Like the seawater for which it is named, the stone’s airy shade has a dreamy feel that’s cool, calming, and ethereal. In gemstone lore, aquamarine induces calm in all who wear it. Could there be a more appropriate stone for today’s woman in our high-powered world?

Historical Background

Adopted as March’s birthstone in 1912, Aquamarine has had varied uses throughout the centuries. Two thousand years ago, Emperor Nero used thin slices of Aquamarine to aide in his poor vision. Fast forward to the 1450s. The Germans, famous for precision gemstone cutting, used thin slices to create the optics they needed to cut gems and developed the earliest eyeglasses. The Germans called ‘eyeglass/glasses’ die brille, and many thought this name came from the mineral beryl.

As a Beryl family member, which includes gorgeous green emeralds and pink morganites, Aquamarine comes in soft blue and greenish-blue shades.

Cool, calming, bright blue beauty

Aquamarine has an irresistible color that ranges from a pale blue to a light teal. This mesmerizing spectrum comes from aquamarine’s green undertones.  As light reflects through it, we experience this gem as a calm, soothing presence in the midst of our hectic lives. Wear it on your finger for a constant reminder to relax and take a deep breath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The San Pedro Aquamarine

In the late 1980s, three Brazilian prospectors discovered a meter-long aquamarine of exceptional clarity and color. They accidentally dropped it, breaking it into two pieces, one of them two feet long. They sold the pieces, and the two-foot piece weighing 60 pounds found its way into the hands of connoisseurs who realized its importance.

Eventually, it was sold to a German Brazilian consortium. One member was the distinguished gem cutter Bernd Munsteiner. Word had spread of its existence, and getting it safely out of Brazil proved a challenge. It finally reached Munsteiner. He spent four months studying it and six months cutting and faceting it into 10,363-carat obelisk that is 35 centimeters tall and 10 centimeters wide at the base.

Today the Dom Pedro, as it is called, sits in the Smithsonian Institute. It was a gift from collectors Jane Mitchell and her husband Jeffrey Bland.