The aquamarine gemstone mirrors the colour of the ocean and is the birthstone for those born in March. Its name fits its serene blue hue as it’s taken from the Latin ‘aqua marina’ meaning ‘sea water’ and symbolises harmony, courage, and communication. In this guide there will be tips on choosing it as your engagement ring stone covering the colour, durability and settings. Now let’s delve into why you should consider including the aquamarine in your engagement ring.
Why Choose an Aquamarine Engagement Ring?
An aquamarine has sentimental significance, making it a special choice for an engagement ring. Aquamarines symbolise hope, health and fertility and are felt to deliver the wearer feelings of happiness, clarity of thought and courage. Whilst diamonds are the most popular engagement ring gemstone choice, an aquamarine ring provides itself as a fresh and distinctive alternative, making your engagement ring feel even more rare and precious.
Aquamarine Colour Variations and What to Look For:
The aquamarine is known for its beautiful blue colour, but is available in multiple shades and can appear different depending on its cut and saturation – here is an overview on the variations.
Shades of Blue
Aquamarine’s colour range is narrow but they can appear in a variety of tones. A gemstone derivative of beryl, they are reminiscent of tropical waters. Some aquamarines are so pale they’re almost clear, others are a dark blue or a greenish blue.
Saturation & Tone
The most expensive aquamarines are richly saturated and light blue in colour. Typically, the more intense the colour is then the more valuable the aquamarine. Darker blue tones of aquamarine will also help mask any dirt or oil present on the ring, inevitable if worn every day. Aquamarine is pleochroic which means it can appear to change when viewed at a different angle.
Cut & Clarity
Aquamarines are reflective and therefore emerald cuts and step cuts with sharp and straight angles are commonly used to accentuate the sparkle of the stone. Most faceted aquamarines have an eye-clean clarity meaning any inclusions and blemishes are not visible to the naked eye.
Aquamarine Durability: How Suitable is it for Everyday Wear?
It sits at around a 7.5 or 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it strong enough for regular wearing. However, it is important to take precautions when wearing your aquamarine ring, such as removing it before cleaning with chemicals that may discolour the stone and remove before doing sports or exercise as sweat, grease and dirt will affect the ring. In comparison to other gemstones like pearls, opals and turquoise it is tougher and more suited to everyday wearing. It ranks similarly to emeralds and slightly below sapphires and rubies and, the toughest of all, diamond ranking a 10.
Choosing the Perfect Setting for an Aquamarine Engagement Ring
Popular Settings for Aquamarine
The prong/claw setting is a popular choice for an aquamarine ring as showcases the stones colour by allowing more light on the stone. For a sleek look, try the bezel/collet setting, which will add protection to the stone. Vintage settings on the other hand are more intricate and romantic in detail.
Metal Choices
The metal used can enhance the beauty of the aquamarine. Generally, aquamarines work with any metal. White gold brings out the coolness and is especially good for more blue-toned aquamarines, opt for yellow gold for more green-toned stones and it will balance out the aquamarine as its warmer.
Accent Stones
The use of accent stones, such as diamonds, on an aquamarine ring, can provide some extra sparkle. If set in the shank it can enhance the main stone’s sparkle or can create a halo effect when circled around the main stone. Accent stones can add some contrast to the feature stone making it stand out.
Finding the Right Shape for Your Aquamarine
Step cut designs, such as baguette, asscher and emerald cut aquamarines, are faceted and will show off the aquamarines colour better than a brilliant cut. Whereas a brilliant cut, such as round, cushion and oval cut aquamarines, reflect the light and hide inclusions in the facets.
Round cuts are a classic engagement ring choice and lack sharp edges that will chip overtime and is able to easily accommodate diamonds to the design.
Cushion cuts are almost square shaped with rounded corners and are easy to wear every day. The oval cut is a great option for a solitaire aquamarine ring, making the stone look larger. Cabochon cuts which are domed, polished and non-faceted are usually chosen when the aquamarine is fairly opaque.
Aquamarine vs. Diamond: What’s the Difference?
A diamond engagement ring is the most popular, classic choice which adds a certain rarity to choosing an aquamarine engagement ring. Diamonds are priced based on their carat weight and larger ones tend to be more expensive, whilst aquamarines are generally considered cheaper though you can still pay the same for an aquamarine ring as you would a diamond ring, depending on the quality of each ring.
On the Mohs scale of hardness, diamond is the most durable of all scoring a 10 and aquamarines are around 7.5 to 8, which is resistant enough to be worn daily. Clarity is more favourable with aquamarines as most faceted ones lack visible inclusions, some people even like the inclusions in aquamarines, whereas inclusions are typically not liked in diamonds and people pay more for higher clarity in diamonds.
Both stones are symbolic of love and relationships. Aquamarines are associated with trust, harmony, tranquillity and general happiness and are used to celebrate long marriages, even believed to encourage partners to be more supportive, tolerant and understanding of each other. Diamonds are the stone for 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries and symbolise love, clarity, purity and fidelity, its natural durability signifies unbreakable strength, endurance and spiritual power.
Some of the unique qualities that make an aquamarine engagement ring stand out from a traditional diamond are its stunning blue colour in either vibrant or tranquil tones of blue/greenish blue, it’s aforementioned symbolism, it offers sparkle and compliments multiple metals, its durable, eye catching and works well alongside diamonds if you wanted to incorporate both stones into your engagement ring.
Caring for Your Aquamarine Engagement Ring
It’s important to regularly care for your aquamarine ring to maintain its quality. Avoid wearing the ring when cleaning or doing sports/exercise as chemicals, dirt, grease and oils can age the stone and it may get damaged. When not wearing the ring, ensure it is stored safely, such as in a jewellery box, away from dust. You can enlist a jeweller to check the setting, and clean the ring once year and keep it in pristine condition. If you’re wearing the ring all the time, consider cleaning it more frequently at home.
How to clean the aquamarine ring at home:
- Mix warm water and mild dish soap in a bowl
- Soak the aquamarine ring in the bowl for around 30 minutes
- Gently scrub the ring with a soft bristled toothbrush
- Rinse the ring with clean water
- Carefully wipe the ring dry with a clean cloth
Budgeting for an Aquamarine Engagement Ring
The price of an aquamarine will depend on its clarity and how vivid the colour is. It will typically be less expensive than the most popular gemstones: diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The desire for aquamarines is similar to amethysts, but they are typically more desirable than tourmalines and citrines.
To get the best value aquamarine for your budget, consider how saturated the aquamarine is, as the more richly saturated the more valuable and therefore more expensive it will be, the more translucent aquamarines are generally less so. If you want to customise your ring with engravings or change the setting that may increase the price, so consider looking carefully at the design and setting when shopping. Faceted aquamarines hide inclusions well so you don’t necessarily have to find a very high clarity grade.
Consider investing in pre loved antique or vintage aquamarine rings which are full of character, history and can be extra unique. Aquamarine is generally more affordable than the popular diamond making it great choice for something different as well as more budget friendly.
Where to Buy an Aquamarine Engagement Ring
To find a reputable jeweller look for high quality customer service reviews, read descriptions and learn the quality of the products they sell, look into their certifications and trade associations and compare prices to similar items by other retailers.
It’s important to check the certifications and ensure the authenticity of the gemstone. Certification is the process of verifying the gemstones origin, quality and authenticity and over time gemstones that are certified generally hold their value better. Check if the jeweller has a range of aquamarines and that they are graded and competitively priced.
If you so desired, you could work with a jeweller who’d help you design and create your own aquamarine ring. Some jewellers will change the setting of an original ring to suit your preference.
Celebrity and Royal Aquamarine Engagement Rings for Inspiration
Gemstones are popular in royal engagement rings and jewellery. Princess Diana wore a 13 carat aquamarine ring, that Meghan Markle then wore to her and Prince Harry’s wedding reception in 2018. Queen Elizabeth II had the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure in her jewellery collection which included a necklace and matching earrings, a bracelet, and a brooch. It was a gift from the president and people of Brazil.
Hollywood actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry sport aquamarines on red carpets, and Jessica Biel has aquamarines embellished on the sides of her engagement ring, extra fitting as it’s her birthstone. At the 2011 Emmys, Cobie Smulders embraced blue on the red carpet wearing a turquoise dress with an oversized emerald-cut aquamarine ring.
Is an Aquamarine Engagement Ring Right for You?
An aquamarine is a unique alternative gemstone for your engagement ring. With its rich blue colour, associations with tranquillity, good durability and lower price point, it would make a bold and beautiful choice for an engagement ring. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for something with something special and meaningful – especially fitting if you have an anniversary or birthday in March. Consider one of our aquamarine rings for your engagement ring and shop all our aquamarine jewellery on our website.
Resources:
https://blog.gemsny.com/celebrity-trend-alert-how-to-wear-aquamarine-rings-like-the-stars
https://www.gia.edu/aquamarine-quality-factor
https://www.brides.com/aquamarine-engagement-rings-4844010
https://medium.com/@naomijane/celebrities-remembered-for-stunning-aquamarines-ad889e87be95
