Aquamarine is a variety of Beryl. It forms beautiful crystals of all sizes that can be totally transparent. Aquamarine can form in stunning immaculate crystals, creating some of the most beautiful mineral masterpieces. With immaculate beauty comes a price tag, therefore I hope to acquire a stunning piece to add to the collection sometime in the future.

Imperfect or dull stones can be heated to very high temperatures in which they can attain the beautiful sky-blue colour that everyone adores. I think it is a shame that most of the Aquamarines used as gemstones are actually heat treated and undisclosed to the buyer who thinks they are getting a top-quality natural gemstone. Understandable that buyers want a quality gemstone, however, if it is heat treated, then the dealer should have a moral obligation to disclose this to buyers.

Jequitinhonha valley in Minas Gerais, Brazil is a major producer of Aquamarine, which occurs in the areas of Araçuaí, Coronel Murta, Palmital, and Pedra Azul. Undoubtedly the most outstanding and largest crystals of Aquamarine come from Pakistan. A locality where an intensely coloured Aquamarine is found is Erongo, Namibia, specimens from this locality are high on collectors’ lists.

I acquired this specimen from Greg at Blue Gems at the October 2013 Central Coast Gem Festival held at Mingara.