Home Aquamarine

Aquamarine

Aquamarine is the blue in color, or perhaps more fittingly, blue-green or aqua mixture of the stone beryl. Supplementary gemstone color variants that fit in to beryl includes emerald, morganite, and heliodor. Other varying and assorted colors of beryl are clearly referred to by their color, such as red beryl. Aquamarine is colored by the trace amounts of iron that sneaks their way into the crystal composition. Most gem stone aquamarines have been heated delightly to produce the all the rage blue-green colors from a lesser amount of pleasing yellow or pale stones. The class leading manufacturer of aquamarines is the motherland of Brazil, which has numerous mines. Pakistan, including the many U.S. localities, produces breathtaking specimens as well. Aquamarine is normally considered as the birthstone for March.

Locations of deposits:

Aquamarine occurs in most localities that yield ordinary beryl, with some of the finest coming from Russia. Gem-gravel placer deposits in Sri Lanka also contain aquamarine. Clear yellow beryl, which is sometimes called aquamarine chrysolite, occurs in Brazil. When corundum presents the bluish tint of typical aquamarine, it is often referred to as Oriental aquamarine.

In the United States, aquamarines can be found at the summit of Mt. Antero in the Sawatch Range in central Colorado, and in the Big Horn mountains near Powder River Pass in Wyoming. Brazil is home to mines in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Bahia. Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya also produce aquamarine.

The largest aquamarine ever mined was discovered in Marambaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1910. It weighed over 110 kg and was 48.5 cm long and 42 cm in diameter. Aquamarine is the official state gem of Colorado and Missouri.