Taking its name from the Latin for "seawater" - with ancient mariners claiming the gem would calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea - Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March.

With the best Aquamarine gems combining high-clarity with limpid transparency and blue to slightly greenish blue hues, Aquamarine, like Emerald, is a colour variety of the mineral Beryl. Like many beryls, aquamarine forms large crystals which are suitable for sizable fashions gems and carvings, and with a hardness of 7.5 - 8 on the Mohs scale, Aquamarine is a gemstone durable enough for everyday wear. 

From Brazil, to Pakistan and the USA

With an important source of Aquamarine for the past two centuries being in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where primary (hard rock) and secondary (weathered) pegmatite deposits being found in the eastern portion of the state, near the gem centre of Teófilo Otoni, Aquamarine is also found high in the Karakorum foothills of Pakistan. To reach these deposits, miners must climb steep paths to heights of between 3,000 and 4,000 meters, and the gems from this area as described as "water clear".

Also mined in Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique, Aquamarine sources also include the Mount Antero area of Colorado, USA and the Riverside and San Diego counties in California, China, Russia and Ukraine amongst others.

Specifications

• Mineral: Beryl
• Chemistry: Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
• Color: Greenish blue, light in tone
• Refractive Index: 1.577 to 1.583
• Birefringence: 0.005 to 0.009
• Specific Gravity: 2.72
• Mohs Hardness: 7.5 to 8.0

Also given as a gift for a 19th wedding anniversary, at W.Bruford we hold in stock at our Cornfield Road, Eastbourne store, a stunning selection of aquamarine jewellery perfect for those March birthdays. Often complemented by diamonds, for a little extra sparkle, if you are looking for an aquamarine pendant, pair of aquamarine earrings or an aquamarine ring to mark any special occasion, look no further than us here at W.Bruford.

View the collection HERE or visit us in-store today.

Information Taken From The GIA (Gemological Institute of America)