March's birthstone and the traditional stone for a nineteenth wedding anniversary, Aquamarine is the greenish-blue to blue-green variety of the mineral beryl (which includes emerald and the pink variety called morganite). The name comes from the Latin for "sea water." People in the Middle Ages thought that aquamarine magically conveyed insight and foresight. Holding one in the mouth allowed a person to call up spirits to answer life's most vexing questions. Water that an aquamarine had soaked in was prescribed for eye troubles, respiratory diseases, and hiccups. Many huge aquamarines have been found. One well-formed crystal found in Brazil in 1920 weighed 243 pounds. It was 19 by 16 inches, greenish on the outside, blue on the inside, and so transparent that objects were clearly visible through its length. The British Museum of Natural History has a flawless aquamarine of 879 carats, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has a fine 638-carat stone. In 1935, the Brazilian government gave Eleanor Roosevelt a 1,847-carat aquamarine. It is now in the museum at Hyde Park, the Roosevelt's New York estate. Aquamarine gemstones are a beautiful, cool gem in the greenish-blue hue range in light to medium dark tones. Aquamarine gemstones are available to you a choice of two qualities of faceted aquamarines. In both qualities the gemstones are eye clean with good cuts. AA quality consists of light to medium tone stones and our AAA quality has a medium to medium dark tone. |
