Showcasing Aquamarine Jewelers

If you are a sea-faring person or just have a love of the ocean, you may have noticed you also have an affinity for aquamarine gemstones. That would be natural as it is called the ‘stone of the sea’ by many and it’s name means ‘sea water’.

When first looking at aquamarines some ancient seafarers believed they may have been a stone that came out of the treasure of mermaids. It’s often thought of as the stone to represent mermaids. Others thought the aquamarine stone may be the material the lower half of the mermaid was actually made out of.

In ancient Rome, this went one step further. They thought the aquamarine was more powerful than just being part of a mermaid, but that it was the gemstone of the God of the Sea, Neptune, and had been given to him as a gift form the mermaids, who were his servants.

When it comes to healing, it was thought that the aquamarine gemstone also was very powerful when used in conjunction with water. Many healers would put an aquamarine stone in a glass of water and then have those who were sick drink the water, so the healing properties of the stone could get to work.

When it came time to travel on the water, many early sailors believed having a piece of aquamarine on them would give them the favor of the mermaids and other sea creatures and allow them to travel safely through the waters. Some legends never die, with the stone still being a popular piece that those who are traveling the seas will carry along. There are even advertisements that advise those who are going to take a cruise to take a piece of aquamarine with them, as an amulet of good luck and a safe journey.

You might have thought that aquamarine has always been used as an adornment, either in jewelry or the regalia of kings and queens. While this is largely true, you might be surprised to learn some of the more unusual uses of this gem throughout the ages.

Some believe that aquamarine is the beryl that is referred to in the Bible as being the eighth cornerstone of the New Jerusalem. As evidence of this, consider that Pliny the Elder, through his descriptions of stones that he called berrulos, seemed to be referring to aquamarine. Furthermore, Pliny was a contemporary of the writers of the Bible. Another argument in favor of aquamarine as being this significant stone in biblical history is simply that emeralds, the other most commonly known beryl, were far less common than were their sister stone, aquamarine.

Because of its association with the mythological god, Neptune, who is the god of the sea, aquamarine talismans were part of the daily attire for nearly every ancient Roman sailor, who wore the talismans as protection against the many dangers that might befall them when at sea. For extra protection, these talismans were engraved with Neptune’s image.

Perhaps one of the most surprising uses of this gem has been as a visual aid, but not the kind that you used in school to earn extra points. It has been widely reported that the Roman emperor, Nero, used an aquamarine crystal to help him see. This was long before eyeglasses, as we know them, were invented. Along this line, many years after Nero, the Germans took small slivers of aquamarine and used these as lenses to help those who were shortsighted.

Though today, we usually just think of aquamarine as the blue beauty that serves as the centerpoint of our favorite jewelry designs, we now know that others long before us saw the stone has having more potential.