So, aquamarines can range from a very light, almost imperceptible color to stones with a rich vibrant color. Most aquamarine has a very light color, which can be almost unnoticeable in very small stones. Stones with a rich blue color are the most popular. They are also the rarest and most valuable. The name aquamarine is derived from a combination of two Latin words: aqua , meaning water, and marina , meaning the sea - the color of the sea. March Birthstone: Aquamarine serves as a birthstone for the month of March.
A few months give people a choice of more than one birthstone and March is one of those months. People born in March can select a faceted aquamarine or they can select a cabochon-cut bloodstone.
Many people know aquamarine because it serves as the birthstone for the month of March. Aquamarine rings, earrings, and pendants are popular birthstone gifts. Beryl Beads: This bracelet is made of translucent aquamarine and translucent morganite beads that are 8-millimeters in diameter.
Translucent can be beautiful! Tumbled Aquamarine: These tumbled stones were made from translucent aquamarine. They have a wonderful color. Aquamarine is best known as a highly transparent blue stone. Unlike emerald , the deep green variety of beryl, high-clarity, fracture-free aquamarine is abundant and more affordable. High-clarity, fracture-free stones are also more attractive and less likely to be damaged during wear. Did you know that nice pieces of translucent aquamarine are also used in jewelry?
Translucent aquamarine is often cut into beads and sometimes cut as cabochons. Necklaces strung with beads of pastel blue aquamarine and pastel pink morganite both color-varieties of the mineral beryl make a beautiful combination. We wondered what the gem identification experts at the Gemological Institute of America GIA would think of a humble tumbled stone made from translucent blue beryl.
So, we packed one up and submitted it to their lab for identification. We were delighted to see that despite its distinctly translucent clarity and modest cutting style, the GIA lab identified it as follows Species: natural beryl, Variety: aquamarine. Clarity and shape did not influence its identity.
Aquamarine is such a popular gemstone that it can be found in almost any jewelry store in the United States. If you are interested in purchasing an item of aquamarine jewelry, here are a few things to consider:. Durability: Aquamarine has a Mohs hardness of 7. Diamond, ruby, sapphire, topaz, and chrysoberyl are the only popular gemstones that are significantly harder.
Hardness is a property that enables a gem to resist scratching. However, aquamarine's tenacity is rated as brittle - which means that the gem can be easily chipped upon impact. A mounting that guards the stone from impact and not wearing the gem during activities that might result in accidental impact are important precautions. Color: The price of aquamarine is mainly determined by weight and the strength of its color. Gems with a faint blue color are abundant and inexpensive. Gems with a rich blue color are much more expensive because rich color in aquamarine is very rare.
A small aquamarine with a rich blue color will cost a lot more than identical-size stones with a faint blue color. Size: Aquamarine is available in a wide range of sizes. Other beryl varieties that have been used for gems include emerald blue green to green , goshenite colorless , morganite pink to violet , and heliodor or golden beryl. There is also a red beryl that comes from Utah. Inclusions in aquamarine may include mica, hematite, liquid-filled often salt-water tubes and hoses. The liquid can expand considerably if the crystals become overheated, causing them to fracture badly, or in rare instances, to explode.
The name aquamarine has been used as a modifier for many other materials such as aquamarine tourmaline, aquamarine emerald, aquamarine chrysolite, aquamarine sapphire, aquamarine topaz, etc.
This kind of stone might be difficult to detect by refractive index alone so magnification will help detect the squiggly flow lines of cement and immersing the stone in water will help detect the several layers that make it up. Aquamarine glass is a term that is used for light blue to medium blue glass that may or may not include beryl as a constituent. Aquamarine has also been used to describe the sea, the skies, some General Motors cars, or other pale to medium blue objects.
Aquamarine crystals are often elongated along the c-axis whereas emerald crystals are often blunted along the c-axis. This creates the effect of the former appearing wand-like or pencil-like whereas the latter may appear barrel-like.
Most gem beryl comes from a very coarse-grained rock that geologists call pegmatite. Pegmatite are formed late in the magmatic history of an igneous terrace and they represent the late stage vocatives that crystallize in hydrothermal deposits. Beryl crystals can often become quite large, some exceeding 25 feet or more in length along the c-axis. Some aquamarines are chatoyant and can produce a nice eye.
Asteriated aquamarines do not appear in any of the sources I have examined. The beautiful gem is made from the mountains and can be greatly valued with the deep blue colors and is pretty hard compared to other gems. It can be worn with great jewelry pieces to shine. What Gives Aquamarine Its Color?
Aquamarine Formation When magma under the earth crust interacts with mineral rich rocks called pegmatites. Aquamarine Uses In Jewelry You can use aquamarine as jewelry such as rings, earrings, and bracelets which can be made from the beautiful gemstone. Aquamarine Color A dark and deeply saturated blue is the most valuable and most durable of gemstones but still, requires careful handling and care.
Was this article helpful? Related Articles. How Are Pearls Made? Blue Topaz Vs. Latest Articles. Approved Gemstone Testing Laboratories 10th Nov Gem rock auctions has one of the largest range of Green Gemstones: Which Gems are Green?
Search the Gemstone Encyclopedia Search Encyclopedia.
0コメント