Aquamarines are very strange and beautiful gemstones. They are usually a deep-light blue color. The rarest and most expensive aquamarines are a rich, deep blue. Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family and ranks a 7.5 on the Mohs Scale Of Hardness. Aquamarine gets it's exotic name from the Latin words for water and sea. *Almost all gemstones get their names from Latin terms.*Aquamarines have many legends that surround them, the most famous being that it is believed to bring the wearer good fortune, happiness, intelligence, courage, and youthfulness. As for healing and medicinal purposes, it is believed to help with anxiety and in the Middle Ages was believed to bring down the effects of poisoning.
So where do aquamarines come from?
Well, many of the world's best aquamarines are found in Brazil, but aquamarines can also be mined in:
Kenya
Nigeria
Madagascar
Zambia
Tanzania
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Russia
While most aquamarines being sold in jewelry stores today are cut into faceted gems, occasionally they are cut in cabochon styled gems and give a cat's eye effect. Aquamarine is the birthstone of those born in March and with the Zodiac sign of the Scorpio.
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