In fact, aquamarines often have better clarity grades than other fellow beryl stones like emeralds. Having said that, note that heat treatment and irradiation is an industry standard and most gemstones go through this process, including precious stones like sapphire and ruby.īoth aquamarines and blue topazes commonly have high clarity without eye-visible flaws. Unfortunately, the color enhancement of blue topaz is undetectable, as it nearly duplicates what happens underground. Irradiation turns the colorless crystal into greenish brown, while the heating process gives it a rich blue color. In fact, most blue topazes in the market are just irradiated and heat-treated colorless topaz. When it comes to topaz, a pale blue color isn’t rare but intense blue shades are. Heating can change the color of the crystal, but it won’t affect its saturation. Many of the dark colored aquamarines in jewelry are made by heating brownish or greenish crystal. Usually, aquamarine is treated to remove its green tint since the pure blue color is more desirable. Blue Topaz: Treatments and EnhancementsĪn untreated aquamarine is more green than blue-think of sea green and seafoam colors-but heat treatments affect its final color. Its popular varieties are London Blue, with a grayish blue or dark steel blue color Swiss Blue, with a saturated greenish blue color and Sky Blue, with pale blue color that mimics the aquamarine color in tone and hue. Topaz comes in a variety of colors and blue topazes are almost always caused by treatment. On the other hand, naturally occurring blue topaz is generally pale and watery in color, but enhanced gemstones come in a variety of blue shades, from light to deep and vivid hues. Also, those with darker tones or hints of gray will cost more than lighter ones. It’s said that aquamarine with a pure, intense blue color is most coveted. Unlike other gemstones, its value comes from its tone rather than saturation and hue. It ranges from very light to slightly dark, but sometimes the color is enhanced by the cut. It’s usually blue with a touch of green or vice versa, as well as deep blue-but not in any other color. Blue Topaz: ColorĪquamarine can be found in a range of blue varieties. Blue topazes are commonly sourced from Brazil, Russia, Australia, Nigeria, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Japan and the United States. These gemstones are typically transparent and rank 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
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