Aquamarine : What is it?
| Aquamarine stones are popular gemstones used in jewelry and other body ornaments. Literally meaning “sea water,” they come in different blue shades such as light blue, blue green, aqua blue, and turquoise. They are a member of the Beryl family of gems that also include morganites, emeralds, and heliodors.
Aquamarine stones have a hexagonal crystal structure. They have a hardness rating of seven-and-a-half to eight. They are on the low end of the specific gravity range, normally with a less than 2.7 rating. |
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Kinds of Aquamarines include the following: |
Natural aquamarine
- Natural aquamarine stones have a beautiful light blue or aqua blue color.
- They have a hexagonal crystal structure.
- They are elongated, creating a wand-like or pencil-like effect.
- They may have some inclusions such as hematite, mica, and liquid-filled tubes.
- When overheated, their inclusions can expand considerably, causing fractures or explosions.
Synthetic aquamarine
- Synthetic aquamarine stones are usually made of synthetic spinel.
- They are made through a flux-fusion process that yields glass rather than crystals.
- They have an excellent physical resemblance to Natural Aquamarines.
- However, the light blue color is usually difficult to produce using the synthetic processes.
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Clarity: Choose an aquamarine stone with one carat or less with very little or no inclusions at all. A larger and heavier stone usually has several visible intrusions that may be difficult to hide.
Cut: For an excellent and flawless cut, look for an aquamarine stone with a clean facet line.
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