Aquamarine jewellery - The beautiful blue gemstone
Named after the colour of sea water, Aquamarine is the stunning blue / blue-green member of the Beryl family (with its closest cousins being Emerald and Morganite). It’s a durable stone and makes fine aquamarine jewellery.
Africa produces some wonderful Aquamarines with Kenya and Tanzania both producing gorgeous sky blue stones. Recently, a deposit of very fine Aquamarine was discovered in Mozambique with a gorgeous deep hue which has been nicknamed “Santa Maria Afrique” in the trade as they closely resemble their Brazilian cousins from the Santa Maria district.
Aquamarine is mostly mined by small scale "artisanal" miners.
My Aquamarine pieces
How to judge the quality of Aquamarine jewellery
Aquamarine - as with Diamonds and all gemstones - are rated by the 4 C’s:
Colour (The more vivid and intense the colour saturation of Aquamarine, the better.)
Clarity (Aquamarine needs to be flawless to be considered top grade, as it is classed as a Type 1 gemstone by the GIA.)
Carat Weight (This becomes important within quality brackets. A 3 carat exceptional, investment grade colour with top clarity will always be much rarer and more valuable than a 10 carat paler stone containing inclusions.)
Cut (Maximising symmetry and light reflection, to get the best looking gemstone out of the rough stone.)
All of my Aquamarines come with GIA Gem Reports.
My Aquamarine jewellery
I have the full history of each of my Aquamarines, including:
the day it was discovered
the exact location
a photo of the stone before cutting
a mining report
a GIA gem report
a photo of the laser identifying inscription on the stone
Additionally, I supply an Insurance valuation of the finished piece of jewellery.
So, when you buy a piece of Aquamarine jewellery from me, along with your beautiful piece of jewellery, you also own the fascinating history of your beautiful gemstone!
Caring for Aquamarine
Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs Scale, Gems with a hardness of 6-7 or greater are quite suitable for rings which are worn occasionally. For a ring like a wedding or engagement ring, intended for everyday wear over a period of years, a hardness rating of 8-10 is recommended. Warm, soapy water is the best method for cleaning aquamarine. The use of ultrasonic and steam cleaners is not generally recommended, just in case the stone has liquid inclusions or fractures, invisible to the eye.
Aquamarine’s History and Beliefs
Aquamarines formed several hundred million years ago in what is known as a pegmatitic vein. Magma from the earth’s core forces its way up through cracks in the rock and collects various minerals along the way. As the magma cools, the different minerals within solidify at different temperatures and are deposited in veins or cracks in the rock. Aquamarine starts out as a collection of chemicals (Alluminium, Beryllium and Silica). Once the magma almost fully cools, these chemicals are left over in a rich fluid concentrated in a cavity. Over many millions of years crystals start to form in this cavity which is known as a “gem pocket”. Other impurities such as iron is trapped within the cavities and it is this that makes Aquamarine blue. The environment within this pocket has to remain constant for many millions of years to create Aquamarine.
The ancient Romans believed that aquamarine would protect against any dangers while travelling at sea.
It is the birthstone for March and also used to celebrate 19th Wedding Anniversaries!