Aquamarine Cost & Pricing
If you love aquamarine jewelry, you might be wondering how much it should cost. After all, everyone has a different budget and sense of style. Understanding how aquamarine is priced will help you know which options are right for you. Here are some famous pieces of aquamarine jewelry, and an idea of what you can expect to pay.
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Aquamarine Engagement Ring Popularity
In recent years, the use of colored stones for engagement rings has made a comeback. There have been a variety of reasons for this. One example, of course, is the concern over conflict diamonds. Although the Kimberly Process and other industry changes have reduced this problem, some people still are hesitant to wear a diamond engagement ring. Other reasons for choosing a colored stone engagement ring include the meaning of an individual stone, your sense of style, and getting to wear a vintage ring with a special story.
Famous aquamarine rings
One example of aquamarine being used in an engagement ring is the one Justin Timberlake gave to Jessica Biel in 2011. Although the center stone is a 6-carat white diamond, the ring features smaller aquamarines on the side of the ring. With its understated elegance, this truly is a lovely aquamarine and diamond engagement ring.
Another famous aquamarine ring is the one spotted during a royal wedding. Meghan Markle was seen wearing it on her way to her and Prince Harry’s wedding reception. This stunning yellow gold cocktail ring once belonged to Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. It is a custom-made ring that was bought around the time of her divorce from Prince Charles. Because it isn’t new, we aren’t sure of the Meghan Markle aquamarine cost, but experts value it at around $91,000.
Lab Created Aquamarine Cost
As a general rule, synthetic gemstones are chemically identical to their natural counterparts. Other substances chosen are considered simulants. With aquamarine, the use of a simulant instead of a true synthetic is very common. Besides the typical glass, cubic zirconia, or blue topaz, jewelers will sometimes use blue spinel as a substitute. These stones are very inexpensive, with one-carat stones costing less than $2.
On the other hand, synthetic aquamarine in the beryl family is quite a bit more expensive. One example we found online was a little more than $70 for a one carat stone. A two-carat example cost a little over $80 on a per-carat basis, though the quality for these two examples was a little bit different. From this, you can see that a synthetic aquamarine is still an affordable option for those on a budget. You can also observe that there is very little change in the per-carat price regardless of the size of the gem.
Natural Aquamarine Cost
As we discuss the cost of these blue-green gems, you should know that there are two kinds of natural aquamarines: treated and untreated. Both types are graded and priced based on the same set of criteria, with the difference that treated aquamarines of a certain quality are less expensive than their equivalent untreated examples.
Carat: the most visible C
One of the reasons people love aquamarine jewelry is that fairly large stones are available at an affordable price. Perhaps the biggest reason for this is that large aquamarine crystals are available in significant quantities, mostly in Brazil. As a result, large faceted stones are relatively easy to acquire.
Because large stones are common, aquamarine stone price isn’t very sensitive to the size of the faceted stone. Price per carat is fairly stable, assuming the other quality factors between specimens are comparable. Essentially, the cost of aquamarines is determined by its cut, clarity, and color more than its carat weight.
Clarity: Can you see through it?
While carat weight doesn’t have much effect on aquamarine price, clarity is a much more important issue. For this factor, jewelers will often use a grading scale ranging from AAAA down to B. Aquamarine stone that’s graded AAAA naturally has no inclusions, and is extremely rare. Whereas AAA and AA has few if any inclusions visible to the unaided observer. In practical terms, this means that if you’re looking at the aquamarine stone, you won’t be able to see any flaws in it.
Lower quality grades like A and B are rarely sold as faceted stones. They might be used for carvings or beads, but they have a low aquamarine stone price. In this case, the price of the jewelry will be more heavily influenced by the other materials used, such as precious metals, than the stone itself.
On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to use these lower grades for an aquamarine and diamond engagement ring. At With Clarity, we use only AAA grade aquamarines, which are usually treated to improve color.
Color: the distinctive factor
The second most important factor for the aquamarine stone price is color. Ideally, aquamarine is a rich, pure blue color without a green tinge. However, not all aquamarines live up to this ideal, and this is why so much material is heat treated. If the stone is more like a light teal color, it’s worthless. Likewise, aquamarine that has a very pale color is less expensive. Heating greenish aquamarine makes it a pure blue.
Cut: do it carefully
Lastly, the cut affects the price. Ideally, a round cut aquamarine will have 16 facets, just like a diamond does. On the other hand, aquamarine is more difficult to polish. For this reason, the quality of the cut, and not just the shape chosen, affects the price.
Here’s a concrete example: at With Clarity, we price a one-carat cushion cut aquamarine at $1,000, and an oval at $675. However, all of our stones are the highest quality. If an aquamarine has scratches or chips, we won’t sell it to you.
Other considerations
Considering an aquamarine engagement ring? We have several different collections available. These include classic, vintage-inspired, floral motifs, and ultra-modern models. In addition, you can choose white, yellow, or rose gold styles and center stones up to 3.05 carats. For questions, give us a call and we’ll help you choose the perfect style. Contact us by phone at 1(844)-234-6463 or email at [email protected]. Our Live Chat is available during business hours Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM ET.
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