What does AQUAMARINE mean? Well, it basically means "aqua marina" or "water of the sea" and sailors used to carry it with them for safety and fortune. Often, these aquamarines would be carved into little sea creatures... just to further the oceanic symbolism! From pale sky blue to deeper teal depths, holding an aquamarine is like carrying a piece of the ocean with you.
What I find particularly charming is the historical tradition of wearing the birthstone of the current month rather than your own birth month. So during March, everyone would sport aquamarine regardless of when they were born. It was like a community-wide celebration of the changing seasons through gemstones – a tradition I wouldn't mind seeing make a comeback!
Some fun little gemological bits...
As part of the beryl family (yes, the same mineral family as emerald!), aquamarine gets its distinctive blue from iron impurities in the crystal structure. While emerald gets its green from chromium, morganite shows off blush pink hues, and golden beryl (heliodor) glows with sunny warmth – all from the same mineral family, just with different elements creating the colors.
Aquamarine has another special quality – in natural light, it sometimes shows a slight greenish tint (especially in Brazilian specimens), but under artificial light, it often appears a purer blue. It's like having a stone that changes with its environment, much like the sea itself.
When it comes to setting aquamarine, I can't pick a favorite. Each aquamarine kind of speaks to me and I intuitively pick based on that stone.
- White metals like silver or white gold enhance its icy clarity
- Yellow gold for a beautiful contrast that warms the stone
- Rose gold for a sunset-meets-ocean vibe that's utterly romantic
Aquamarine is a beautiful stone to bestow peace and tranquility as a gift to someone else or yourself. Most aquamarines found today are 35-65 MILLION years old and formed atom by atom in the perfect conditions deep in the earth. Why wouldn't you enjoy such a treasure?!
