“I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance, you can only admire it.” ~ Elizabeth Taylor quotes (English Actress. 1932-1975, Hampstead, London, England, UK)
Aquamarine is a beautiful, mesmerizing, exquisite gemstone, which has been sparkling in various kinds of jewelry with men and women. Its glamour and attraction has still not faded as it teams finely with other colored gemstones featured.
Aquamarine belongs to the beryl mineral family, along with other gemstones like emerald, bixbite etc. Aquamarine gemstone is seen in colors like sea-green, sky blue, and dark blue. Its name is derived from Latin phrase ‘water of the sea’.
Today’s birthstone for March born, it is believed, that the wearer of this precious rock is blessed with youth, hope, and health. In addition, it is also considered to enhance one’s ability to make friends and bring love and affection.
Its medicinal properties talk about its amazing anxiety lessening power. In addition, it was said to be an effective medicine for poison treatment in the Middle Ages. Sailors kept aquamarine to save them and the ship from the wrath of sea god, Poseidon.
Aquamarine jewelry holds contemporary designs like aquamarine, rings, earrings, and pendants etc. It is also found in necklaces too. Found long back, in 19th and early 20th century, sea green stone was in fashion. However, trends changed, and since then, sky blue, and dark blue have become much coveted gems in aqua, as most desired ones of gems.
Aquamarine holds hardness of 7.5-8 Mohs’ scale which makes it hard but brittle and more durable than its green brittle. This property makes it a fine gemstone for daily wear. However, care must be taken to save it from excessive wear and tear. Its brittleness makes it crack prone if hit hard to a tough surface. In addition, it may lose intensity of its color due to prolong light exposure.
It shows property of a dichroic and changes its color, from different angles viewed from. Therefore, the stone is best cut to retain maximum light reflection and color change rather than saving maximum rough weight.
Nevertheless, adding to much joy, aquamarines are usually found flawless. This stone is often found in large sizes with better clarity as compared to its sibling, emerald. Unlike emerald, there are visibly less inclusions in the stone. Color which is the main factor in deciding and judging the cost factor is always kept in mind first.
To keep the clarity up to the mark, enhancement is done. Duller or paler stones are heated to certain temperature to bring out the vivid intensity of desired blue in the stone. The temperature is set at750º F (400º C).the heat also removes the green hints in the stone.
In addition, as cuts help in this same direction, step cut and emerald cut is commonly preferred in order to make it a much brilliant one.
Aquamarine is sourced from places like Brazil, Mozambique, and Afghanistan. This precious sparkling one shouldn’t be matched with lookalike stones like blue topaz. Since both their physical properties match to a great extent, topaz is generally less expensive.
Aquamarine Rings and Aquamarine Earrings at Angara.com
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