What is an Aquamarine?
Aquamarine is the birthstone for March. As the light blue variety of the mineral beryl, aquamarine is a cousin of another familiar beryl variety – emerald. Its name comes from the Latin term meaning “water of the sea”. Legend holds that aquamarine protect its wearer in or on the water and soothes the soul of the wearer to impart a sense of peacefulness. Aquamarines have a hardness rating of 8 and may be enjoyed in a variety of jewelry styles. Most aquamarines are heat treated after mining to intensify the purity of their beautiful blue hue. Care should be exercised in cleaning your aquamarine. It is best to use jewelry cleaning solution or warm soapy water and a soft brush only – avoid chemicals, heat and excessive heating and the use of ultrasonic machines to clean aquamarines.
