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Aquamarine is a variety of the mineral beryl, which also includes emerald and lesser known gems such as heliodor, goshenite, and the beautiful rose-pink morganite. Class: semiprecious Origin of Name: from the Latin aqua marina (sea water) Color: blue, blue-green, green Chemical Composition: beryllium aluminum silicate Crystal System: hexagonal Hardness: 7.5 Specific Gravity: 2.63-2.91 Geographic Origins: Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Russia, Brazil, Colorado, North Carolina Next Photo: ©International Colored Gemstone Association/Bart Curren The Science Behind the Sparkle | Diamonds in the Sky A Primer of Gemstones | See Inside a Diamond Resources | Transcript | Site Map | Diamond Deception Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |