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Stones - History, Myths and Lore /  Amethyst /  Aquamarine /  Aragonite /  Aventurine /  Black Tourmaline /  Bloodstone /  Carnelian /  Celestite /  Citrine /  Fluorite /  Hematite /  Labradorite /  Lapis Lazuli /  Malachite /  Moonstone /  Pyrite /  Quartz (Rock Crystal) /  Rose Quartz /Selenite /  Seraphinite  / Smoky Quartz /  Sodalite

Aquamarine

Written and compiled by - Patricia Jean Martin

The name Aquamarine comes from the Latin phrase "aqua marinus" meaning "water of the sea," and received its name through the stone's beautiful sparkling color that resembles the ocean waters.   

Aquamarine is the blue, blue-green or aqua variety of the mineral Beryl.  Other colored Beryl gemstones include Emerald (green), Morganite (pink), and Heliodor (greenish-yellow), Goshenite (clear), but other types of Beryl are simply referred to by their color, such as Red Beryl.  Aquamarine is colored by the trace amounts of iron that find their way into the crystal structure.  Most gem Aquamarines have been heat treated to produce the popular blue-green colors from the less desirable yellow or pale stones. 

One of the finest of the gemstones, Aquamarine possesses an awesome brilliance and crystal clear transparency, and is usually free from inclusions or flaws...even more so than its cousin the Emerald.  The majority of crystals occur in pegmatite veins deep inside the metamorphic rocks where it crystallizes prismatically, sometimes vertically striated and, occasionally, terminated with small pyramidal faces. 

The leading producer of Aquamarines is Brazil, with many other notable occurences worldwide.  The biggest Aquamarine ever mined was found at the city of Marambaia, Minas Gerais.  It weighed over 110 kg, and its dimensions were 48.5 cm long and 42 cm in diameter. 

General information: 

*Chemistry:  Be3 Al2 Si6 O18 Beryllium Aluminum Silicate. 

*Class:  Silicates 

*Subclass:  Cyclosilicates. 

*Group:  Beryl. 

*Color:  Blue to blue-green to sea-green. 

*Luster:  Vitreous (glassy) 

*Crystal System:  Hexagonal. 

*Crystal Habit:  Prismatic crystals, elongated or flattened, are often vertically striated and grooved.  Some crystals show varying degrees of etching. 

*Cleavage:  One direction, poor. Imperfect, parallel to the basal pinacoid {0001}.

 *Fracture:  Conchoidal. 

*Hardness:  7.5 - 8 

*Specific Gravity:  2.68 - 2.80 

*Streak:  White 

*Other Characteristics:  Transparent to translucent. 

*Notable Occurrences:  Brazil; Nigeria; Zambia; Mozambique; Pakistan; Afghanistan; Russia; Colorado, U.S. 

*Best Field Indicators:  Crystal habit, lack of good cleavage, hardness and color. 

*Uses:  Gemstone; mineral specimens. 

Myths and Lore:

According to legend, Aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, and holds the power to keep sailors safe when at sea.  The stone is said to be a particularly strong charm when immersed in water.  For these reasons, Aquamarine was dedicated  to a number of sea goddesses, including the Greek love goddess, Aphrodite, whose name means "born of the foam". 

To recharge and cleanse your Aquamarine, place it in water on the night of the Full Moon.  

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March, and also an optional birthstone for October.  It is the anniversary gemstone for the 19th year of marriage. 

An especially beautiful "Stone Story" in the book "Stones Alive!"  from Aquamarine: 

"Be who you are. 

Be that so fully that all that is left to think about is breathing.

Breathe consciously so that you inhale peace so that you exhale calm..........

Now you live your destiny.

While all your experiences are wisdom's tools, you never needed to live in fear.

You never were designed to die frightened and alone.

You beacon love across your countenance and across the waves of the universe.

Yes.  This is your freedom just to be:

You are created in and from complete love, from thought to flesh to spirit - whole, perfect.

Take up the life of love. Choose it every moment.

You are choosing yourself, from the mirror of eternity."

Metaphysical Properties:

 Astrological Sign: Pisces, Aquarius, Scorpio 

Element: Water.  

Throat Chakra. 

Clearing and cleansing.

Refreshing and uplifting. 

Courage. 

Compassion. 

Love. 

Promotes tolerance. 

Calms. 

Cooling. 

Communication. 

Self-expression. 

Intellect. 

Accelerates reasoning. 

Enhances connection to Higher Self. 

*Gives physical aid in treating:  Swollen glands. Throat.  Excellent for eyes and improving vision.  Fortifies tooth and bone structure.  Calms nerves and anxiety.  Cools sunburns and fevers.  Releases anger and negativity.  

*NOTE: Stone therapy should NOT take the place of medical evaluation and procedures, and should be used merely to enhance one's health and well-being. 

My own thoughts and experiences: 

Like a droplet of ocean in your hand -- for anyone who relates well to the element of Water, and especially for those who don't...Aquamarine is the stone for you!  Carry or wear it as a pendant to clear and wash away the clutter in your mind; to improve your communication; to uplift and bring playfulness into your life.  Imagine the essence of Aquamarine surrounding you when you feel the need for a breath of fresh air or a cleansing spray of refreshing thought-provoking sea-water to wash over you.  It can help clear any breathing problems (my very skeptical sister just tried it for 4 nights in a row and it worked all 4 times), while inducing a mental clarity so often needed today in this world of pollutants and stress. 

Reminiscent of the lucid aqua color of gently lapping ocean waves that kiss the white sands of some tropical island, Aquamarine invokes that same calm and peaceful feeling.  Like a wave, it rushes inward to cleanse the mind...and then outward with a clear and rapid burst of fresh, positive thought.  The stone, in gem quality, is pristine and pure...and yet, in regular polished or raw state, it can be pristine and strangely moody at the same time as its more translucent and foamy aspects can be seen.  It is not hard to imagine this stone as a gift from Aphrodite, who, born of the ocean's foam, arises from the depths of the waters to soothe and seduce you. 

End.

Sources : 

"Stones Alive!" ~ Marilyn & Tohmas Twintreess 

"Love Is In the Earth" ~ Melody 

http://www.mineralminers.com/html/aquminfo.htm - physprop 

http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/aquamari/aquamari.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquamarine

© 2006 Patricia J. Martin 

Website:  http://www.peacefulpaths.com/