Aquamarine

Aquamarine in the rough

Aquamarine has long been one of my favorite semi-precious gemstones. Although I've never really subscribed to the universal concept of gemstones as 'birthstones', it has historically represented the month of March for those interested. 
It should be noted that aquamarine is a close cousin to the emerald, both being in the beryl family of gems. Beryls are found in many different colors  a golden color, yellowish-green, colorless, pink and the rare red beryl. Whether blue, green, yellow, colorless or pink, their chemical and physical properties essentially correspond; it is only in their colors that they differ from one another. Typically it is the trace element iron which gives aquamarine its color, a color which ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. The more intense the color of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it. Some aquamarines have a light, greenish shimmer. However, it is a pure, clear blue that continues to be regarded as the more valuable.  Brazil is among the countries where aquamarine is found and to date, most of the raw crystals for the world market come from the gemstone mines of that large South American country.