The Ultimate Guide to Buying an Aquamarine Engagement Ring

The aquamarine gemstone mirrors the color of the ocean and is the birthstone for these born in March. Its identify suits its serene blue hue because it’s taken from the Latin ‘aqua marina’ that means ‘sea water’ and symbolises concord, braveness, and communication. On this information there can be tips about selecting it as your engagement ring stone overlaying the color, sturdiness and settings. Now let’s delve into why it’s best to contemplate together with the aquamarine in your engagement ring.  

Why Select an Aquamarine Engagement Ring?

An aquamarine has sentimental significance, making it a particular alternative for an engagement ring.  Aquamarines symbolise hope, well being and fertility and are felt to ship the wearer emotions of happiness, readability of thought and braveness. While diamonds are the most well-liked engagement ring gemstone alternative, an aquamarine ring gives itself as a contemporary and distinctive various, making your engagement ring really feel much more uncommon and valuable.

Aquamarine Color Variations and What to Look For:

The aquamarine is understood for its lovely blue color, however is accessible in a number of shades and may seem totally different relying on its lower and saturation – right here is an outline on the variations.

Shades of Blue

Aquamarine’s color vary is slim however they’ll seem in a wide range of tones. A gemstone spinoff of beryl, they’re paying homage to tropical waters. Some aquamarines are so pale they’re virtually clear, others are a darkish blue or a greenish blue.

Saturation & Tone

The most costly aquamarines are richly saturated and light-weight blue in color. Usually, the extra intense the color is then the extra precious the aquamarine. Darker blue tones of aquamarine may also assist masks any grime or oil current on the ring, inevitable if worn day-after-day. Aquamarine is pleochroic which suggests it might probably seem to vary when considered at a unique angle.

Lower & Readability

Aquamarines are reflective and subsequently emerald cuts and step cuts with sharp and straight angles are generally used to intensify the flicker of the stone. Most faceted aquamarines have an eye-clean readability that means any inclusions and blemishes will not be seen to the bare eye.

Aquamarine Sturdiness: How Appropriate is it for On a regular basis Put on?

It sits at round a 7.5 or 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it sturdy sufficient for normal sporting. Nonetheless, you will need to take precautions when sporting your aquamarine ring, reminiscent of eradicating it earlier than cleansing with chemical compounds that will discolour the stone and take away earlier than doing sports activities or train as sweat, grease and grime will have an effect on the ring. Compared to different gems like pearls, opals and turquoise it’s more durable and extra suited to on a regular basis sporting. It ranks equally to emeralds and barely under sapphires and rubies and, the hardest of all, diamond rating a ten. 

Selecting the Excellent Setting for an Aquamarine Engagement Ring

Common Settings for Aquamarine

The prong/claw setting is a well-liked alternative for an aquamarine ring as showcases the stones color by permitting extra mild on the stone. For a modern look, strive the bezel/collet setting, which can add safety to the stone. Classic settings then again are extra intricate and romantic intimately.

Steel Selections

The steel used can improve the great thing about the aquamarine. Typically, aquamarines work with any steel. White gold brings out the coolness and is particularly good for extra blue-toned aquamarines, go for yellow gold for extra green-toned stones and it’ll stability out the aquamarine as its hotter. 

Accent Stones

The usage of accent stones, reminiscent of diamonds, on an aquamarine ring, can present some additional sparkle. If set within the shank it might probably improve the primary stone’s sparkle or can create a halo impact when circled round the primary stone. Accent stones can add some distinction to the characteristic stone making it stand out.

Discovering the Proper Form for Your Aquamarine

Step lower designs, reminiscent of baguette, asscher and emerald lower aquamarines, are faceted and can showcase the aquamarines color higher than an excellent lower. Whereas an excellent lower, reminiscent of spherical, cushion and oval lower aquamarines, mirror the sunshine and conceal inclusions within the aspects.

Spherical cuts are a basic engagement ring alternative and lack sharp edges that can chip time beyond regulation and is ready to simply accommodate diamonds to the design.

Cushion cuts are virtually sq. formed with rounded corners and are simple to put on day-after-day. The oval lower is a superb choice for a solitaire aquamarine ring, making the stone look bigger. Cabochon cuts that are domed, polished and non-faceted are normally chosen when the aquamarine is pretty opaque.

Aquamarine vs. Diamond: What’s the Distinction?

A diamond engagement ring is the most well-liked, basic alternative which provides a sure rarity to selecting an aquamarine engagement ring. Diamonds are priced based mostly on their carat weight and bigger ones are typically dearer, while aquamarines are typically thought of cheaper although you may nonetheless pay the identical for an aquamarine ring as you’ll a diamond ring, relying on the standard of every ring.

On the Mohs scale of hardness, diamond is essentially the most sturdy of all scoring a ten and aquamarines are round 7.5 to eight, which is resistant sufficient to be worn each day. Readability is extra beneficial with aquamarines as most faceted ones lack seen inclusions, some folks even just like the inclusions in aquamarines, whereas inclusions are sometimes not preferred in diamonds and folks pay extra for greater readability in diamonds. 

Each stones are symbolic of affection and relationships. Aquamarines are related to belief, concord, tranquillity and basic happiness and are used to have a good time lengthy marriages, even believed to encourage companions to be extra supportive, tolerant and understanding of one another. Diamonds are the stone for sixtieth and seventy fifth wedding ceremony anniversaries and symbolise love, readability, purity and constancy, its pure sturdiness signifies unbreakable energy, endurance and non secular energy. 

A few of the distinctive qualities that make an aquamarine engagement ring stand out from a standard diamond are its beautiful blue color in both vibrant or tranquil tones of blue/greenish blue, it’s aforementioned symbolism, it presents sparkle and compliments a number of metals, its sturdy, eye catching and works properly alongside diamonds for those who needed to include each stones into your engagement ring. 

Caring for Your Aquamarine Engagement Ring

It’s vital to commonly care on your aquamarine ring to keep up its high quality. Keep away from sporting the ring when cleansing or doing sports activities/train as chemical compounds, grime, grease and oils can age the stone and it might get broken. When not sporting the ring, guarantee it’s saved safely, reminiscent of in a jewelry field, away from mud. You may enlist a jeweller to test the setting, and clear the ring as soon as 12 months and preserve it in pristine situation. Should you’re sporting the ring on a regular basis, contemplate cleansing it extra often at dwelling.

Tips on how to clear the aquamarine ring at dwelling:

Combine heat water and delicate dish cleaning soap in a bowl

Soak the aquamarine ring within the bowl for round half-hour

Gently scrub the ring with a delicate bristled toothbrush

Rinse the ring with clear water

Fastidiously wipe the ring dry with a clear fabric 

Budgeting for an Aquamarine Engagement Ring

The worth of an aquamarine will rely on its readability and the way vivid the color is. It would sometimes be cheaper than the most well-liked gems: diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The will for aquamarines is just like amethysts, however they’re sometimes extra fascinating than tourmalines and citrines.

To get one of the best worth aquamarine on your funds, contemplate how saturated the aquamarine is, because the extra richly saturated the extra precious and subsequently dearer it is going to be, the extra translucent aquamarines are typically much less so. If you wish to customise your ring with engravings or change the setting that will enhance the worth, so contemplate wanting fastidiously on the design and setting when purchasing. Faceted aquamarines disguise inclusions properly so that you don’t essentially must discover a very excessive readability grade.

Contemplate investing in pre beloved vintage or classic aquamarine rings that are stuffed with character, historical past and may be additional distinctive. Aquamarine is mostly extra reasonably priced than the favored diamond making it nice alternative for one thing totally different in addition to extra funds pleasant. 

The place to Purchase an Aquamarine Engagement Ring

To discover a respected jeweller look for prime quality customer support evaluations, learn descriptions and study the standard of the merchandise they promote, look into their certifications and commerce associations and evaluate costs to related objects by different retailers.  

It’s vital to test the certifications and make sure the authenticity of the gemstone. Certification is the method of verifying the gems origin, high quality and authenticity and over time gems which are licensed typically maintain their worth higher. Test if the jeweller has a variety of aquamarines and that they’re graded and competitively priced.

Should you so desired, you might work with a jeweller who’d aid you design and create your personal aquamarine ring. Some jewellers will change the setting of an authentic ring to fit your choice.

Superstar and Royal Aquamarine Engagement Rings for Inspiration

Gem stones are well-liked in royal engagement rings and jewelry. Princess Diana wore a 13 carat aquamarine ring, that Meghan Markle then wore to her and Prince Harry’s wedding ceremony reception in 2018. Queen Elizabeth II had the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure in her jewelry assortment which included a necklace and matching earrings, a bracelet, and a brooch. It was a present from the president and folks of Brazil.

Hollywood actresses reminiscent of Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry sport aquamarines on crimson carpets, and Jessica Biel has aquamarines embellished on the perimeters of her engagement ring, additional becoming because it’s her birthstone. On the 2011 Emmys, Cobie Smulders embraced blue on the crimson carpet sporting a turquoise gown with an outsized emerald-cut aquamarine ring.