Aquamarine
 |
Aquamarine comes in the color of sky blue and dark blue. Aquamarine is
often dichroic, appearing colorless or blue while it is viewed from
different angles. The colour of aquamarine, however, is usually more even
than that of the emerald. Much more often than its famous green cousin,
aquamarine is almost entirely free of inclusions. Aquamarine has good
hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a wonderful shine. That hardness
makes it very tough and protects it to a large extent from scratches. Iron
is the substance which gives aquamarine its colour, a
colour which ranges from an almost indiscerniblepale blue to a strong sea-blue. The more intense the colour of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it. Some aquamarines have a light,
greenish shimmer; that too is a typical feature. However, it is a pure,
clear blue that continues to epitomise the aquamarine, because it brings out
so well the immaculate transparency and magnificent shine of this gemstone.
There is hardly any other gemstone
in modern
jewelry design which is refined in such a variety of ways as aquamarine.
Whether it is fashioned as a clear, transparent gem in the classical step
cut, or creatively cut in a more modern design, it is always fascinatingly
beautiful. Uncut too, or with many inclusions which can be brought into play
by the designer in the way in which the stone is cut, it can be refined to
produce the most beautiful creations. Designers call it their favourite
gemstone. Gem quality aquamarine is found as hexagonal crystals, which may
be up to 1m (32in) long and flawless. The best gem quality aquamarine is
found Brazil, Afghanistan, Urals (Russia), India and Pakistan. A dark blue
variety is occurs in Madagascar.
Myths on Aquamarine
>>
|
