Where to find aquamarine

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Africa produces some wonderful Aquamarines with Kenya and Tanzania both producing gorgeous sky blue stones. It can range from a glittering greenish blue through to a deep sky blue and as light passes through it, an image of sun reflecting off seawater comes to mind.

It is actually part of the Beryl family with its closest cousin being the Emerald. We leverage our relationships with local artisanal miners to find fine rough we can cut in our cutting workshop and add to our collection here. Emerald Cut. Matched Pairs. Checker Top. Fancy Cut.

Already have an account? Sign in below:. New users register below to submit the request:. Submit a Special Request and we will source the gem for you. Aquamarine — The Birthstone for March Aquamarine, reminiscent of the of the sea and believed to be a powerfully soothing influence on relationships, hence why it is considered to be such a perfect gift and one of the world's favorites.

Learn how artisanal miners search for Aquamarine in Africa in this interesting and detailed video. Is Aquamarine Worth Anything? Is Aquamarine a Birthstone? Where does Aquamarine Come From?

Is Aquamarine a Rare Gem? Beryl is a colorful family of gems, ranging from the deep green shades of emerald to the pastel hues of pink morganite and yellow heliodor. All beryl gemstones possess similar crystal formations and physical properties, but differ in chemical composition. The gemstone aquamarine forms in large six-sided crystals that are usually clean from inclusions.

Aquamarine can occur in hues from blue to slightly greenish blue, and the finest gems with have high clarity and transparency. Its exceptional transparency and luster allows aqua gemstones to really sparkle. Aquamarine can grow in a variety of locations but it occurs mostly commonly in pegmatite bearing granite. Listed below are the locations where aquamarine naturally occurs and is mined to be transformed into beautifully faceted gemstones.

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. As the size of the gem increases, the strength of its apparent color will also increase. It can be difficult to find a small gem with a rich blue color, but as the size of the stone increases, the opportunity to find strong color also increases.

Heat-Treated Aquamarine: The blue color of this 0. As a member of the beryl mineral family, aquamarine has a chemical composition of Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O Pure beryl is colorless.

The greenish blue to blue color of aquamarine is caused by trace amounts of iron. The iron can occur in two oxidation states. Most natural aquamarine has a greenish blue color. Gentle heat treatment can remove the yellow color and transform the gem's color to a more pure and more valuable blue. Greenish yellow and other colors of beryl can be altered to colors within the aquamarine range by heat treatment.

The color improvements achieved by heat treatment are thought to be permanent and undetectable by current methods of testing. Any time a gem has been heated, irradiated, dyed, or undergone other treatments to improve its color, durability or appearance, the seller should disclose that information to the buyer.

This information is important to many buyers - even to buyers of low-cost items. Maxixe pronounced "mashish" is a rare variety of beryl with a dark blue color.

The blue color develops while the gem material is still within the Earth by exposure to natural radiation. Unfortunately, the blue color gradually fades to a pale brownish color upon exposure to light. If Maxixe loses its color, it can be irradiated in a laboratory, however, the renewed blue color will also fade. These tests can also be used to separate synthetic maxixe also known an maxixe-type beryl from synthetic aquamarine. Synthetic aquamarine lab-grown aquamarine has been produced by hydrothermal growth methods in Russia since at least the s [4] and since the early s in the Czech Republic [5].

Some synthetic aquamarine receives its color from iron, like natural aquamarine. However, richly colored synthetic aquamarine has been produced using cobalt, copper, and nickel as sources of color. These metals have not been found as sources of color in natural aquamarine. Much synthetic aquamarine can be separated from natural aquamarine by microscopic examination.

However, the growth zoning structures used to identify synthetic aquamarine are more difficult to recognize, especially in light-colored material. Characteristic mineral inclusions and multiphase inclusions can be used to identify natural aquamarine. It is unusual to see jewelry items disclosed as synthetic aquamarine, lab-grown aquamarine, or other man-made descriptors. These materials may be uncommon in the marketplace or are simply sold without disclosure.

Aquamarine Crystals: Beautiful aquamarine crystals growing on a base of feldspar from the Skardu District of Pakistan. Prismatic crystals with a hexagonal cross-section and a flat termination is a common aquamarine habit.

The specimen is approximately 14 x 12 x 7. Most gem-quality aquamarine crystals form in cavities below Earth's surface during the late stages of a magma body's crystallization. The cavities provide open space for crystals to grow.