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Aquamarine (Lat. aqua marina, "water of the sea") is a gemstone-quality
transparent variety of beryl, having a delicate blue or blue-green color, suggestive
of the tint of seawater. It's closely related to the gem emerald. Colors vary and yellow
beryl, called heliodor; rose pink beryl, morganite; and white beryl, goshenite are
known. It occurs at most localities which yield ordinary beryl, some of the finest
coming from Russia. The gem-gravel glacer deposits of Sri Lanka contain
aquamarine chrysolite.
In the United States, aquamarines can be found at the summit of Mt. Antero in the
Sawatch Range in central Colorado. In Brazil, there are mines in the states of Minas
Gerais, Espírito Santo and Bahia. Zambia also produces nice aquamarine as well as
Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya. Much of today's aquamarine is
heated to give it a better color blue.
The biggest aquamarine ever mined was found at the city of Marambaia, Minas
Gerais, Brazil, in 1910. It weighed over 110 kg, and its dimensions were 48.5 cm
long and 42 cm in diameter.
Aquamarine is the official state gem of Colorado.
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