How is aquamarine extracted

As the first of the spring birthstones, the sea blue crystal represents transformation and rebirth. Ancient Romans wore aquamarine amulets to cure laziness and procrastination, as well as for protection. Yes, you can put aquamarine in water. Aquamarine is made of a Beryllium, Aluminium Silicate and is part of the Beryl family of minerals. The Aquamarine ring is set in 24 carat yellow gold, featuring a large pale blue stone surrounded by smaller diamonds.

Blue topaz is more common because the color is produced by treating colorless topaz with radiation. Aquamarine is rarer in nature, especially in fine color. Its long history as a gem also adds to its collectibility. The greenish-blue stones will usually be priced at the lower end of the range, unless the color saturation is particularly good. It is unusual to find the deeper blues in aquamarines under 5 carats.

Aquamarine is a stone of courage. Its calming energies reduce stress and quiet the mind. Aquamarine has an affinity with sensitive people. It can invoke tolerance of others and overcomes judgmentalism, giving support to those overwhelmed by responsibility. Aquamarine: Aquamarine, with its icy blue color, displays a magical aura. With hardness similar to that of the topaz, this sea-blue gemstone is a very good choice for daily wear. Whether it is an official or a casual event, one can never go wrong with aquamarines.

High quality aquamarines are much more expensive. This is referred as Geomorphology. It is a light bluish green precious stone. Therefore, aquamarine means sea water. As the name suggests, it possesses all the different shades of the sea water — light blue color to dark with the touch of green in all the possible variations. With the increase in the size of the stone, the color becomes more light and transparent. Aquamarine contains the tiny amount of iron, which is responsible for giving it the color.

Sometimes it is heated or irradiated to get the desired colors from the pale aquamarine crystals. The premier source of aquamarine gemstones having dark blue shades to lighter ones is Madagascar. Other aquamarine mines are found in the African countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.

Also, mines at Gilgit in Pakistan and few parts of Afghanistan holds large amounts of aquamarine. Miami, Hurungwe, Pfungwe, and Motoko are yet other sources situated in different parts of the world. All the mines are mostly above the sea level. The identified area contains Precambrian metamorphic rocks under it. These rocks are composed of many minerals like quartz, feldspar, mica, garnet, biotite etc. And it holds many gemstones within it.

Aquamarines are housed in pegmatite, the veins present in metamorphic rocks. These veins are generally cut and vary in thickness from 10 to 40 m. The center of the pegmatite is usually solid. So it has to be fractured and banded. Using the open pit mining method, the veins are fractured with pneumatic tools. Some of the tools used in the extraction of aquamarine gems are compressors, mechanical hammers, ladders, shovels, etc. Excavators are also used to aid in the extraction process of these gems.

After the gemstones are released from the rock, they are cleaned and washed with water. Aquamarine Mining — Aquamarine mining is truly an environmentally friendly process. It is devoid of the use of any toxic materials like cyanide and mercury that are commonly used in gold and silver mining. The Gemstone Aquamarine. Aquamarine , named for the Latin phrase "water of the sea", is the blue to blue-green variety Beryl. Beryl also contains other gem varieties, including Emerald, and some lesser known varieties such as Morganite and Heliodor.

The first documented use of an aquamarine gemstone is by the Greeks, around the time period to BC. It has been very popular since the seventeenth century. It is calming, soothing, and cleansing, and inspires truth, trust and letting go. In ancient lore, Aquamarine was believed to be the treasure of mermaids, and was used by sailors as a talisman of good luck, fearlessness and protection.

It was also considered a stone of eternal youth and happiness. The greenish-blue stones will usually be priced at the lower end of the range, unless the color saturation is particularly good. It is unusual to find the deeper blues in aquamarines under 5 carats. It helps one be better in communion with an inner tranquility, and is known for its ability to calm nervous tension as it is calming and soothing. Aquamarine is a wonderful stone for meditation as it quiets the mind and facilitates obtaining communication from higher planes.

Aquamarine is a stone of courage. Its calming energies reduce stress and quiet the mind. Aquamarine has an affinity with sensitive people. It can invoke tolerance of others and overcomes judgmentalism, giving support to those overwhelmed by responsibility. Although aquamarine gemstones can be easily confused with blue topaz, aquamarine is much more rare and valuable.

Aquamarine is related to emerald, since both belong to the gemstone family of Beryls. The natural blue and green colors of aquamarine come from ferrous iron and metallic ions.