Aquamarines

Well, February has been a hot month as it is often, and it makes me all the more appreciative of clear, crisp, ice blue water. Even just the sight of it brings welcome relief and for those of you with swimming pools and the opportunity to be by the sea, water makes life so enjoyable and we should never be complacent that most of us in Australia have it in such abundance.

The attraction of water also makes me think of the gemstone Aquamarine, the birthstone for March. From the near colourless pale blue through shades of pale greenish-blue to deeper richer blues, these colours are so relaxing, calming and refreshing and the colours are present in our every day lives in so many different ways.

Aquamarines also have quite a history in my life, both personally and in business. When I was still an apprentice jeweller I proposed to my girlfriend Helen and my future parents-in-law kindly gave us a blue stone pendant which my father-in-law gave to my mother-in-law as a wedding present.
The pendant contained an aquamarine which became the centre stone of Helen’s engagement ring. It looked amazing on her – it suited her colouring and also matched her eye shadow! In those days she used to wear luminous metallic blue which was all the rage and I can still see her in her long white boots, short mini dress, her striking ‘blue’ eyes and short blond hair. I am talking of the 60s and as we see with many things, fashion returns and this colour is popular again today for many young women. So on very good advice and as a male who appreciates beauty, girls  – try M.A.C.’s Divine Blue or Bobbi Brown’s Sea Glass for those WOW eyes!

In our business over the years, Aquamarines have been our largest selling coloured gemstone and it is easy to see why their beautiful colour makes them so desirable. They seem to suit any skin tone and are a beautiful with diamonds.

Interestingly they are from the same gemstone family as Emerald which is Beryl. They are found in many exotic places including Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, Mozambique and Brazil. We use them in many shapes and my favorites are emerald cut, cushion cut and oval. Their colour looks best set directly into white gold which enhances their clarity and the surrounding gold can be white, pink gold or yellow gold. Accompanying colours can also look amazing – soft pinks, greens and yellows are great partners.

As we enter Mad March, I hope you get the chance to enjoy some of the wonderful shows on offer during the Fringe, the Festival and Womadelaide and when your energy restores, come in and let me show you some of the stunning Aquamarine designs we have created. It’s always good to consider a piece using Aquamarines, for yourself or as a gift. You will never regret it.

Until next month

Nicholas