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The vivid blue gemstone derives its name from the Latin term ‘Aqua’ meaning sea and ‘mare’ meaning water. The beautiful Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March and gemstone for 16th and 19th anniversary.

According to legends Aquamarine originated in the treasure chest of mermaids and since then has been associated with the ocean. In ancient times aquamarine were worn as amulets by Greek sailors to please the God. The belief associated with the stone was that it would safeguard the soldiers on a voyage against the rough seas. Some also believed that is a preventive against seasickness and also reduces the effect of poison. Aquamarine was also thought to have a soothing effect on new marriages and helped the couple to become compatible. Aquamarine is deemed to bring joy and wealth to its wearer.

Aquamarine is primarily mined in Brazil, Nigeria and Zambia. The largest and most highly valued aquamarine was mined in Brazil in the 20th century and weighed 243 pounds. Another noted aquamarine is 879.5 carats, sea green in color, is displayed in British Museum of Natural History. Aquamarine is also mined in areas of Africa, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Russia. In United States this gemstone is found in Colorado and it is the official gemstone of the state.

The chemical composition of Aquamarine is (Be3Al2 (Si6O18)) and it belongs to the beryl family of minerals. It has a specific gravity of 2.68 to 2.74 and a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8. Aquamarine ranges from shades of blue, from pale to pastel, greenish blue to deep blue. The most precious aquamarines are those displaying deep blue color with no green tints. These are rare and therefore more valuable.

Aquamarine is almost free from inclusions and often has good clarity. This is the reason why aquamarines are frequently cut with large step facets to display their flawlessness. The blue colored, inclusion free gemstone is less susceptible to cracks and nicks like the other gemstones. It’s clear and pale brilliance makes it a perfect gemstone for jewelry and it combines well with most of the jewelry metals.

Aquamarine is always heat- treated to remove inclusions, which is a well accepted practice in jewelry industry. High temperature is used to remove the iron impurities from the gemstone, making it appear clean and pure blue in color.

To keep the gemstone clean and brilliant you need to clean it with warm soapy water. Avoid using chemical cleaners, detergents and a lot of exposure to sunlight.

The Blue Devils have been playing at the Wallace Wade Stadium in the Duke University campus since 1929. Once known as the Duke Stadium, it was renamed in 1967 after Wallace Wade, the legendary Hall of Famer and Blue Devils football team coach who steered the team to victory during his tenure from 1930-1950.

Important Moments And Accomplishments

The Duke Blue Devils football team has won a total of 17 conference titles, 10 of which were won under the current Atlantic Coast Conference. (ACC) The team won its last title in 1989; this which would place Duke as 4th among the 12-member ACC teams with the most number of championship titles.

It addition to these championships, Duke has also seen 53 of its players over the years become part of the prestigious College Football All-America Team.

Quarterbacks in the Current Roster

Currently, the team?s quarterbacks are composed of Zack Asack, Mike Capetto, Thaddeus Lewis, and Sean Renfree.

Recent News

Under the helm of Coach David Cutcliffe, (who has been the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils football team for a year now) the Blue Devils this season are vying for a shot, at least, for a bowl appearance. The team has long been hungry to make an appearance in any of the college bowl tournaments since it last had that chance in 1994. So far this season, with an even record of 4 wins and 4 losses, hopes are still high for the Dukes in attaining the dream of a national title which has eluded them for so long. As the rest of the regular season will be tough for the Dukes, the team is striving to fight the odds to get a crack for a slot in a college bowl appearance which many Blue Devil fans are eagerly watching and hoping would happen. As Cutcliffe reminded his team earlier this season, this is now the time they have to fight like crazy to stay alive. Any Blue Devil fan would not want to miss these crucial moments for the team and witness the way the fight to stay alive and make history once again.