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Aquamarine

Named after seawater, aquamarine’s fresh watery hue is a cool plunge into a refreshing pool.

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Figure 1. Twelve white octahedral fluorite crystals ranging from 5 to 10 mm across are visible inside this well-formed aquamarine crystal. Photo by Russell E. Behnke.

Aquamarine with Fluorite Inclusions

Russell E. Behnke, June 5, 2025

A large aquamarine crystal from Pakistan displays multiple eye-visible fluorite inclusions.

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Figure 1. These aquamarine (left) and heliodor (right) crystals reported to be from China, measuring approximately 2 cm long and 0.4 cm wide, display distinctive etch pits. Photo by Adriana Robinson. Gift of Zeng Jiliang, GIA Museum nos. 20633 (left) and 20630 (right).

Heliodor and Aquamarine with Surface Etching

Rhiana Elizabeth Henry and Adriana Robinson, August 2, 2024

Hexagonal etch features are observed on the prismatic faces of heliodor and aquamarine crystals.

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Figure 1. A 41.51 ct freeform faceted bicolor beryl. Photo by Marina Boncompagne.

Unusual Aquamarine–White Beryl

Marina Boncompagne, May 3, 2024

An interesting bicolor beryl specimen composed of aquamarine and white beryl reportedly from Bahia, Brazil, is examined.

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This 9.885 kg specimen of aquamarine on albite with a quartz cathedral center, measuring 31 × 23 × 28 cm, is from Pakistan’s Shigar Valley. Courtesy of GIA Museum, collection no. 43068. Photo by Robert Weldon.

Micro-Features of Beryl

Nathan Renfro, Tyler Smith, John I. Koivula, Shane F. McClure, Kevin Schumacher, and James E. Shigley, January 26, 2024

Provides a visual guide to the internal features of different varieties of beryl.

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Figure 1. A 55 ct cushion-cut aquamarine exhibiting a distinct light bluish green and deep blue pleochroism using a dichroscope. Photos by Kaiyin Deng; courtesy of Farrugia Gem.

Aquamarine with Zigzag Growth Line Inclusions

Yujie Gao, Xueying Sun, Yizhi Zhao, and Kaiyin Deng, November 3, 2023

Zigzag lines are observed only with oblique light in a 55 ct aquamarine.

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Figure 1. Hematite inclusions extend from the center of an aquamarine sample from Xinjiang, China. Photomicrograph by Yubing Chen; field of view 3.64 mm.

Internal World of Aquamarine from Xinjiang

Yubing Chen, Jun Shu, Yanling Wang, and Qishen Zhou, August 4, 2023

Various inclusions are observed in a batch of aquamarine samples from Xinjiang, China.

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Figure 1. A 13.37 ct grayish blue aquamarine displaying asterism. Photo by Towfiq Ahmed.

Star Aquamarine

Jessa Rizzo, August 4, 2023

A look at a very rare instance of a six-rayed star in aquamarine.

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Figure 1. Measuring 26.36 mm in length and weighing 56.00 ct, this Pakistani aquamarine crystal is host to an eye-visible 7.20 mm mineral inclusion cluster. Photo by Annie Haynes.

Quarterly Crystal: Columbite(?) in Beryl

John I. Koivula and Nathan Renfro, May 23, 2023

Examination of a gem-quality aquamarine crystal reveals an inclusion cluster presumed to be columbite.

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Figure 1. A 155 g aquamarine crystal containing a liquid and gas bubble inclusion. The crystal measures 11.9 cm long and the inclusion 4.3 cm long. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of Kreis Jewellery GmbH.

Exceptional Gemstone Acquisitions by the Kreis Family

Erin Hogarth, May 23, 2023

Stefan and Alexander Kreis share three impressive gemstone acquisitions at GJX in Tucson.

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Figure 1. Left: A 586.43 ct cat’s-eye aquamarine donated by Gary Bowersox and Kathleen Kolt-Bowersox to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History gem collection. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Right: Dr. Jeffrey Post (left) and Gary Bowersox with the cat’s-eye aquamarine. Photo by Kathleen Kolt-Bowersox.

Enormous Cat’s-Eye Aquamarine

Jennifer Stone-Sundberg and Si Athena Chen, May 23, 2023

A 586.43 ct cat’s-eye aquamarine is donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

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