Aquamarine is the green to blue-green

Aquamarine, heliodor, emerald,goshenite and morganite are allmembers of the beryl family.  Beryl is an important source of theelement beryllium , a metal with a variety of modern commercial uses, particularly in manufacturing metal alloys. Unlike emerald, aquamarine gems are often completely flawless. However,inclusions may include mica, hematiteand liquid-filled (often salt-water)' tubes.' The largest gem quality aquamarineon record was found in Brazil in 1910 andweighed 243 lbs. A thirteen-pound uncut piece resides in the American Museum of Natural History.  By one account, when Russia andAfghanistan were at war, Afghanis, locating a probable aquamarine deposit, would pitch a tent over the area, making it an inviting target for the Russians to bomb -- thereby eliminating days, if not weeks, of digging.

shades of green and blue aquamarine crystal Aquamarine is the green to blue-green to aqua variety of the mineral beryl (from the Greek berullos, meaning any "crystal"). It isdichroic, appearing with color and without when viewed from different angles. Most gem beryl comes from a very coarse-grained rock that geologists call pegmatite, a form of igneous rock consisting of extremely coarse granite resulting from the crystallization of magma rich in rare elements. Aquamarine is colored by trace amounts of iron that find their way into the crystal structure. However, the majority of gem aquamarines on the market today have been heat treated -- by heating them in an electric furnace to 842� F (450� C) -- to produce the popular sky blue, dark blue, and blue-green colors from less desirable yellow or pale stones. photo: garimpo talhado minea, brazil Brazil is a major supplier of aquamarines where they are mined around Teofilo Otoni in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais. Pakistan and Afghanistan also have significant deposits, but given the political contretemps between Pakistan and India, the recent years of war between Russia and Afghanistan, and the presence of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, mining activity has been sporadic, at best, and getting product out of the countries difficult. Russia mines aquamarine in several areas, most notably the Urals, Transbaikalia (east of Lake Baikal), and Siberia. Several African nations such as Nigeria and Madagascar mine the gem. In the US, Colorado and North Carolina have deposits.