Aquamarine

Scientific Name: Variety of Beryl

Group: Silicates – cyclosilicates

Chemical composition: Be3Al2Si6Si6O18

Colors: Aquamarine blue, sky-blue crystals imparted by iron.

Hardness: 7.5 to 8

Formation: Hexagonal crystal; Prismatic form

Principal Sources: Brazil; South Dakota, USA

Special Notes: Aquamarine (from Latin: aqua marina, “water of the sea”) is a blue or turquoise variety of beryl. It occurs at most localities which yield ordinary beryl, some of the finest coming from Russia. In ancient Greece, aquamarine amulets carved with Poseidon were worn to protect sailors. The biggest aquamarine ever mined was found at the city of Marambaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1910 and weighed over 240 lbs.