What Is the Best Colour of Aquamarine?

Aquamarines have a tinge of blue and a tinge of green, giving them their signature sea blue colour. The shades merge to remind us of the ocean’s richness and beauty, but here’s the interesting part –you can always trace the blues and the greens in an aquamarine, although the two colours are not always in equal proportion and quantity.

This leaves us with countless shades of aquamarines and some very big questions: what is the best colour of an aquamarine? How do you determine the perfect proportion of blue and green hues in an aquamarine stone?

Let’s dive into the answers to these questions, which are very important to consider for those looking to buy an aquamarine necklace in Melbourne.

What Are the Shades of an Aquamarine?

Generally, aquamarines can be anywhere from being almost colourless to exhibiting an entrancing deep blue, so it’s a good idea to classify an aquamarine’s colour based on its body and highlights. If the stone has a blue body colour paired with sea green highlights, we can call it sea green. If the stone has a greenish body and blue highlights, we can say it has the colour of sea foam.

As per the grading system, here’s a breakdown of all available and globally recognised shades of aquamarine:

• Grade B: white or colourless (similar to White Topaz)
• Grade A: more green, less blue
• Grade AA: bluish tone (grey-blue look)
• Grade AAA: bright blue with slight hints of green (similar to Sky Blue Topaz)
• Grade AAAA: rare bright blue tone

As you can see, blue becomes saturated as the quality of the stone improves. Therefore, blue aquamarine is more desirable than blue-green aquamarine, which explains why some people artificially heat aquamarine to increase its worth.

How Does Heating an Aquamarine Affect its Colour?

Now, let’s explore the gem-heating process and its relation to an aquamarine’s colour.  Heating is a process in which gemstones are placed in a gemological oven at a predetermined temperature. The oven’s heat alters the chemical state of atoms that make up the gemstone, which, in turn, changes its physical appearance. The heating process removes inclusions and alters the stone’s colour.

In the beryl family of stones, aquamarine is the only stone often heated to acquire a deep blue shade. Basically, the impurities in aquamarine give the stone its colour. The two primary colours in aquamarine caused by its impurities are blue and yellow.

The yellow merges with blue to produce a sea green colour; because sea green is not as desirable as deep blue, gemologists often heat the stone to 400 degrees to get rid of the impurities causing the yellow colour. As a result, clear blue is left behind, giving the processed stone a pure, deep blue colour. 

What Colour of Aquamarine Is Best?

As per industry standards, the best colour of aquamarine is deep blue. The more prominent the blue, the more valuable, rare, and expensive the aquamarine becomes. Although some people love the mystic sea green of aquamarine, the majority favour the blue. Therefore, the answer to the question of which colour of aquamarine is best depends on your preferences.

Final Thoughts

Aquamarine is a beautiful stone that comes in multiple shades of blue and green. While some people prefer the sea green colour, most aquamarine lovers opt for the deep blue stones. This blue colour is also more expensive and rare; therefore, if you’re looking to make an investment, we recommend choosing the pure blue shade of aquamarine.

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