Spring 2011

Aquamarine from the Thuong Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

Le Thi-Thu Huong, Wolfgang Hofmeister, Tobias Häger, Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, Nguy Tuyet Nhung, Wilawan Atichat, and Visut Pisutha-Arnond

Vietnamese aquamarine is notable for its attractive color and well-formed crystals. Commercially significant deposits are known only from the Thuong Xuan District in Thanh Hoa Province, where the aquamarine (as well as topaz) have been mined from granitic pegmatites and associated eluvial deposits. Rough and cut samples were investigated by standard gemological methods, Raman and IR spectroscopy, and electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS chemical analysis. The samples were characterized by a low concentration of alkalis and relatively high amounts of iron and cesium. Raman and IR spectroscopy showed the presence of CO₂ and type I H₂O in the beryl structural channels.

Purchase a PDF copy of this article.