Aquamarine

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Beware of the imitations

Bologna - 16 June 2016 - Silvia Di Giacomo

 

In this, our latest appointment with gemstones, we are going to discuss aquamarine, the blue variety of the mineral beryl.

 

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This stone belongs to the same family as the emerald, but since it is more common, it is classified as a semi-precious stone. However, this does not prevent large transparent, clean, crystals from achieving substantial value.

Well known since ancient times, aquamarine has had a more chequered history in recent times. In the 1970s it enjoyed great popularity with Italian jewellers, but when the market was swamped by a laboratory-made imitation, synthetic spinel, both customers and jewellers fell out of love with this gem coloured like the “water of the sea”.

 

 

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Aquamarine has also suffered because of its similarity in colour and substance to another, less appreciated natural mineral, topaz. Although naturally occurring blue topaz exists, often the gems mounted on jewellery are artificially treated to enhance the colour of what were practically colourless stones.

To conclude, we can safely affirm that aquamarine has an enchanting beauty and crystalline elegance. It combines perfectly with the sparkle of diamonds, but unfortunately it has suffered from the presence of synthetic imitations on the market. Perhaps the time has come to rediscover this attractive gem, however, as always, we recommend that you only consult jewellers who possess outstanding competence and experience in the field of gemology, such as Ferdinando Veronesi & Figli.

 

 

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