What's That Rock?Aquamarine
The pale blue to blue-green variety of beryl. Crystals are often large and fairly clear.
How to identify Aquamarine
- Six-sided prisms in pale blue
- Clear and glassy with few inclusions
- Hard: scratches quartz slightly
Often confused with
- Blue topazheavier, cleaves
- Blue glass
- Blue quartz
Real or fake?
- Deep blue stones are often heat-treated, which is common and stable
- Glass lacks the natural color zoning and shows bubbles
Is Aquamarine valuable?
Moderate; larger clean stones cost more.
Typical retail prices
Cut gemstone$40–500per carat
Collector specimen$15–300each
Typical retail ranges in US dollars, compiled from public dealer and marketplace listings in October 2026. Real prices vary widely with quality, size and origin. This is general information, not an appraisal.
What changes the price
- Color: deep blue 'Santa Maria' tones cost most; pale blue-green is cheaper
- Clarity: aquamarine is usually clean, so eye-clean stones are expected; heavy inclusions lower the price
- Size: large clean stones are fairly common, so price per carat rises more slowly than for other gems
- Treatment: heating to improve blue is routine and stable, ask for disclosure
- Crystals: well-formed, terminated crystals on matrix are collector items
Uses
- Jewelry
Care
Durable. Safe to wash with mild soap.
Identifying a stone from a description or a photo is an estimate. Many stones look alike. Ask an expert or a gem lab before you buy, sell or rely on an identification.
Updated October 2026