Aquamarine
beryl
Blue beryl, the same species as emerald with iron instead of chromium, and the traditional talisman of sailors, the Romans considered it Neptune's stone and threw it into the sea for safe passage. Nearly all of it has been through an oven to remove the green. People carry it for communication, calm and courage.
Seen · you don't have this one yet
Most commercial aquamarine is heated to around 400 °C to drive off the green-yellow component and leave a pure blue. The treatment is permanent, stable and undetectable by any consumer test. Untreated greenish-blue material exists and is increasingly sought.
Mineral facts
Hardness
7.5-8 Mohs
Formula
Be3Al2Si6O18
Family
silicate
Where it comes from
Brazil (Minas Gerais), Pakistan, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mozambique, Russia (Ural)
What it is
Blue beryl, the same species as emerald with iron instead of chromium, and the traditional talisman of sailors, the Romans considered it Neptune's stone and threw it into the sea for safe passage. Nearly all of it has been through an oven to remove the green. The March birthstone in the modern list.
What it is confused with
blue-topaz, blue-glass, apatite, blue-quartz, synthetic-spinel, fluorite
Transparent to translucent pale blue in long hexagonal prisms with flat basal terminations and fine parallel striations running lengthwise along the prism. Colour is usually pale and slightly uneven, often deeper toward one end. Common internal features are thin hollow tubes running parallel to the crystal's long axis and flat 'rain' inclusions, those parallel tubes are close to diagnostic for beryl. Vitreous luster, no cleavage flashes to speak of, and it scratches glass easily.
Commonly faked · check before you buy
How to tell
Hexagonal prism with lengthwise striations and parallel tube inclusions. Hardness 7.5, 8, it scratches quartz, which topaz also does, but topaz has one perfect basal cleavage producing a flat break and beryl does not. Blue apatite is far softer (5) and will scratch with a knife.
Most commercial aquamarine is heated to around 400 °C to drive off the green-yellow component and leave a pure blue. The treatment is permanent, stable and undetectable by any consumer test. Untreated greenish-blue material exists and is increasingly sought.
What it means for you
The Moon is at 1° Scorpio today. Aquamarine is a silicate, 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, and it is the stone traditionally carried when the problem is proximity rather than intensity.
You know what this one would do for you. You just don't have it.
Aquamarine for every sign
Aries
Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage. They called it Neptune's stone, and nearly all of it has since been through an oven at 400 degrees to drive off the green, permanently and undetectably. The parallel hollow tubes inside the crystal are the honest identification.
Taurus
The same species as emerald with a different impurity.
Blue beryl, the same species as emerald with a different impurity. Nearly all of it has been heated to about 400 degrees to drive off the green, permanently and undetectably, which is why untreated greenish material is now the version people hunt. Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
Gemini
Same species as emerald, different metal doing the colouring.
Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage. It is the same species as emerald with iron colouring it instead of chromium, and nearly all of it has been through a 400 degree oven to take the green out. The parallel hollow tubes running down the crystal are how you know it is beryl.
Cancer
Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
The Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage and considered it Neptune's stone, and those maritime attributions are genuinely ancient rather than invented in the 1980s. Nearly all of it has been heated to about 400 degrees to take the green out. The hollow tubes down the crystal are beryl's signature.
Leo
The untreated greenish stones are now the collectible ones.
Nearly all of it has been through an oven at about 400 degrees to drive off the green and leave pure blue. The treatment is permanent, undetectable and universal, so untreated greenish material has become the collectible kind. Roman sailors threw it into the sea for safe passage.
Virgo
Permanent, stable, and undetectable by any test you can run.
Nearly all of it has been to about 400 degrees to drive off the green, and the change is permanent and undetectable by any test you can run at home. Look for hollow tubes running parallel to the long axis, which is close to diagnostic for beryl. Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
Libra
The trade decided which of its two blues was correct.
Beryl comes in two blues, green-leaning and pure, and the trade decided which one was correct. Nearly all commercial aquamarine has been to about 400 degrees to burn the green out. Untreated greenish material is now the scarcer thing, and collectors have started asking for it back.
Scorpio
It went to 400 degrees to have the green burned out.
Blue beryl, the same species as emerald with iron doing the colour instead of chromium, and Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage. Almost all of it has been to 400 degrees to burn the green out, permanently and undetectably. Untreated greenish material exists and is increasingly wanted.
Sagittarius
Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
The Romans considered it Neptune's and threw it into the sea for safe passage, which is about as travel-coded as the mineral kingdom gets. It is blue beryl, the same species as emerald with iron instead of chromium, and nearly all of it has been through an oven to remove the green.
Capricorn
Nearly all of it has been through an oven.
Nearly all of it has been through an oven at around 400 degrees to drive off the green, permanently and undetectably. Look down the crystal for thin parallel tubes running with the long axis, close to diagnostic for beryl. Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage.
Aquarius
Untreated material costs more precisely because it looks worse.
Nearly all of it has been in an oven at around 400 degrees to drive the green out, a treatment that is permanent and undetectable by any test you can run at home. Romans threw it into the sea for safe passage. Untreated greenish material costs more precisely because it looks worse.
Pisces
Romans threw it into the water for safe passage.
Romans considered it Neptune's and threw it into the water for safe passage, which is one of the older maritime attributions still in circulation. Nearly all modern material has been heated to about 400 degrees to take the green out. Hollow tube inclusions run the length of the crystal like rain.
Correspondences
What tradition attaches to this stone. Folklore, not chemistry.
Element
water
Planet
Neptune
Chakra
throat, heart
Signs
pisces, aquarius, gemini, scorpio
What tradition says
In crystal lore, aquamarine is associated with courage under pressure, clear speech and safe travel over water; the maritime attributions are classical and genuinely old.
Care
- Water is fine. Dry it afterwards.
- Hard and durable. Warm soapy water; avoid ultrasonics on included or fractured stones, and avoid strong heat, which can alter the colour further.
Contains beryllium, which is hazardous as respirable dust. Solid crystals are safe to handle. Never grind, saw or sand beryl dry, and do not make elixirs from rough material.
Common questions
What does aquamarine mean?
Aquamarine is carried for communication, calm and courage. Blue beryl, the same species as emerald with iron instead of chromium, and the traditional talisman of sailors, the Romans considered it Neptune's stone and threw it into the sea for safe passage.. Tradition links it to the throat, heart chakra.
Is aquamarine real or fake?
Most commercial aquamarine is heated to around 400 °C to drive off the green-yellow component and leave a pure blue. The treatment is permanent, stable and undetectable by any consumer test.. Hexagonal prism with lengthwise striations and parallel tube inclusions. Hardness 7.. Most commercial aquamarine is heated to around 400 °C to drive off the green-yellow component and leave a pure blue.
Can aquamarine go in water?
A short rinse is fine for aquamarine, then dry it.
Uncommon · pale sea blue, blue-green, sky blue, greenish blue
Where this leads
This stone belongs to
Related crystals
FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND REFLECTION. NOT MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, FINANCIAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. How this works