FantaSea Jewelry St. Croix Blog

St. Croix is absolutely a “vibe like no other” and what makes this the extraordinary place it is, is definitely the people.

I have been given the opportunity to create engagement and wedding rings for many people in my years as a jeweler. Some of the most memorable being when friends or friend’s partners ask me to design a ring or rings for their engagement and wedding. It’s not only about making a piece of jewelry that they will treasure for years to come, but also about being brought into the circle of trust, being one of few people to know about this exciting surprise that is right around the corner.

Alternative engagement rings are all the rage these days. Maybe you have heard the term and not quite understood it. “Alternative” really is defined as “available as another possibility”. I love possibilities! When it comes to a uniquely designed engagement ring… “imagine the possibilities!”

I’ve been doing [custom jewelry design] for quite a long time now, and one of the things I always say to custom clients is, “the possibilities are endless!” And they truly are! It’s a really fun part of my job to ask questions during this process and to offer some suggestions on what a custom ring, designed with their specific story in mind, could look like.

Larimar is a gemstone found exclusively in the Caribbean, on the island of Hispaniola. Though it looks like this watery patterned, natural gemstone could come from the ocean, it is actually found in a dormant, volcanic mountain range in the Baoruco Mountains of the Barahona region of the Dominican Republic.

Aquamarine healing properties include harnessing the energy of the ocean and promoting safe travel over the water. Appropriately, the name “aquamarine” comes from the Latin “sea water”. Besides the obvious association with the ocean, aquamarine is also a gemstone known to aid in healing and overcoming one’s fears, and clarity of thought and expression, especially verbal communication. It is also the birthstone for the month of March and the gemstone for the 19th wedding anniversary.

The delicate blue of this gemstone resembles the blue shades of the Caribbean skies more than the waters, and just like the sky with its varying shades of blue, aquamarine is found in many different hues and qualities. Very pale aquamarine are found readily and can often look like a blue tinted diamond, however, without as much brilliance. These icy, cool aquamarine stones look great in white metals like silver and platinum. More deeply saturated stones are also found, and these generally command higher prices.

Drawing of an Aquamarine Crystal by Squirrelly Minds Paper

Aquamarine is a variety of the mineral “beryl” which is a family that also includes emerald, morganite and heliodor (also known as golden beryl). It is most commonly seen faceted, or cut, like a diamond in standard and fancy shapes. Since the material itself grows in long crystals, cuts like oval, pear shape, and emerald are common as well as elongated versions of the same. All shapes are easily found however, including more symmetrical shapes like round, trillion and square or princess. Aquamarine can also be found cut as a cabochon, or domed and smoothly polished, as often seen with material that doesn’t have good clarity. The selection of cabochons and crystals in the photo below are stones I hand selected on a trip to Southeast Asia in 2015.

Aquamarine Cabochons and Crystals from Vietnam

Brazil remains the most significant source of Aquamarine, but it is also found in African countries such as Nigeria, Namibia and Mozambique. There are also aquamarine deposits in the United States, India, China, Vietnam and Russia.

As the gemstone of conquering one’s fears - I purchased a high quality aquamarine for myself after my very first skydive! Not only did it represent getting over this particular fear (and a couple others) but the beautiful, vivid sky blue of the gem reminded me of the blue skies from which I jumped! Years later I purchased a large aquamarine cabochon, which I wore as a necklace in an attempt to promote clarity of expression at a time when I needed to find my voice. This has always been a meaningful gemstone for me.

Skydiving over the West End of St. Croix!

Associated mainly with the throat chakra, clarity in verbal communication and healing of illnesses of the throat are some of the metaphysical ways this gemstone is used. Also used in working with the heart chakra, aquamarine is said to open up the heart and help us to recognize our innermost truth, releasing that which no longer serves us. A pretty powerful stone in all senses!

Aquamarine ring with 14kt rose gold bezel setting on a sterling silver band - accented with rose gold hammered stacks!

Click the here for more info and to see the details on this ring!

This aquamarine ring was made with one of the gemstones I brought back from my trip to Southeast Asia!

Click here to see details - this ring is one of a kind!

Is this wondrous gem YOUR birthstone? Do you have an aquamarine story? If not, let's create one! I have many beautiful loose gemstones just waiting to become part of your treasured collection.