About the Mineral Aquamarine

Geography

• Russia, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and the United States produce aquamarine, but the best quality stones come from Brazil.

Hardness

• Aquamarine is a hard mineral, with a rating between 7.5 and 8 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. It is harder than quartz but softer than ruby or sapphire.

Colors

• The color of aquamarine varies from a pale shade of blue to a much deeper hue; trace amounts of iron within an aquamarine give an individual mineral its color.

Heated

• Aquamarine heated to temperatures of about 750 degrees Fahrenheit will make the color even darker.

Fun Fact

• Aquamarine takes its name from Latin words meaning "water" (aqua) and "sea" (marine) since its colors reminded the ancients of water in the ocean. Sailors considered aquamarine a good-luck charm and would wear the stones on their voyages.