The most recent member of the Beryl family inducted into the category of "precious stones" is the aquamarine. It has a hardness of 7.5 to 8, and comes to the world via the countries of Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Nigeria and India. Its name comes to us from a Latin word meaning "sea water," because its color is likened to the color of rich blue sea water. It is a relatively hard stone requiring normal care, which above all requires the wearer to keep the pavilion cuts clean of dirt and grime for maximum color refraction and brilliance. It is propertied to instill the wearer with an abundance of courage, intellect, and to prevent sailors and travelers from becoming seasick.
Historically, this stone is sometimes heat treated to eliminate the greenish color (from the iron content), thereby enhancing the more desirable blue qualities. Although much rarer and thus more expensive than garnets and amethysts, it is still an affordable stone in the smaller calibrated sizes. However, larger stones can indeed be very expensive depending on the coloration.
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