March is finally here and that means it’s time for all you lucky babies born this month for your feature birthstone, the Aquamarine! Part of the Beryl family, this species of gem has a narrow color range of blue to green-blue, much like the color of beautiful sea water. Well-formed crystals are typically six sided with flat faces at their ends and can be found in both small and large sizes; some up to 100 lbs.! Brazil has been the principal source of aquamarine for over 200 years, though Pakistan and China are also producers of fine quality gems. Some darker crystals come from pegmatites, which are coarsely crystalline granite or other igneous rock. However, alluvial deposits are what yield the most material. Heat treating these stones is an accepted enhancement used to remove yellow and brown color components to leave a purer blue hue.