Aquamarine jewelry is known to be effective in the treatment of such ailments as anxiety, coughs, earaches and vascular disease. Deriving its name from the Latin words meaning "water and sea", aquamarine jewelry was often worn by sailors as protection from adversity at sea and to prevent seasickness. This clear, blue gem has been popular since 400 B.C. and is considered the birthstone for the month of March. While aquamarine jewelry has been known for its restorative properties for some, others simply enjoy its simple, almost translucent beauty. When held under water, aquamarine appears to almost disappear. This specific type of beryl has a blue-green to blue color and is often heat-treated to reduce ferric iron and eliminate the accompanying yellowish color. This also has the effect of making the blue-green material pure blue. This heating process is generally done just after cutting and should not affect the value of aquamarine jewelry since virtually all aquamarine is heated in this manner.
With a Moh's scale of hardness rating at 7.5-8, aquamarine jewelry may be worn frequently and cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Aquamarine may contain a variety of inclusions such as biotite, rutile, pyrite and hematite in crystals that sometimes allow the cutting of star byrels. Some aquamarines contain snow-stars: irregular liquid droplets in starlike patterns. These inclusions are often not found in aquamarine jewelry and are more common in large specimens displayed in museums.
