Aquamarines are some of the calmest, most serene-looking gemstones and much of this effect is owed to that relaxing light blue color. If an engagement is right around the corner you might be wondering if an aquamarine engagement ring is the right choice for you.
Let’s take a look at what aquamarine engagement rings mean, and what to look for when shopping for one.
Aquamarine engagement ring meaning
Aquamarine is a gemstone that stands for courage, serenity, and calm communication. Set in an engagement ring an aquamarine will help the couple weather turbulent times and bring peace into their marriage. Aquamarines were also thought to offer protection during travel – in ancient Rome, at least – so having such a ring during your honeymoon getaway would be a bonus.
The very name of aqua marine comes from aqua (water) and marina (sea), alluding to the stone’s light blue color with a slight hint of green. Sailors used to carry aquamarine stones with them in the hopes that they’d have a safe voyage, and that id’s give them the courage to brave the water for prolonged periods of time.
Aquamarine is in fact a type of beryl, in the same family as emeralds and morganite ! The light blue in an aquamarine is owed to trace amounts of iron, while emerald gets its green from chromium and sometimes vanadium. Morganite turns pink because of manganese.
Is aquamarine good for an engagement ring ?
Yes, aquamarine is a good choice for an engagement ring that will stand out from the crowd. An aquamarine center stone is not common in engagement rings, but will steal the spotlight with its amazing clarity and calming light blue color. These gems usually come in larger carats, as opposed to diamonds.
So you would be wearing a larger than average engagement ring, if that is what you’re going for. In engagement rings aquamarine stones really benefit from at least a couple of side-stones, be they diamond, moissanite, or CZ. The extra stones add a bit more sparkle to the ring, and make the aquamarine pop.
Read also: Why Is Aquamarine Blue ?
Aquamarine goes best with white gold or platinum
The best metal for aquamarine is a white metal, at least in terms of color. So white gold, platinum, sterling silver, anything rhodium plated will really accentuate the aquamarine’s cool tones.
If you’d rather wear yellow gold, know that your aquamarine may appear slightly greenish due to the yellow around it. A nice middle-ground would be a 10k or 14k yellow gold as those are not as yellow as higher carat gold.
The best aquamarines are step-cut, like an emerald cut
Aquamarine gems come in many shapes, cuts, and sizes. Yet the ones that always seem to work best are step cuts. These are cuts that do not have as many facets as a brilliant cut. They offer a staircase-like effect, or a hall of mirrors effect when you’re looking directly into the stone.
Step cuts also tend to make the color of a gem appear brighter, as they reflect lighter and darker bands of the gem. Also step cuts show off the clarity of a gem, which is perfect for aquamarines as these are usually eye-clean gemstones.
Our recommendation is to look for an emerald-cut aquamarine, especially if it’s going to be a center stone.
Can you wear aquamarine every day ?
Yes, you can wear aquamarine every day as it has a Mohs rating of 7.5-8, and all gems over 7 are fit for daily wear. You should be aware that aquamarines are still a bit soft, so they will accumulate some scratches along the years if worn every day, such as an engagement ring. Those scratches can be removed when you go to a jeweler to ask for a re-polish for the entire ring. This is not something you have to do every year.
Is aquamarine expensive ?
Aquamarine is fairly expensive, as a single carat fine quality aquamarine with good color can get up to $500. A lower quality aquamarine of the same weight can be anywhere around $200-300, but you will see some inclusions, a much lighter color, and a much poorer cut.
Larger aquamarines, as would be the case for an engagement ring center stone, can range between $900-1500, again depending on how fine the stone is and how many carats you’d like to purchase.
Even with these prices aquamarines are far more affordable than emeralds – also a type of beryl – but a little more expensive than morganite – yet another type f beryl. If you’d like a similar stone in clarity and color, try blue topaz. It is far more affordable, about $20 per carat since there are plenty of these stones on the market.
I’m the main author for jewelrymaterialguide.com. I started this site after we did tons of research before our wedding and noticed that there is information about rings, jewelry, and so on that is really hard to find on the internet.
