Ratna Sagar Jewels - All Types of Wholesale Gemstone Beads

Apatite is one of the most underestimated gemstones, considering the family it belongs to. A cool blue gemstone that derives its name from Greek word meaning “deceitful stone”, apatite is a misleading rock owing to its resemblance to other blue rocks like aquamarine beads, beryl, topaz gemstone and fluorite. Polishing and heat treatment with enhancing agents can make them deceivingly appear like sapphires and lapis lazuli.

Let us explore the gemstone, which is everything but not deceiving.

Beads of power:

Apatite gemstones are popular, only next to tourmaline. They have a hardness of 5 on Mohs scale, which makes them an easy candidate for cutting and shaping into desirable shapes. Clear cut apatite exhibit cat’s eye effect or chatoyant phenomena. Presence of rutile give it the exhilarating effect.

Extra-terrestrial stones:

Oh yes... apatite gemstones don’t have an earthly origin. They are believed to have been carried to Earth by meteors and comets that crashed onto the surface millions of years ago. The presence of apatite on many outer planets in fact signify the presence of water, much like what we have on earth!

In terms of astrophysics, apatite is definitely a high priced commodity to reckon with.

A dreamer’s stone:

For peaceful sleep, gem collectors embrace apatite as it is known to induce tranquillity. It also improves hunger and soothes the digestive system. For higher level of concentration and better balance in life, apatite beads and bracelets are embraced for a long lasting effect.

Apatite varieties:

Popular varieties of apatite are green apatite, Asparagus stone, neon blue-green apatite and samite apatite blends. Since, the gemstone market is full of heat treated apatite, it is usually considered safe to buy only light shaded rocks.

Impregnated by rare minerals:

One of the rarest forms of apatite are found in Hoidas Lake, Canada. The speciality of the apatite extracted from these areas is that it is loaded with rarest of the rare minerals like dysporium, allanite, tonalitic gneiss. In fact, apatite in this part of the world falls in the category of “rare earth mining project”.

Colours to die for:

Apart from the scintillating tropical blue green shade, apatite gemstones are also found in apple green and sea blue hues. The rare blue shade apatite is actually known as “Moroxite”, and is a high priced gemstone. It is often produced by heating the light coloured mineral.

Cuts and shapes:

Apart from the usually beads and rounded apatite, the gemstone is also cut into cabochon and placed in doublets and triplets for an enhanced brilliance. Chatoyant apatite gemstones are not treated artificially and often sold in high-class market at prices $ 150 and more per carat.

Life of the stone:

Despite its relative softness compared to other blue gemstones, Apatite can survive force and corrosive reactions. Pure untreated apatite are susceptible to bio-leaching where the constituents of the stone corrode away due to the action of micro-organisms.

However, there are many dimensions of apatite in the gemstone market that makes it a very good item to collect and adorn.

Technology has made the world colourful. And we say this because of new-age gemstones making their legitimate entry into the market backed by stamp of purity, clarity and brilliance. Impregnated gemstones are flawless rocks with minimum tolerance for cracks, gaps and air bubbles. Porous gemstones are often heat treated in presence of doping agents and dyes to gain a superlative clarity and colour. A mix of chemical action and annealing gives impregnated gemstones their signature maturity.

Why do gemstones require enhancement?

Only 1 percent of natural gemstones meet the benchmark values of clarity, colour consistency and physical durability. Dealing in high priced gemstones makes enhancement process even more important.

Enhancement of gemstones is done to fill up cavities, define outlines of crystalline structure and make cutting relatively easy. Porous gemstones are hard to cut, and enhancement using resins and fillers render a degree of durability to the rocks after treatment.

Impregnation as a method of stabilization:

Impregnation turns a relatively porous gemstone into a durable item. Even the inexpensive rocks are then dyed and coloured to derive a good quality gemstone, exuding classical brilliance often displayed by traditionally precious gemstones.

Impregnated gemstones available in the market are:

• Jadeite and Nephrite Gemstone:

They are first bleached and then impregnated to boost the clarity and shine. Dyed and impregnated jadeite are classified as D-Jade. The impregnated jades display higher refractive index, with sturdy crystalline structure.

The treated jade are detected only under high magnification IR Spectroscope.

• Turquoise Gemstone:

Hardened resins and beeswax are used as fillers in treating flawed turquoise. The trademark Zachary treatment is exclusive impregnation process that involves addition of chemical fillers to semi-precious stones and then heating them in an oven. Impregnated turquoise gains a sparkling colour with a hard-wearing structure that does not chip away during cutting and machining.

• Rubies and sapphires:

Lead glass filling is rapidly making an inroad into the mainstream gemstone market. Despite its notoriety as a hybrid process, rubies and sapphire gemstone with major flaws are increasingly added with lead glass fillers. The accepted percentage of impregnation is less than 30 percent.

• Black onyx Gemstone:

A very popular coating process, black onyx derives its signature shade from the lacquer and silica polymer impregnation.

Techniques to identify impregnated gemstones:

• IR Magnification:

Spotting and inclusions are visible under high magnification spectroscopy. The colour concentrations also vary for an impregnated gemstone.

• UV Florescence:

Some fillers light up exhibiting florescence when exposed to rays which appear distinct from the host stone surface.

• Heat zones:

Fillers and host gemstone structure have distinct heat zones when exposed to higher temperatures.

• Odour test:

Gemstones impregnated with balsam and cedar oil exude a signature odour when exposed to high temperature. It is a ballpark method though.

Conclusive results are obtained through X-ray diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy, but they involve very high cost of operation.

All gemstone regulating organizations like GIA, AGTA and CIBJO ensure that consumers get quality gemstones, and not compromised rocks.

Only 1 percent of the naturally obtained gemstones are perfect and meet the textbook definition of “being flawless”. When it comes to turn the gemstones into acceptable items for the market, they have to undergo numerous processes ranging from cutting to polishing to dyeing and heat treatment. While some treatments involve only removal of the flawed parts, others include enhancements, doping and filling.

Here are highly popular gemstones treatments and enhancement processes done on diamonds, rubies, sapphires, garnets and almost every other rock known to mankind holding significant economic value.

Heat treatment:

Done incontrolled conditions, heat treatment of gemstone causes a drastic change in the colour. Rubies grow fiery red when exposed to heat. The untreated rubies and sapphires have gas bubbles and silk rutile inside them, which disappear after heating. In sapphires, heating in a flux of beryllium produces an electrifying blue shade.

Gemstones that are given heat treatment to improve clarity and brightness are:

• Amethyst
• Citrine
• Kunzite
• Tanzanite
• Blue Topaz Gemstone Beads
• Tourmaline (Paraiba)
• Zircon
• Apatite
• Aquamarine Beads

Oiling:

Done for natural emeralds, oiling is done to improve the clarity. Use of cedar oil is a universal process. Apart from clearing the surface of emeralds, cedar oil acts as a wonderful filler. The fracture filling done using cedar oil enhances the refractive index of emerald. Oiling is a temporary enhancement process owing to chances of leaching. An oiled emerald requires repeated treatment to look its best.
Oiling done using fillers and resins apply to alexandrite, rubies and chrysoberyl.

Irradiation:

Also called gamma-ray bombardment, this is a technologically advanced process that transforms the crystalline structure of the gemstone. Largely irreversible, irradiation of blue topaz is a symbolic example of what an irradiated gemstone looks like.

Quartz minerals are irradiated with Cobalt-60 to produce brilliant amethyst in versatile colours. Colourless beryl gemstones turn into brilliant golden hued beryls, also called helidor. A colourless beryl will fetch $100 per carat, but an irradiated gemstone from beryl family will fetch anywhere between $300 and $450 in the market.

Other popular gemstones treated with gamma radiations are:

• Tourmaline
• Diamonds
• Pearls
• Zircon
• Fluorite

 Gamma irradiation is often followed by annealing to arrive at a consistent clarity and superior brilliance.

Colouring and Dyein:

There are many ways gemstones can be coloured. They are either stained, bleached or dyed with colouring agents. Dyeing is probably the oldest known colour enhancement process dating back to the days of Pharaohs. Stones are either soaked in dyes or heated in a colour agent to enhance the colour.

Staining, on the other hand, is done using a penetrative solution that enters the fault lines and cracks. Commonly, black onyx and pearls are coloured by staining and dyeing process.

Bleaching is a process where the colour is removed, and not added. It adds clarity and lustre to the white gemstones. Onyx, pearls and corals are bleached to gain uniform consistency.

Depending on the extent of processing and treatment, the cost of the gemstones may vary considerably.

Wouldn’t you love to own something that can never be replicated or flaunted by anyone other? Here is your chance to actually own something that is not only rare but also rated among the least known gemstones in the world.

Grandidierite:

Discovered in 1902, this gemstone is named after French naturalist and explorer, Alfred Grandidier. After 114 years of oblivion, grandidierite was first brought to limelight in 2015! Best quality gemstones are mined from Madagascar and Sri Lanka. A neo-silicate, it is relatively hard ranking 7.5 on Mohs scale. It has a typical bluish green colour with translucent appearance and fine rutile network.

Jeremejevite:

First discovered atop Mount Soktui in Siberia and Lake Baikal, Jeremejevite is found in small traces along with albite, tourmaline, and quartz. Other than Siberia, gem collectors have excavated the rare crystals in Namibia and Germany. It is a colourless gemstone with faint yellow and blue colour. Worth at $18000 per carat, Jeremejevite is linked to other rare mineral gemstones like Hulsite, Fluoborite and Sakhaite.

Taaffeite:

Named after Richard Taaffe, Taaffeite is an oxide mineral bearing greyish blue and red greenish shades. A very hard gemstone ranking 8.5 on Mohs scale, this gemstone is mined from the renowned mines of Ratnapura in Sri Lanka. Price tags hover around $5000 per carat, finding a Taaffeite is very rare. Spinel varieties are falsely sold off as this rare gemstone.

Musgravite:

Musgravite exhibits red, mauve, blue, violet and grey colours.Rich in magnesium impurities crystallised within beryllium oxide in a trigonal system, it is closely linked to Taaffeite but was discovered at least four decades later in the mines located in Musgrave Range in South Australia. 1-carat Musgravite can fetch a price of $35,000 and more. In 2015, only eight recognised varieties of the gemstones were reported to have been extracted for commercial purpose.

Red Diamonds:

Now we finally have a gemstone that everybody would love to adorn. But the price tag keeps it safe from the crowd! At $8.2 million per carat, red diamonds are not just the costliest gemstones but also the most alluring ones to feature in the list. Unlike other diamond varieties that have boron and nitrogen impurities, the red diamonds are pure in their composition. They are formed out of plastic deformation, which itself is a very rare phenomenon on Earth.

Famous red diamonds to be ever cut by mankind is the 5.11 carat Moussaieff Red, which was earlier called the Red Shield Diamond.  Another celebrity name in the list of red diamonds is the 0.95 carat brilliant cut, round Brazilian Hancock Red which was sold off for a mammoth $880,000 ($926,000 per carat)!

Scapolite:

It is definitely the one that only a handful of gem collectors actually know, and have seen in reality. Scapolite gemstone displays a fascinating play of colour along with fluorescence and Cat’s Eye effect. It is cut in cabochon to create exceptionally brilliant stone for jewellery. Popular varieties are Lavendar’s Cat eye and purple Tanzanian scapolite with per carat price of over $3000.

Considered as the powerful shadows of the brilliant coloured gemstones, the Black Stones are no longer kept in oblivion. Much like their colourful siblings, black gemstones too have a respectable fan-following. There are many black gemstones used in jewellery and healing, but we present you a list of those featuring in almost every charmer’s wish list.

Black Diamond;

Heard about the 33.75-carat Amsterdam Diamond? Or the 312-odd carat the Spirit of de Grisogon! These are black gems.

Diamonds are available in almost every colour known to mankind. And yes, black is one of them. Though rare, black diamonds actually look like the other allotrope of carbon, the graphite. Black diamonds are actually called “Carbonado” and are tougher than the regular diamonds! It consists of traces of diamond, graphite and non-crystalline carbon.

Most geologists believe that carbonado diamonds are actually extra-terrestrialin nature dating back to 3.8 million years of space travel.For instance, Carbonado do Sergio has a meteoritic origin.

Black Opal:

A fascinating variety of opal, Black Opals earned so much popularity that New South Wales- Australia proclaimed it as the official state gemstone! NSW is the world’s largest producer of Black Opals. Due to the small traces of iron oxide and amorphous carbon, some opals exhibit a unique trail of black. Black Opal set in bezel ring is considered as a protection from the evil forces.

The Halley's Comet Opal, a 1982-carat Black Opal is world’s largest uncut gemstone, priced at $1.2 million.

Black Beryl:

Beryl is pretty common in nature, but when they appear in black forms they enter the list of rare gemstones. The black shade appears due to the insertion of microscopic black spinel impurities. They often appear as elongated prisms turning the transparent and clear beryl into greyish. The black opals are distinctly identified by their asterism effect, found in cabochon cuts.

Black Sapphire:

Sapphire is a legendary gemstone particularly recognised from its electrifying blue colour. But the black varieties are even more spectacular in their appearance. Symbolised as the stone of wisdom and confidence, Black Sapphire contains significant amount of aluminium oxide arranged in prismatic tubular and rhombohedral crystalline structure giving them their conspicuous star-shaped optical effect.

Black Sapphires are very well received in the Arabia and Roman culture as an embodiment of fertility and love.

Black Star of Queensland is a 733-carat black star-sapphire discovered accidentally in 1960 in Queensland, Australia.

Black Garnet:

Also known as Black Andradite, it is absolutely hard to imagine that a flourishing red gemstone will also appear in a metamorphic form in black colour! The black garnets are actually a combination of three distinct crystalline structures- pyrope, andradite and melanite. A deeply spiritual gemstone, Black Garnet exhibits clairvoyant properties and heals the negative energy circles.

Other prominent black gemstones in the family that are equally sparkling and popular are Black Obsidian, Smokey Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Onyx and Serendibite.

So next time you shop for gemstones, don’t forget to pay special attention to the black family.

The popularity of gemstones depends on a lot of factors. Sometimes it is based on the latest trend or what blends smartly with the season and occasion. Sometimes it is inspired by what the celebrities wore in movies, red carpets, and page three events. Fashion trend keeps on changing but here we are going to reveal Top 5 timeless gemstones that come up as a great choice for every occasion. 

1 Diamond:

Undoubtedly, the list begins with the most beautiful and precious gemstone on the earth – Diamonds. It is a piece of rock that every girl loves. It is said that girls love the diamond, propose her with a diamond she will be in love with you forever. The magnificent colorless stone dazzles, glitters and shines. It comes in an array of colors like yellow, red and blue etc. If you don’t want to go for color diamond then surely the colorless is diamond is what you are going to love. Diamond studded ring comes up as the best option to propose your sweetheart for the wedding. Well, it’s not important that you should wait for marriage to wear diamonds. Wear diamond studded rings, necklaces and earrings and be a center of attraction of every party. 

2 Ruby:

Selecting the second best gemstone in our list was tough. There was a close fight between sapphire and ruby, but ruby gemstone manages to get the second spot in our list of most precious gemstones. The vibrant color of Ruby instantly attracts eyeballs. Ruby gemstone beads are widely used in jewellery as an alternative to expensive diamond. If you want to propose your girl then you can go do with a breathtakingly beautiful ruby studded ring as the gemstone represents love and passion. Well, rubies also come up as a wonderful 15th, 18th and 40th wedding anniversary gift. 

 3 Sapphire:

Sapphire gemstone makes the third position in our list of ever popular gemstones. The stone comes in an array of natural shades like green, pink, gray, purple, black and multicolored. The most popular shade in Sapphire remains blue. The shade is even a favorite of celebrities like Kate Middletown. The beautiful Duchess of Cambridge wore a sapphire engagement ring. Well, what makes it interesting is the fact that it was the same ring worn by her mother-in-law, late Princess Diana. Sapphire is a gemstone that depicts royalty. Believe us, a girl is going to love a sapphire studded ring. 

4    Emerald Gemstones:

The rich dark green stone has been a favorite of royals. Kings and queens loved to wear emerald studded jewelries. The attractive stone is considered to be perfect for every occasion. Moreover, it is considered to be very auspicious for newlywed couples.  Emerald gemstone brings love, passion and commitment in the life of couples. Here is something very interesting for you guys – John F Kennedy proposed his sweetheart Jane with an emerald studded ring.  The stone is also known to have superb healing properties. It helps the wear to come out of depression and anxiety. It improves concentration. The stone is also known to keep the wearer away from heart-related ailments.    
 

The timeless diamonds comes up the classy choice for an engagement ring but colored gemstones are not far behind. The colored gemstones are very much in trend with couples looking for something beyond the diamond. These sparkling gemstones imitating colorful lights come up a favorite of celebrities. Let us take a look at some of the famous colored gemstones engagement ring of famous celebrities.   

1    Kate Middleton:

The gorgeous Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is considered to be the most famous ring of the century. The fact that it was the same engagement ring worn by Princesses Diana makes it really unique. It comes up as a marvelous example of royalty transferred to another. The 18-cart stunning ring with diamond and sapphire gemstone beads was purchased by Prince Charles in 1981. The rings value has increased significantly over the years. Today it is valued at a whopping million dollar. Well, the price is not that makes this ring famous but the emotions and beautiful memories attached to it. It was an emotional moment when Prince William proposed Kate with his mother’s ring. 

2    Napoleon Engagement Ring to sweetheart Josephine: 

The ring Napoleon gave to his beloved wife as an engagement ring is counted among top popular colored gemstone rings of all the time. Although the ring was not that expensive because Napoleon was facing financial problems at that time, but the ring was a sure shot stunner. The ring had a diamond and sapphire in tear shaped cut. It was placed in such a way that it represented Man & Woman. The unique setting was called “You & Me”. The magnificent ring was auctioned in 2013. If you are looking for a unique colored ring as engagement ring then don’t forget to take a look at this ring. It surely has the charisma to make you fall in love with it in the very fast look. 

3    Jackie Kennedy

John F Kennedy was known for his great taste. When he decided to propose beautiful Jacqueline Bouvier back in 1953, he wanted the best ring. He met the most famous jewelry designer of that time Van Cleef & Arpels. He designed an eye catching ring with 2 karat emerald. The ring cost Kennedy a million dollar at that time but surely it was worth the price. The design was the highlight of the ring which makes it standout. The combination of diamond accents, emerald gemstone and baguette make it a fascinating engagement ring. 

4    Jessica Simpson:

Eric Johnson and the famous actress Jessica Simpson got engaged in the year 2010. The Eric Johnson was looking for a marvelous ring that will make the actress and singer fall in love with the engagement ring. His search for a unique designer for the job ended with Neil Lane, a renowned jewelry designer. Neil designed a marvelous 5-carat ring that had a magnificent ruby in the center and had two diamonds on each side. Eric Johnson’s hard work paid, Jessica simply loved the amazing ring. What made it even more special is the fact that ruby gemstone is her birthstone.  

Rubies and sapphire gemstone available in the market are available in two forms. One category would be heat treated with additives, and another would be those without additives. It is obvious that though heat treatment is done to improve the colour of the gemstones, adding extraneous stuff to the crystal structure actually means that there has been physical distortion with the original gemstone. In short, gemstone that has been heat treated with additives is what you should stay away from.

Let us review how heat treatments with and without additives work, and why they are important in gem studies.

Heat Treatments without additives

Natural gemstones command higher price than those manufactured artificially. Natural stones may not be perfect in terms of their brilliance and crystalline structure, but their origin is all that matters. Gems created in labs have lower value primarily because they may not give the same healing benefits that they are known for. 

Heat treated rubies beads and sapphires are common, and they are respected for their consistency and suitability in different applications. They are heated under specific temperatures, glazed in condition that is free from impurities of any kind. Depending on the amount of oxides and the colour-bearing properties, rubies and sapphires exhibit the same beauty as their natural counterparts.

It is important to note that sapphires and rubies are heat treated using different agents. Heat treatment for sapphire gems is carried out in reducing process, while rubies are heat treated in an oxidizing environment. 

Heat Treatment with additives

The heat treatment process using additives is not illegal, but it affects the commercial viability of a gemstone. All gems have to be necessarily subjected to inspection by leading gem quality testing labs, and this is where additives are named.

The most popular gemstone treatment processes using additives for rubies and sapphire are:

- Lead Filling

Also called fracture filling, this process is utilised to cover up the fissures and cracks. Rubies and sapphires with dull and rough appearance are infused with lead to produce high refractive indices. It can be used for opaque gems as well, which after lead filling result in brilliant transparent or translucent/ milky stones. 

Cheap rubies are available in the market, and they are more often than not, lead filled. Moreover, this additive process is actually reversible. Lead filling for gemstone has been rendered as hazardous, as lead is a carcinogen.

- Recrystallization

In order to enhance the transparency and improve the refractive index, rubies and sapphires are made to undergo recrystallization. The first known synthetic ruby was actually produced using this process. Geneva Ruby in 1886 made headlines, but it turned out to be a reconstructed gem. Same process is used to produce emeralds. 

- Beryllium Treatment 

An accidental discovery led to the commercialization of this process. Between 2000 and 2006, the market was full of richly coloured padparadscha sapphires. Lab testing proved that they were actually orange sapphires, diffused with beryllium ions. Even in natural stones, sapphires have been found to contain significant amount of beryllium impurities. 

In gemstone market, it is very hard to find an untreated piece because of the lack of interest from the buyers. Untreated sapphire gemstone is often mistakenly referred to as natural. The treatment process has nothing to do with the origin of the gemstone in any way. Lapidary units create eloquent sapphire gemstones using elaborate treatments. 

Let us find the real differences between the two families. 

Untreated gemstone

The stone that has been developed from the ground and never cut or polished in any way in a lab is labelled as ‘natural’. When the natural stone is not subjected to any chemical or heat treatment, it qualifies as an untreated gemstone. 

Heat treatment, optical irradiation and chemical treatments are done on various gemstones to achieve brilliant colours, clarity and some times better refractive index. Sometimes, a treated natural gemstone is easier to cut and polish than the untreated ones due to better clarity and machining properties.

What happens in gemstone treatment process?

All stones available in the market are subjected to treatments in some form or the other. Heat treatment process changes the colour and clarity. It is during this process that additives and glue are added to fill cavities, fractures and cracks. 

How to identify a pure gemstone?

Gemstone buyers should know certain tell-tale signs to identify 100% pure and natural stones. Regardless of the tag, here are some of the signs you can check to verify the claim of authenticity.

1. Naked eye test 

A true natural stone will reflect light and exhibit lustre. There are many stones that have a dull, waxy and shiny surface. There are some with greasy and silky appearance. High quality stones will reveal rings, stepped granules, splinters and sometimes clear waves inside them. Any polarised chipping in the stone highlights its synthetic origin.

2. Hardness and clarity

Most gemstones have hardness close to diamond. They can’t be scratched or cracked easily. Artificial gemstones, bordering at being fake, are created in the lab and resemble glass. A gemstone from natural treated family will have pure clarity and no cracks. In case of fake artificially treated stones, you can clearly see speckles and minute cracks within the structure arising due to intense heat and pressure

3. Density 

Original stones even after heat treatment will retain their density. Synthetic stones that are subjected to heat treatment gain a few points and actual weigh heavier than the natural stones. This is how lapidary and stone collectors verify Blue sapphire gemstone.

4. Crystal layers

Most gemstones from the natural deposits have a parallel layer running inside the surface. This is what gives the stone its saturation and intensity. For warm coloured stones, look for brown tinge. Reject the stone if you see even the dullest shade of greyness.

The colouring dyes and reinforcing agents diffuse completely throughout the crystal structure uniformly. Some heat treatments produce dramatically altered gemstones that not only look brilliant but also compound the original hardness.

Aquamarine is an iconic gem belonging to the same family that also features Green Emerald. Officially ranked as the birthstone for those born in March, Aquamarine gemstone has a glassy lustre and a sea-water hue. But are you aware that there are thousands of duplicate gemstone items that flood the market each year, and remain untraced. So how should one find and buy authentic Aquamarine.

Here’s what you should do.

Research about famous Aquamarine:

Aquamarines are found as large stones that need cutting and polishing. Most of the naturally mined gems are either opaque or too dull to be used for profitable application. You must do a little research on the world famous Aquamarines.

Dom Pedro:  Officially, Dom Pedro is the largest single piece cut-gem Aquamarine and falls in the category of rarest of rare natural items ever mined from the Earth’s crust. Named after the first two Brazilian emperors, Dom Pedro now stands as 14 inches in the shape of obelisk. It was cut from its 23.25 inches glory by gem artist Bernd Munsteiner.

The Hirsch: It is a 109.02 carat gemstone featuring an emerald-cut. It was one of the first non-treated gemstone to be exhibited all over the world. It was set in 18k gold bracket and diamonds by French Emperor Louis XV.

The Schlumberger Bow: Currently ownedby the Field Museumof Natural History- Chicago, “The Schlumberger Bow” is set in platinum and gold pin along with diamonds. It is a 148.5 carat aquamarine designed for Tiffany. It was first exhibited in the year 1893.

Roosevelt Aquamarine: Gifted to First Lady of USA, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt in 1935, the gemstone is one of the largest naturally extracted aquamarines to be ever mined. It weighs 1847 carat. It was cut from a 1.3 kilogram stone of which a single 835 carat aquamarine was gifted to the Maharaja of Kapurthala.

The leading suppliers of aquamarine gemstone beads are Australia, China, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Radiant gems still come from Santa Maria mines in Brazil. So it is not all about the volume, but also about the position Brazil commands in Aquamarine gem market.

How to identify the originality:

# Aquamarine Colour

Aquamarine can exhibit multiple shades of blue, variedly or consistently. It all depends on the amount of chromium and iron ions in the crystal lattice. The popular shades are light blue, deep blue,blue-green and green-blue. The cost of aquamarines isdecided on the basis of the shade saturation and consistency.

# Aquamarine Clarity/Lustre

Deep blue shades are costlier, only if they have a lustrous, crystal clear appearance. Some gems however can have rods running parallel seen like veins and inclusions. Aquamarine can show multiple optical characteristics like chatoyancy and asterism.


# Aquamarine Cut and Shape

Aquamarine gems are cut in cabochon, but faceted cuts also hold significant place in collections. They are perfect for emerald cuts and square cuts. Emerald step-cut and Fancy Cuts are hard to manage, but they are popular among aristocrats as they were before World War II.