Aquamarine is aqua variety of the mineral beryl. It’s natural color is blue with a tinge of green. Other gemstone with a wide variety of colors that are also the mineral beryl family include emerald, morganite, and heliodor. There are also other colors of beryl that do not have any specified names and these are simple are simply referred to by their color, such as red beryl or yellow beryl as they do not represent anything, unlike Aquamarine.
Aquamarine achieved it’s spectacular color due to the presence of iron within the stone. These gemstone aquamarines have been heat treated by expert craftemen to produce the popular blue-green colors from less desirable yellow or pale stones. Brazil is the leading producer of aquamarines, which has many gemstone mines. Other aquamarine producing countries includes Pakistan, as well as many U.S. localities. In a recent new discovery, a new mine in China has started to produce large numbers of excellent flat (stubby) hexagonal crystals, for a fraction of the price of those beautiful Pakistan gemstones.
Aquamarine is sometimes found in huge crystals (unlike emerald). It is also known in a glassy form, often without showing crystal form, and sometimes with many holes or other odd shapes. Other times a large cluster of prismatic crystals can be seen to all have the same alignment - a sign that it is really a single crystal with many faces which makes aquamarine is much sought after natural gemstone.
Superstitions have it that those born in the month of March are the most suited for Aquamarines.