Aquamarine is the birthstone of March and also the 19th Anniversary gift.
It is named because of its likeness to the ocean, it was believed to protect sailors at sea. Ancient Roman legends named the god Neptune as the first to have found an aquamarine.
The aquamarine is a semi-precious gem is a member of the beryl family, which includes emerald and morganite. Aquamarine gemstones are graded using the same system as for diamonds – by color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.
Rated 7.8 on the Mohs hardness scale, it is a perfect stone for everyday wear. Aquamarine is very durable and does not require any special care. At-home care requires only a soft brush and soapy water. Rinse and dry.
While the most valuable aquamarines are mined in Columbia and Brazil, caches of the gem have been found even in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Other mines extracting gem quality material are found in Kenya, Zambia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Madagascar.