Gemstones

Guide to Buying Aquamarine Jewellery

Are you thinking of buying aquamarine jewellery? Aquamarine is a sparkling, translucent gem with blue-green colouring. The best aquamarines combine vivid blue-green colour with no visible markings inside the gem. Learn how to buy the best aquamarine jewellery below.

1. When buying aquamarine, look for even, blue-green colour

Colour is a vital factor in aquamarines. Aquamarine colour is typically light blue with a green-ish or turquoise hue. Gem experts prefer aquamarines with ‘even’ colour. In other words, you shouldn’t see lighter or darker colour patches within the gem.

2. Pick a clear aquamarine gem

Most commercially sold aquamarines have no imperfections or markings (called inclusions) that you can see with an unaided eye. Unless you’re specifically buying a piece of jewellery where the main focus is an unpolished, rough aquamarine, then you should look for a clear, translucent gem.

Guide to Buying Aquamarine jewellery

3. Find a ‘good’ cut aquamarine gem

An aquamarine’s cut determines both its shape, and how much it sparkles. Therefore, an aquamarine that has good sparkle is usually well cut. Professional gem cutters love aquamarines, because rough aquamarines can be cut into almost any shape. However, if you’re looking for the most ‘popular’ cuts for your jewellery, oval cuts and rectangular emerald cuts tend to be the most loved.

4. Take advantage of aquamarine’s carat price

If you’re considering aquamarine jewellery, you should know that the larger the aquamarine you buy, the more value for money you’ll get. Why? As an example, let’s compare aquamarine to emeralds. As part of the beryl mineral family, aquamarine is closely related to the green emerald.

But while emeralds crystals are small and hard to find without imperfections (making them expensive in large sizes), large aquamarine crystals are easy to find in an eye-clear quality. This means that the per-carat value of aquamarine doesn’t increase incrementally like other gems.

In other words, a 1.50-carat aquamarine will be worth roughly the same per-carat as a 0.30-carat gem of the same quality. Therefore it’s always worth considering a larger piece if you can afford it.

Buying Aquamarine

5. Aquamarine is the perfect March birthstone gift

If you’re considering aquamarine jewellery as a gift, you may be interested to know that Aquamarine is the birthstone for March, and represents the star sign of Pisces. Therefore aquamarine jewellery makes a beautiful, meaningful gift for a March birthday.

Guide to Buying Aquamarine jewellery

6. Aquamarine is the 9th wedding anniversary gift

Aquamarine is also the official gift gem for the 9th wedding anniversary year. So if you have been in a relationship or married for nine years, aquamarine makes the perfect present for your loved one.

7. Aquamarine mining locations

The finest aquamarine comes from Brazil. The Brazilian gem trade is largely artisanal and the government restricts mechanised mining to protect local tribes and the environment. Always make sure you choose ethical, conflict-free gems by purchasing aquamarine from jewellers who abide by the NAJ Code of Ethics.

Guide to Buying Aquamarine jewellery

8. Choose an aquamarine engagement ring with a robust setting

Aquamarine looks stunning in rings. However, it ranks 8 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, meaning that it is less durable than diamonds or sapphires. If you choose it as an engagement ring, it will be exposed to daily wear and tear for a lifetime. Therefore, make sure your aquamarine has a robust setting of gold or platinum to protect it from knocks and scratches.

Guide to Buying Aquamarine jewellery

9. Consider aquamarine as an alternative to diamonds

If you’re on a budget, aquamarine is a good alternative to diamonds. Firstly, these light blue gems offer breathtaking sparkle, just like diamonds. Secondly, they make very affordable jewellery pieces in large gem sizes so you can get an impressive piece of jewellery for your budget. Finally, their pale blue colour suits almost any complexion, the same way diamonds do. For these reasons, aquamarine is a popular and coveted gemstone that competes well with diamonds.

Guide to Buying Aquamarine jewellery

10. Check aquamarine measurements if ordering online

Don’t forget to check item measurements carefully when ordering aquamarine jewellery online. Do this with a ruler if necessary, to make sure the item is the size you hoped for and give you an idea of what it will look like when you wear it.