About Aquamarines

The lovely aquamarine, which seems to have come from some mermaid's treasure house, in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied.
— Pliny the Elder

A gemstone with ancient links to the sea, the aquamarine ranges in colour from pale blue to teal. Its name is taken from the Latin aqua marina, literally meaning "sea water". This member of the beryl family can sometimes appear invisible when submberged in water, due to its sealike colouration and its pleochroic effect. In the 19th century, sea-green coloured aquamarines were the most popular, however in modern times, the bluer the gem, the more it is worth. The majority of aquamarine is found in Brazil, but it is also mined in Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Pakistan, and the Ural Mountains in Russia. The largest aquamarine ever found was unearthed in 1910 at Minas Gerais, Brazil, weighing 106 kilograms/234 pounds.

Aquamarine was recognised as the birthstone of March in 1912 by the American National Association of Jewellers -- fitting, as it has long had ties to the most oceanic of the zodiac signs, Pisces. It is traditionally given as an anniversary stone for the 16th and 19th years of marriage, and is the official gemstone of the US state of Colorado.