Aquamarine

Aquamarine derives its name from the Latin words “Aqua” meaning water and “Marinus” meaning of the sea. This beautiful gemstone resembles seawater, with colours ranging from light to dark blue and often including shades of blue-green. With dark blue been the most desirable colour. The agent responsible for colouration is iron. Aquamarine is part of the Beryl mineral group, which includes Emeralds and Precious Beryl ( Bixbite, Golden Beryl, Goshenite, Heliodor and Morganite ).

Formation: Aquamarine gemstone forms in slow-cooling magma, typically granite pegmatites. As the pegmatites are being created, it will contain veins or voids. It is in these veins or voids that an aqueous solution of Beryllium can begin to form crystals. These crystals require heat to activate the chemical reaction in the Beryllium solution. This chemical reaction within the solution is very slow and can take millions of years. It is for this reason that Aquamarine is only formed in slow-cooling magma or in hydrothermal veins.
On the Mohs scale of hardness, it has a rating of 7.5 – 8. Which makes it suitable for everyday use.
In general, Aquamarine is stable in sunlight. However, some shades of darker blue and particularly Maxixe Aquamarine (although technically Maxixe is not an Aquamarine) can be faded by prolonged exposure to sunlight. As such it is recommended to store this gemstone in a dry, cool and dark place.
Treatment: The typical treatment for this gemstone is heat treatment. The gemstone is heated to between 400 – 450 degress celsius. Which will permanently change its colour to the more desirable blue. This treatment is normally applied to stones containing shades of yellow or green. During the treatment process, the heat applied converts the ferric iron into ferrous iron. This causes the shades of yellow or green within the stone to disappear and so allow the nature blue colouration to dominate. This heat treatment is typically undetectable in lab tests and does not affect the value of the gemstone.
Neutron and gamma irradiation can also be used as a treatment to improve the colour, however, these treatments are not permanent.
Santa Maria: Santa Maria is the trade term used for exceptionally fine Aquamarine. The name comes from the original mine, the Santa Marie del Itabira mine in Brazil, which produced these superior gemstones. However, the term Santa Marie refers to the colour and not the origin. The gemstone mined here has an intense dark blue colour saturation and a vitreous lustre. Making it highly sought after by both gem collectors and for fine jewellery. The Santa Marie mine closed in 1999 after its deposits were exhausted.
Santa Maria Africana: This is the trade term used for exceptionally fine Aquamarine from Mozambique, which are similar to that found in the Santa Marie del Itabira mine in Brazil. Finds of these exceptional gemstones do still continue in Mozambique but have become less frequent in the last number of years.

History

The earliest known Aquamarine mines were located in Sri Lanka ( formerly known as Ceylon ). These mines date back to 500BC. Originally mining concentrated on riverbed extraction, where the gemstones accumulated after being washed down from the nearby mountains. As these surface deposits became somewhat depleted, miners discovered ancient riverbeds buried beneath the floodplains. These ancient riverbeds were often 7 to 20 meters below the surface. Which lead to open-cast mining and underground tunnel mining. There was such an abundance of all types of gemstones produced in Sri Lanka, the island became known as the “jewel box of the Indian Ocean”.
In 1723, Aquamarine was discovered in the Adun-Chalon mountains in Siberia. Significant quantities of the gemstone were found in these mountains, fueling and expanding mining operations in the area. Large amounts of which were sold into Western Europe, making the gemstone more affordable and so increasing its popularity across Europe. Mining operations in Siberia peaked around 1796, after which commercial mining went into decline. Today small scale mining still continues there.
The largest and most important deposits of Aquamarine were discovered in the early 18th Century in Brazil. With large scale commercial mining taking place there in the 19th Century. Deposits have been found throughout Brazil, with the most significant deposits in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. The world`s largest known Aquamarine was found in Marambaia, Minus Gerais in 1910. Also the famous Santa Maria de Itabria mine was discovered in Minus Gerais in the 1950s. The mine was world renowned for producing the finest Aquamarines, with a deep blue colour saturation. Today the Santa Maria de Itabria mine has largely been exhausted. However, there are other commercial mines in the area, such as the Cruzeizo mine which are currently producing significant quantities.
At present, the major Aquamarine producing countries are: Brazil, Nigeria, Mozambique, Pakistan, Madagascar and the United States.

Folklore

Throughout history, Aquamarine gemstone has been associated with tranquility, calmness and courage. The gemstone has also symbolised youth, health and hope. Ancient people had many long held beliefs about the stone. It was said that the stone`s strength could be increased by submerging it in water or that the stone could be revitalise by doing this. It was believed to make soldiers invincible in battle and so it was often worn into battle for protection. Along with protection in battle, the stone was said to bring victory to the wearer in legal battles. So people would wear the gemstone for protection in court cases. Tradition has it the gemstone brings happiness to a marriage, symbolising truth, trust and lasting love in a marriage. Aquamarine is the gemstone associated with a 19th wedding anniversary. The ancient Egyptians believed the stone symbolised happiness and to be the source of everlasting youth.

Greek Mythology: The ancient Greeks associated Aquamarine with Poseidon, god of the sea. The gemstone would be engraved with an image of Poseidon forming an intalio and worn by sailors for protection on their voyages. It was said that if a sailor was in desperate need of help during a storm, they could throw their Aquamarines overboard as an offering to Poseidon and so calm the storm. These beliefs and practices led the gemstone to be known as the “sailor`s gem”. Sailors wearing the gemstone were said to be granted knowledge and secrets of the sea. The Greek goddess Aphrodite is said to have adorned her mermaid daughter`s hair with the gemstone and to have gifted it to them. Legend has it that the mermaids kept the gemstone in a treasure chest. When the chest was lost, the gems spilled out into the sea and were washed ashore.
Roman Mythology: The ancient Romans associated Aquamarine with Neptune, god of the sea. Like the ancient Greeks, they believed the stone would protect sailors, calling it the “sailor`s stone”. Roman fishermen believed the gemstone would protect them and bring them good luck in their fishing. They called the stone “water of the sea”. The Romans also believed that the gemstone could purify water. The wealthier Romans would have chalices or cups made of Aquamarine to purify drinking water and to protect against poison. It was thought to aid digestion as well.
Medieval Europe: In medieval Europe, people believed Aquamarine to be an antidote to poison. As such it was highly sought after by European royalty and the aristocracy, due to the prevalent threat of assassination by poisoning at the time. Along with being an antidote to poison, it was widely believed the stone had other medicinal benefits. Including the ability to cure, sore throats, liver problems and stomach problems. Sailors in the middle ages continued the belief that the gemstone would protect them on their voyages. This belief was further reinforced by the symbolic association Aquamarine had with Saint Thomas Aquinas, who undertook long and dangerous voyages across the seas during the 13th Century. In the Catholic Church Aquamarine Rosary beads were quite popular.
Crown of Saint Wenceslas. The crown of Saint Wenceslas (containing an Aquamarine) was made for the coronation of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor in 1346. Legend has it that if any usurper places the crown upon his head, then he would die a violet death within a year. The crown could only be worn by a rightful King. It is said that in November 1941, Reinhard Heydrich an SS officer who was overseeing Bohemia and Moravia secretly crowned himself in St. Vitus Cathedral. Heydrich was assassinated by the Czech resistance less than a year later in May 1942. Which has fueled belief in the prophecy.

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