Aquamarine hexes & 3mm Labradorite on bead wire with sterling silver chain & clasp, 18” long.
Aquamarine (Latin for 'water of the sea') is a blue/green v variety of beryl, found mostly in Brazil (the largest specimen of gemstone quality came from Brazil in 1910 and weighed 243 pounds!). The coloring agent that makes it such a lovely blue is iron. History records it’s first use in Greece sometime around 400 B.C. and in ancient lore it is said to be a treasure of mermaids, used as a talisman by sailors to bring good luck, fearlessness, and protection. It was also valued as a stone of eternal youth and happiness. Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and it promotes cooling, soothing, and clear communication.
Named after the Labrador peninsula in Canada where it was originally found, Labradorite’s bright flashes of color are a result of schiller, or labradorescence. In the 1940s a similar material was found in Finland that exhibited the entire color spectrum, this was nicknamed Spectrolite. Larvikite is a silvery gray Labradorite from Scandinavia. Other deposits are found in Australia, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia and the United States. Labradorite is a stone of magic and protection.
