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Aquamarine

In the 19th century the preferred colour for aquamarine was sea green, and indeed the name itself means sea water. Today the most valued colours are sky-blue and dark blue. Aquamarine is dichroic, appearing blue or colourless as the stone is viewed from different angles. Gem-quality is found as hexagonal crystals, which may be up to 1m (39in) long and flawless, with striations along the length of the crystal. Aquamarine is often cut with the table facet parallel to the length of the crystal in order to emphasize the deepest colouration.

Occurrence

The best of the gem-quality aquamarine is found in Brazil, where it occurs in pegmatites and alluvial deposits of gravel, locally called cascalho. Other localities include the Urals (Russia), Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and more recently exploited, Nigeria. A dark blue variety occurs in Madagascar.

Remark

Almost all aquamarine in the market has been heat treated to enhance its colour. Care must be taken not to over heat the stones, as they may become colourless.

Crystal structure	Hexagonal
Composition	Beryllium aluminium silicate
Hardness	7.5
SG	2.69
Rl	1.57-1.58
DR	0.006
Lustre	Vitreous