From lightest sky-blue to the deep blue of the sea – aquamarines show all these shades of an exceptionally beautiful range of usually light blues. It is a truly fascinating stone. Women all over the world covet it because of its fine blue color, which suits almost any complexion or eye-color to perfection, and creative gemstone artists get their inspiration for new cuts more often from aquamarines than from other stones.

Its light blue arises feelings such as sympathy, trust, harmony or friendship. These are good feelings, which involve a partner or companion, and prove their vale in long-lasting relationships. Aquamarine blue is a divine and eternal color, since it is, after all, the color of the skies. Aquamarine blue, however, is also the color of water with its life-giving properties. And in fact aquamarine seems to have managed to embody the light blue of the seas. This is not surprising, for according to legend it has its origin in the treasure chest of the legendary mermaids, and has for ages been reputed to be a lucky stone for sailors. Its name has been derived from the Latin terms "aqua” meaning water, and "mare” or sea. Allegedly its powers develop best if the stone is immersed in sun-drenched water. 

Legends say that it is the treasure of mermaids, with the power to keep sailors safe at sea. They say that aquamarine is a particularly strong charm when immersed in water (which is a good thing, since that is when sailors need its power most!) 

They also said that aquamarine had a soothing influence on land, especially on married couples. Its power to help husbands and wives work out their differences and ensure a long and happy marriage makes it a good anniversary gift. Aquamarine also protects against the wiles of the devil. A dream of Aquamarine means that you will meet new friends. 

Aquamarine is the blue, or perhaps more correctly, blue-green or aqua variety of the mineral beryl. Other gemstone color varieties that belong to beryl include emerald, morganite, and heliodor. Other colors of beryl are simply referred to by their color, such as red beryl. Trace amounts of iron color aquamarine that find their way into the crystal structure. Most gem Aquamarines have been heat treated to produce the popular blue-green colors from less desirable yellow or pale stones.

Connoisseurs prefer a pure blue, with no green in it. Because the color is generally pale, Aquamarine has a good clarity. These stones are often cut in ovals and emerald cuts. More saturated colors are unusual in small sizes: usually it takes some size for the color to hold in a darker shade. Aquamarine is a durable and lively gemstone that is appropriate for all jewelry uses. Its pale fire is flattering to most skin tones.

The leading producer of aquamarines is the country of Brazil, which has many mines. Pakistan, and many U.S. localities, produces wonderful specimens as well. 

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES Aquamarine is said to release anger and negativity replacing them with mental peace and clarity, providing emotional and mental balance. It is also said to aid in meditation, and to give courage and to assist in self-expression. 

Aquamarine is said to help reduce dependence on drugs, to aid in digestion, as a remedy for swollen glands and to maintain the health of the jaws and teeth. 

Care of Aquamarine:  They require no special care other than to keep your gems from heat. Heat may change the color of Aquamarine, but it usually requires temperatures above 200 F. 

Enhancements: Aquamarine is usually heat treated to remove yellow components thereby producing a purer blue color. Treatment will last the life of the gem.

A very dark form of beryl resembling deep blue sapphire is artificially formed by irradiating certain beryls. These dark blue stones are not called aquamarine but "blue beryl".

Imitations / Synthetics: The costs of producing synthetic aquamarine are very high when compared to the relative abundance of this gem, so synthetic aquamarine is not available on the market. However, production of synthetic blue spinel is easy and inexpensive, so it is used as a cheap aquamarine stimulant. It is often mistakenly sold as "Synthetic Aquamarine".

Bibliography: 

• The curious lore of precious stones - Author Kunz, George Frederick, 1856-1932.
• Gem identification made easy - Matlins, Antoinette Leonard.
• Gems: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification - By Robert Webster, Peter G. Read (Editor).
• Gemstone Enhancement: history, science and state of the art - by Kurt Nassau.
• Gemstones of the world - Walter Schumann ; translated by Evelyne Stern.

A Disclaimer:  Effort has been made of including information that is found in at least two sources. I can make no claim on the accuracy of this information. I am not a Geologist or Gemologist. I make no guarantees and infer no warranties. For more information, please refer to the bibliography.

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Copyright Information.:  Although I have included a bibliography, but no attempt has been made to give credit to individual passages. If you are an author and feel that I have infringed on your copyrighted material please let me know. With that in mind, all material and information, retain their respected Copyrights.

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I encourage the reader to pursue the further study of any topic that they find particularly interesting. A good place to start is your local library.