What is Aquamarine?

What is Aquamarine? Named after the color of sea water, aquamarine is the blue to blue-green member of the beryl family. Readily available and moderately priced, the modern March birthstone makes an excellent jewelry stone.

What is the Color of Aquamarine?

This beautiful gem receives its coloring from trace amounts of ferrous iron. Its hues range can range from blueish green, blue-green, greenish blue, to deep blue, and its tones can vary from very light to moderately dark. You’ll rarely see aquamarines darker than a Swiss blue topaz. When you do, the color is usually enhanced by the cut.

You might encounter gemstones sold as “white aquamarines.” Be aware that such stones are most likely colorless beryls, also known as goshenites.

What Does Aquamarine Symbolize?

In Western cultures, due to aquamarine’s color and name, this gem has a folklore strongly connected to the sea. Its mystical purview traditionally includes protection for sailors and fishermen as well as travelers in general.

What Inclusions do Aquamarines Contain?

Inclusions are interesting features of this gemstone. Beryl, and aquamarine in particular, are known for having long, hollow tubes. This distinctive feature can help identify a gem as a member of the beryl family.

Aquamarines may have transparent and metallic inclusions, such as biotite, hematite, ilmenite, phlogopite, pyrite, and  rutile in skeletal crystals. They may also contain crystals of apatite, cassiterite, epidote, garnet, muscovite; quartz, and tourmaline. Some stones contain “snow-stars,” irregularly shaped liquid droplets in a star formation. The Martha Rocha aquamarine has notable “snow-star” inclusions.

Aquamarine Cat’s Eyes and Star Stones

With enough hollow tube inclusions and proper cutting, aquamarines can show chatoyancy and even asterism. Collectors prize beautiful cat’s eye aquamarines very highly, and their prices come very close to that of clean, faceted gems with the same coloring. Star aquamarines are even more rare than cat’s eyes and can command premium prices.

Are There Lab-Created Aquamarines?

Aquamarines can be synthesized, and an examination under a microscope may find some indications of synthetic origin. However, professional gem labs have advanced instruments that can distinguish natural from created aquamarines.

Are Aquamarine Gemstones Enhanced?

Most aquamarines come out of the ground with a greenish tint, but this will disappear after heating to 375° C, which leaves a pure blue color. Removing aquamarine’s green tinting through heat treatment is very common. In the past, this was done routinely. Nowadays, a more sophisticated public has started appreciating slightly green, untreated aquamarines. However, distinguishing this heating process proves impossible. Therefore, gem graders should describe any pure blue aquamarines as “probably heat treated.”

In the 1970s, Maxixe (pronounced mah-SHE-she), a very dark blue aquamarine, appeared on the market, but the color of this irradiated product wasn’t stable. Although these stones have mostly disappeared from the market, if you’re ever offered a very deep blue aquamarine, buyer beware.

You can distinguish the Maxixe from a natural aquamarine by its lack of pleochroism. Natural aquamarines have distinct blue and colorless dichroism. On the other hand, the Maxixe has no pleochroism. When viewed from any angle, it just shows blue. The absorption spectrum of natural aquamarine and the Maxixe also differs. With a spectroscope, you’ll see a narrow line at 6950, a strong line at 6540, and weak lines at 6280, 6150, 5500, and 5810. This differs considerably from natural aquamarine’s spectrum, with a broad band at 4270 and a diffuse band at 4560.

You can also distinguish a Maxixe aquamarine from a natural stone with a dichroscope. Both windows remain blue when viewing a Maxixe. In contrast, one window should be colorless or pale yellowish when viewing an untreated specimen.

Where are Aquamarine Gemstones Found?

• Brazil is the world’s major source of fine aquamarine gems. Localities include Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, and others.
• Madagascar has more than 50 specific localities that produce fine, blue gem material.
• Other notable sources include the following:
• United States: San Diego County, California (not much gem material); Mt. Antero, Colorado; Connecticut (some gem); Maine; North Carolina.

Aquamarine Trade Names

• Brazilian aquamarine: blueish green. Also a misnomer for blueish green topaz.
• Madagascar aquamarine: fine, medium blue.
• Maxixe beryl: treated beryl with excellent aquamarine blue, known for fading. Also called halbanite.
• Santa Maria aquamarine: medium-dark tone and highly saturated blue color.
• Don’t assume aquamarines billed as “Brazilian” or “Madagascar” actually come from these sources. These terms may only refer to the color, so ask to see documentation to certify a gem’s origin. “Santa Maria” aquamarines are named after the Santa Maria de Itabira mine where they were first discovered, but stones with similar colors have also been found in other locations.

In My Shop

Sources

[1] International Gem Society
[2] Photos by Freepik