Aquamarine is a semi precious gem from the Beryl family, the same family as Emerald. It is famous for its sea blue like colours and for its excellent clarity and transparency. Its name was derived from the Latin word seawater. Major sources of Aquamarine include Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Pakistan and the USA. Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March. Santa Maria aquamarine represents a particular shade of blue in a deeply saturated hue. This colour was originally discovered at the Santa Maria de Itabira mine, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. In the gem trade, ‘Santa Maria’ can also describe any aquamarine stone displaying this colour. The original deposit is almost exhausted, and today most of the Santa Maria aquamarines are sourced from sub-Saharan countries of Africa, including Mozambique.