MARCH BIRTHSTONE-AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine (aquamarine, name from Latin: aqua marine, originally intended for seawater), also known as seawater sapphire, is a silicate ore that is a type of beryl. It is a transparent gemstone with blue or navy blue.
Aquamarine is a kind of silicate containing bismuth and aluminum. It is collectively called colored gems with emeralds, eucalyptus and tourmalines. The color of aquamarine is sky blue to sea blue or greenish blue. Its color is mainly due to the trace amount of ferrous ions (Fe2+), which is bright and clean, and bright blue to pale blue. optimal.
The beryl is a bismuth-aluminum silicate mineral. Several variants of it are of different colors, light blue (called aquamarine), dark green (called emerald), golden yellow (called golden beryl), pink (called beryl) ))) is a hexagonal system.
Introduction
Aquamarine is mainly produced in the pegmatite deposit - sugar-granular sodium-long petrified pegmatite, the world's most famous aquamarine origin in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Followed by Russia, China and other regions.
The common crystal form is a hexagonal column, followed by a hexagonal double cone, and the aggregates are mostly columnar. Transparent to translucent. The refractive index is 1.567-1.590, and the birefringence is 0.005-0.007. The pleochroism is obvious, from blue to blue-green. It does not emit light under X-ray irradiation and has good toughness.
Aquamarine quality evaluation is evaluated in terms of color, clarity, cut and weight. The color is pure, no gray, no dichroism, and the color is brighter and the value is the highest. Some aquamarine with oriented inclusions can be processed into a cat's eye effect or a starlight effect, and aquamarine with a special optical effect is more expensive. Color, clarity, cut the same aquamarine, the greater the weight of the carat, the higher the value.
Cause of coloration
The reason why aquamarine has a sea blue color is mainly caused by Fe2+ ions, while Fe3+ will show a golden yellow condition. When Fe2+ and Fe3+ appear at the same time, the overall color will appear dark blue like blue beryl. colour. If the blue beryl is heat treated or illuminated, the Fe3+ ions are converted to Fe2+ ions to change their color. In addition, its dark blue color can also be changed to green, pink or yellow by high-energy particle irradiation (such as gamma rays, X-rays, etc.).
Aquamarine is a silicate-like crystal in mineralogy and can exhibit different colors depending on the origin and formation conditions of the ore.
There are several common types:
(1) Chromium-containing: The beryl whose color is light to dark green, blue-green, yellow-green is a very precious emerald.
(2) Iron-bearing: azure or sea blue is aquamarine.
(3) Those containing antimony, lithium and manganese: the color is rose red, which is called beryl (Morganite).
(4) The beryl is iron-colored and golden yellow, and the light lemon yellow is called the golden beryl (Heliiedor).
(5) The beryl contains titanium and iron, which is dark brown, called Dark Brown Beryl.
(6) Colorless and transparent beryl, called Goshenite.
Place of origin
Most of the discovery of aquamarine is in the veins of the general beryl, the best of which comes from Russia. Aquamarine is also found in ore slag in Sri Lanka. The yellow transparent beryl produced in Brazil is sometimes referred to as "blue olivine". Corundum also has a sea blue, for the two, it will be called "Oriental Aquamarine".
In the United States, aquamarine can be found on the top of the Antero Mountain in the Sawatch Mountains in central Colorado. In Wyoming, aquamarine was discovered in the Bighorn Mountains, near the foothills of the Baode River. In Brazil, the three states of Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo and Bahia in the southeast have aquamarine deposits. There are also aquamarine-producing mines in Colombia, Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya.
The largest aquamarine currently mined was discovered in 1910 in Marambaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It weighs 110 kilograms and measures 48.5 cm in length and 42 cm in diameter.
Implied meaning
Legend has it that aquamarine is produced on the sea floor and is the essence of sea water. Therefore, the voyager prayed that Poseidon would protect the safety of navigation and called it "Fo Shenshi". It is also used as the "Marchstone of Birth", which symbolizes "sinking and courage", "happiness and longevity".
In ancient times, people found that the color of aquamarine is as blue as sea water, giving it the property of water. It is believed that this beautiful gem must come from the seabed and is the essence of sea water. Since then, aquamarine and "water" have been puzzled. edge. Therefore, for those born in March, the jewelry made of aquamarine can not only bring the extraordinary beauty of the outside, but more importantly, the shelter and happiness it can bring.
Related legend
Legend has it that a group of mermaids live in the blue sea. They usually use aquamarine as their own jewelry to dress themselves up. Once they encounter a critical moment, they only need to let the gemstones receive the sunlight, so they can get mysterious power to help themselves.
Whether it is the East or the West, water is regarded as the source of life, and March is the time when all the creatures on the earth are active. Therefore, the aquamarine with the attribute of "water" is defined as the birthstone of March, symbolizing Being calm, brave and smart. Westerners generally believe that wearing aquamarine can make people have a foresight.
In addition to blessing peace, aquamarine is also called "the stone of love." In ancient Greek mythology, there was a Fengshen called Roland, handsome and but humble. Later he fell in love with a mortal woman, which was not allowed for the gods at that time.
His own love, he does not hesitate to give his life. Before he died, Roland pleaded with the goddess Venus to seal his soul in aquamarine as the birthstone of the birth of March, and to help people find their love. Therefore, people in the Mediterranean countries like to wear aquamarine so that they can have a sweet love and maintain a happy marriage.
In medieval Europe, artisans cut the aquamarine into thin slices as needed, and fixed it in the hole of some specific tools. The nobles used it to see farther. This is probably the origin of the telescope. The crystal clear, pure and flawless aquamarine is often polished into a mirror, and some wizards insist that such a mirror can be used for divination.
With the development of science, people are no longer convinced that the birthstone has the magic of warding off evil spirits and bringing good luck. However, as a culture of precipitation and good times, the custom of wearing a birthstone will continue to spread.
Compared with the blue topaz, although both have fire color and beautiful blue color, the interior of the topaz and its fire color have some black color, and its color is not as good as that of Xinjiang.
Xinjiang aquamarine is better than other sapphires. Sapphire has a strong glass luster and hardness 9 is much higher than aquamarine. Therefore, the two are still easier to distinguish. People can also distinguish between the good and the bad by the weight of the sea. One of the characteristics of Topaz is the high density, which makes it feel heavy in the hand. If the two strings are the bracelets of Xinjiang Hailanbao and other aquamarine, the difference in quality is obvious. At the same time, consumers can also judge the quality of the sapphire by the price of the gemstone. If the sapphire blue color is good, the base is a boutique aquamarine.
effect
1. Westerners generally believe that wearing aquamarine can make people have a foresight.
2. Aquamarine corresponds to the throat of the human body and is said to improve the respiratory system.
3, can enhance the ability to express, persuasive, but the energy of the powerful gem can only play a guiding and auxiliary role in long-term wear.
4, containing the four elements of the ground, water, fire, wind, with powerful treatment, purification, and smart power, is the most effective gem.
Things are rare, and from the perspective of long-term investment, aquamarine is also very collectible. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Brazil discovered the largest aquamarine crystal ever, 19 inches long, 16 inches wide and weighed 243 pounds. It is blue and green, clear and transparent. After the news spread, people around the world who wanted to buy it flocked to it, and were eventually bought by a German businessman with a price of 100,000 marks. Think about the 100,000 mark at the beginning of the 20th century. What kind of astronomy should be used today? The number is right, the value of the best aquamarine is visible. In China, the collection value of aquamarine can not be underestimated. For example, on July 9, 2009, a famous jewelry store in Guangzhou had publicly auctioned a sea sapphire of about 114.5 carats, and the starting price was as high as 500,000 yuan. The truly collectible aquamarine is generally large in size, and only a large enough to show the color of aquamarine, so as to have a higher appreciation potential.
