Aquamarine Education
Aquamarine is March’s beautiful blue gemstone and used to celebrate 19th wedding anniversaries. Many believe that wearing Aquamarine allows the wearer to remain calm and levelheaded. Throughout history many believed that the dust from Aquamarine had healing properties SilverandGold.com has put together a helpful information page so you can learn more about aquamarine and choose a piece that is just right for you!
Color
Aquamarine is derived from the Latin phrase “Aqua Marina” meaning water of the sea, after its beautiful light blue color. Color is the most important aspect for aquamarine, as the beautiful blue has several shades. A soft pastel blue is the most desired shade followed by a blue with a slight green hue, and lastly a green with a blue hue.
Clarity
Aquamarine is considered a fine gem. Quality gemstones should contain no eye-visible inclusions, as Aquamarine is a clear blue gemstone, any inclusions will be noticeable and decrease the value of the gemstone drastically. However, if your piece of jewelry contains smaller stones, inclusions are less noticeable. In fact, there is a trend of using Aquamarine stones that have inclusions as smaller pieces in jewelry, such as bracelets or necklaces. Often, these pieces will be less expensive and can be a good buy!
Cut
Traditionally Aquamarines are fashioned with emerald cuts; however, other acceptable cuts are round or oval brilliants. These cuts maximize the Aquamarine’s purity, clarity, and display its beautiful color.
Carat
Aquamarine is best if it is 5 carats or larger. The reason Aquamarine is best as a larger gem is due to the fact that if it were to be cut smaller than 5 carats the color would turn pale and not reflect it’s true beauty.