Description

Aquamarine (from Latin: aqua marina, “water of the sea”) is a blue or cyan variety of beryl.  It occurs at most localities which yield ordinary beryl.  Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate.  The pale blue color of aquamarine is attributed to Fe2+ (or iron).  The Fe3+ ions produce golden-yellow color, and when both Fe2+ and Fe3+ are present, the color is a darker blue as in maxixe.  In the United States, aquamarines can be found in the Sawatch Range in central Colorado and in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.