Education
Diamond Education
- Diamond 4 C's
- Diamond Buying Guide
- Answers to 1 Carat Diamond Questions
- Your Guide to Buying a Diamond Online
- How to Pick the Right Diamond
- Diamond Buying Mistakes
- Real vs. Fake Diamonds
- Lab Diamond Buying Guide
- 10 Most FAQ - Diamonds
- Off Size Diamonds Guide
- Popular Diamond Cuts
- Price of a 2 Carat Diamond
- Top FAQ - Lab Diamonds
- What Is the Average Diamond Size in Engagement Rings?
- Diamond Carat
- Diamond Clarity
- IF Diamonds
- FL Diamonds
- Diamond Inclusions Guide
- Flawless vs Internally Flawless
- Which Diamond Clarity Is Best?
- VS2 vs VS1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- VVS2 vs VVS1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- SI2 vs SI1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- SI1 vs VS2: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- VS1 vs VVS2: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- Accent Diamond Clarity
- Lab Diamond Clarity
- SI Diamonds
- VS Diamonds
- VVS Diamonds
- Diamond Color
- Diamond Cut
- Diamond Cut Types
- Ideal Cut Diamonds
- Hearts and Arrows Diamonds
- What is Diamond Depth
- Diamond Table
- Lab Diamond Cut
- Antique Cut Diamonds
- Brilliant Cut Diamonds
- Rose Cut Diamonds
- What Is The Most Expensive Diamond Cut?
- What Are Step Cut Diamonds?
- Diamond Bow Ties
- How Are Diamonds Cut
- Diamond Brilliance
- Spread Diamonds
- Diamond Fire
- Crushed Ice Diamonds
- Diamond Shape
- Lab Diamond Shape
- Asscher
- Cushion
- Emerald
- Marquise
- Oval
- Pear
- Princess
- Radiant
- Round
- Which Diamond Cut Is Best?
- Round vs Princess Diamond Cut
- Round vs Cushion Diamond Cut
- Cushion vs Princess Diamonds
- Cushion vs Oval Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Asscher Cut Diamond
- Princess vs Marquis Diamonds
- Princess vs Radiant Cut Diamonds
- Cushion vs Asscher Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Radiant Cut Diamonds
- Oval vs Marquise Cut Diamonds
- Oval vs Pear Cut Diamonds
- Pear vs Marquise Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Cushion Cut Diamonds
- Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds
- Diamond Certification
- Diamond Fluorescence
- How Diamonds Are Formed
- Diamond Pricing
- Diamond Size Chart Carat & MM
- Diamond Symmetry
- Diamond Polish
- Diamond Girdle
- Diamond Culet
- Engraved Rings
- Fancy Colored Diamonds
- Loose Diamonds
- History Of Lab Grown Diamonds
- Natural vs Synthetic Diamonds
- Diamond Sourcing
- NY Diamond District
Engagement Ring Education
- How To Buy Engagement Rings
- Affordable Engagement Rings
- Cost of a One Carat Diamond
- How To Buy A Lab Diamond Ring
- How to Buy An Engagement Ring In a Time Crunch
- How to Choose An Engagement Ring
- How to Pick Your Engagement Ring Budget
- Engagement Rings For Second Marriage
- Best Time to Buy An Engagement Ring
- How to Buy An Engagement Ring As a Couple
- Everything You Need to Know About Dainty Engagement Rings
- Future Mother In Law's Guide to Engagement Ring Shopping
- Engagement Ring Financing
- Why You Need an Engagement Ring Appraisal
- Best Round Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Square Cut Engagement Ring
- Top Teardrop Engagement Rings
- Best Asscher Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Oval Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Radiant Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Marquise Cut Engagement Rings
- Twisting Rings
- Best Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Dainty Engagement Rings
- Best Unique Engagement Rings
- Best Traditional Diamond Engagement Rings
- Best Split Shank Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top 10 Square Halo Engagement Rings
- Top 10 Unusual Engagement Rings
- Black Diamond Engagement Rings
- Edwardian Engagement Rings
- Antique Style Engagement Rings
- Nature Inspired Engagement Ring
- Filigree Rings
- Art Deco Rings
- Wide Band Engagement Rings
- Infinity Engagement Rings
- Best Two Tone Diamond Engagement Rings
- Victorian Style Engagement Rings
- Minimalistic Engagement Rings
- Big Style Engagement Rings
- Cute Style Engagement Rings
- Modern Style Engagement Rings
- Past Present and Future Rings
- Thin Engagement Rings
- Pretty Style Engagement Rings
- Double Band Engagement Rings
- 1 Carat Diamond Ring
- Top Princess Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Women's Rose Gold Engagement Rings
- Top Round Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top East West Engagement Rings
- Top Pave Engagement Rings
- Top Split Shank Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Unique Halo Engagement Rings
- Rose Gold Pear Shaped Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Pear Shaped Engagement Rings
- Top Oval Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Engagement Rings
- Top Marquise Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Emerald Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Bypass Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Oval Engagement Rings
- Top Emerald Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Oval Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Oval Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Floating Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Princess Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Simple Engagement Rings
- Vintage Style Engagement Rings
- Types of Accent Diamonds
- Everything You Need to Know Before Setting Diamonds
- Engagement Ring Prong Guide
- All About Ring Resizing
- Identifying Your Ring After A Repair
- Everything You Need to Know About Milgrain
- Everything You Need to Know About Wide Band Engagement Rings
- Eternity Rings vs Infinity Rings
- When To Propose
- What Are Baguette Diamond Engagement Rings
- What to Say When You Propose
- What Are the Groom's Parents Responsible For?
Gemstone Education
Jewelry Education
- Jewelry Buying Guide
- How To Buy Jewelry Online
- Diamond: 10th Anniversary Gifts
- Ruby: 40th Anniversary Gemstone & Jewelry
- Sapphire: 5th Anniversary Gemstone & Jewelry
- Top 10 Sapphire Earrings
- Emerald: 20th Anniversary Gemstone & Jewelry
- Top 10 Push Presents
- How To Shop For Christmas Jewelry Gifts
- How To Buy An Anniversary Band
Metal Education
Natural vs Synthetic Aquamarine
Here at With Clarity, we want to make sure that jewelry buyers are informed about the different options that are available. In recent years, buyers have been able to choose between earth-mined/natural aquamarine or synthetic aquamarine for their jewelry. So, what are the differences, and how are they important to the jewelry buyer?
Preview Aquamarine Ring Styles
Aquamarine Basics:
Aquamarine is made up of?
All aquamarine, both natural and synthetic, is a variety of beryl. This is a naturally-occurring ore of the element beryllium, more properly called beryllium aluminum silicate. When geological conditions are right, this mixture forms beautiful hexagonal crystals that are blue in color.
More about the beryl family: color variety
Beryl comes in a variety of colors, which determines the type of gem. Most famously, dark green beryl is called emerald, while morganite is pink, and aquamarine is blue to blue-green.
Aquamarine durability
Whether natural or lab created, aquamarine is a very durable gemstone. That’s because beryl has a Mohs hardness of 7.5-8. This places it between quartz and corundum (sapphires and rubies) and means it’s suitable for jewelry that will be worn every day. Perhaps that’s one reason why more couples are choosing an aquamarine engagement ring.
Where Aquamarine can be found:
Regardless of the type of aquamarine (lab or natural), the blue color is derived from iron that replaces some of the aluminum in a growing crystal. Stunning mined-aquamarine crystals can be found in many parts of the world, including Russia, Brazil, Pakistan, India, and parts of Africa.
Synthetic vs Natural Aquamarine
Making aquamarine in a lab
Perhaps the biggest difference between natural and lab-created aquamarine is their origin. Mined aquamarines are formed deep in the earth, and are many thousands of years old. During their formation, there were all kinds of other things around the growing crystals, such as other minerals and changes in temperature.
On the other hand, in a lab, the crystals are formed in constant conditions.
- A solution is mixed that contains all the necessary chemicals, something like a recipe.
- Then, the solution is “cooked” with a consistent temperature and amounts of pressure.
Over a relatively short period of time, this solution forms into crystals that look just like natural ones. Unlike the natural ones, however, there tend to be fewer flaws in the crystal. Gemologists can tell the difference between lab-created aquamarine and natural aquamarine stone, but the untrained eye cannot.
Mining natural aquamarine
Unlike synthetic aquamarine, the natural variety must be mined. Famously, Brazil has a very large aquamarine deposit, and many of them are quite large. In fact, Brazil produced the world-famous Dom Pedro aquamarine (as pictured below). This designer cut obelisk is on display at the Smithsonian, and it came from a part of a 100-pound rough aquamarine stone.
Another example of Brazilian aquamarines is found in Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry collection. In honor of her coronation, the Brazilian government gave her a beautiful aquamarine necklace and earrings. She later went on to have a lovely aquamarine tiara made, and the entire set includes huge faceted stones. These are remarkable, not only for their size but also their extremely high quality.
Before being set into aquamarine jewelry, however, natural aquamarine must be mined from the earth. Often, the deposits are close to the surface and easy to access with just a shovel. Other times, the rock must be split open to access the crystals. In addition, many deposits are high in the mountains. Aquamarine is found in many of the same places as other types of beryl, including India, Pakistan, and the US.
The main difference: Inclusions & Price
Aquamarine Inclusions
As we said above, the main difference within a lab created aquamarine crystal and a natural one often is the number and type of inclusions. However, this gemstone is known for having a high degree of clarity in comparison to many others. This means that there tend to be few inclusions in good quality natural aquamarine, anyway. For that reason, unless you have access to gemological tools you probably can’t tell the difference just by looking.
However, there is another reason why synthetics are hard to spot: heat treatment of natural stones. Although aquamarine can be found from a very pale, pure blue down to a light aqua color, heat treatment can improve the color.
In this case, the object is usually to transform a greenish stone into one with a pure blue color, which commands a higher price. Chances are that if a stone has a greenish tinge, it’s a natural one. After all, the “recipe” for lab-created aquamarine will favor bluer crystals.
Aquamarine Price
Price and the reputation of your local jeweler are also good ways to know if aquamarine jewelry is made with natural or lab-created aquamarine. By law, jewelers are supposed to inform consumers which one is being offered for sale, and whether or not there are any treatments. Be sure to ask questions, and understand what you are buying.
Likewise, price is a big giveaway. Lab grown aquamarine is much less expensive than natural, at least in part because it is less rare. Production costs are much lower, as well. Remember, lab created stones imitate the highest quality natural ones, at a fraction of the cost.
You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on an aquamarine white gold ring, only to find out you have been sold something that is much less valuable. On the other hand, for someone with a low budget that wants to make a statement, lab-created jewelry is a good option.
Buying Aquamarine Jewelry
Purchasing any kind of jewelry can seem difficult. Even if you want an aquamarine birthstone ring for your sweetheart, the most important starting point is budget. At With Clarity, we have rings ranging in price from $300 to around $3,000. Styles are available with and without gemstones and/or diamonds.
Next, think about the shape. While this is a matter of taste, some shapes cost a little bit more and suit certain wearers better than others. Lastly, carat weight does affect the price. Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to help you choose the right aquamarine gold ring. 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.
Aquamarine Rings We Think You'll Like
$1,160
Classic Four Prong East West Ring
$630
$2,100
$1,520
$1,200
$1,070
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$1,150