AQUAMARINE

 

Aquamarine is a semiprecious or fine stone composed of aluminum silicate and beryl whose color varies between pale blue and dark blue with a glassy shine. Its name "aqua marina" in Latin literally means "sea water" and makes direct reference to its color, which declines in the colors of the seven seas.

Jewel of the mermaids stranded on the shore or treasure of nymphs according to Greek mythology, aquamarine has inspired multiple beliefs about its transparency and purity. In addition to being a gem that enhances creativity and expression, due to its clairvoyant qualities, it is said that it was used as a material to craft crystal balls.

Beloved stone throughout the history of mankind, it was said in ancient times that it had the power to calm the anger of Poseidon. It came to be nicknamed the "sailor's stone" since when used as a talisman or amulet it was supposed to protect against seasickness and storms on high seas. In the Middle Ages, magicians prescribed aquamarine against water retention, to help with digestion and as an antidote to poisons.

Aquamarine was often carved in intaglio, an artistic technique in which carving it on a flat surface creates an image; often the stone is carved in order to create a relief inside. The best known intaglio is probably the one that belonged to King Charlemagne. It represented Julia, the daughter of the Roman Emperor Titus and was created in the 9th century (AD).

The virtues of aquamarine are those of promoting general well-being. Its vibrations harmonize and stabilize body and mind. It attracts lucidity, calm, relaxation but also vitality and self-acceptance. A powerful aid to express and transmit the emotions of those who wear it, it predisposes to the artistic by facilitating communication. On a romantic level, it is said that it enhances tenderness in addition to consolidating nascent loves, fragile relationships or confirming well-anchored relationships.

If worn as a pendant near the thymus (between the heart and the throat), it strengthens the immune and respiratory systems by aligning the chakras and facilitating the circulation of fluids throughout the body. In this way it regulates the functioning of the heart rhythm as well as the blood, endocrine and lymphatic systems. It also soothes all kinds of pains and reduces fatigue.

Aquamarine originates from Brazil, mainly from the Santa Maria and Maxixe mines, despite the fact that both deposits are almost depleted. Today many aquamarines come from Mozambique and northern Pakistan and to a lesser extent from the United States, Russia, Australia and France.