Aquamarine

Being a variety of beryl it belongs to the same family as emerald. Its colour varies from an almost white pale blue to a slightly darker sky blue, this latter being the most prized of all. There are also some greenish blue specimens which potential buyers would be wise to avoid. When investing in aquamarine, choose a stone that is pure, brilliant and as dark as possible. Be careful not to confuse it with blue topaz, a far less valuable mineral.

Generally, aquamarine is faceted, except for the translucent or milky specimens which are better cut en cabochon. This cut is popular today with jewelers for the creation of reasonably-priced parures.

Aquamarine comes from Brazil, Madagascar, Russia and the USA. Specimens from China and Colombia tend to be of a yellowish tint.