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The Magic of Rocks and StonesAquamarine
Written and compiled by - Patricia Jean MartinThe
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/
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