Most of you have heard about two very famous beryl colours that have captivated the hearts of jewelry buyers around the world; the oceanic blues of aquamarine and the forest greens of emerald. The science of gemology classifies beryl as an individual gemstone species, with both aquamarine and emerald belonging to this species, but existing as different varieties.







Today let's take a look at possibly the next most famous beryl variety used in jewelry- Morganite. This pastel peach-pink stone was named after J.P. Morgan, who himself was a notable gemstone enthusiast. Morganite was discovered in California and Madagascar sometime in the early 20th century, and has been circulating around many demure and elegant coloured-stone jewelry themes ever since.

It's no surprise that morganite's specific hue is a favorite of brides, debutantes and socialites. Many tout its color as a graceful accent for modern day women. Although morganite cabochon rings are also popular among men, especially when embellished with the warmer tones of yellow or reddish gold.

For those on a mid-market budget, morganite also makes a great alternative to padparadscha sapphire, the pinkish-orange corundum color that's been trending nowadays on the colored stone markets. Padparadscha can sometimes out-value blue sapphire colors even at fine jewelry auctions, so despite popularity, these stones can feel quite expensive for many collectors.


Morganite can be found in many parts of the world, like Brazil, Russia, Mozambique and Namibia among other places, but the best qualities are still quite sporadic in distribution. The supply and demand of gemstones plays an integral part in its popularity within the trade. Morganite currently sits behind aquamarine and emerald in terms of both public reception and price, however it has enough of a following for jewelers to actively use it as a main center-stone in rings, pendants and many other types of personal jewelry wear.

Sometimes called pink beryl, morganite's colour can range from a lightly toned brownish peach to salmon pinks with good saturation, although most material is typically orangey pink in a subtle pastel shade. Fashion trends love to make use of morganite along with light blues, and rose gold colours.

In the world of blue gems we all know sapphire is the one name to remember, but for those who prefer the lighter pastel shades of blue, it might have dawned on you that not all sapphires can achieve this look well.

Enter the most famous sky blue gemstone traded today; aquamarine. It's a chemical cousin of emerald, belonging to the same gem species known as beryl. The gem's name is a direct reference to the greenish blues of crystal clear ocean water. It's been prized by nations as the second most expensive beryl species used for jewelry in modern times.



Aquamarine (pictured above), though beautiful in its own 'natural-color' state, is often heated to remove any yellowish modifying colors in order to portray a more pure blue body. This is most often undetectable even by many gemological instruments, and is commonly practiced by a vast majority of gem dealers today. Despite this treatment's presence, it does not mean that aquamarine's colors have no hierarchy. The treatment removes yellow colors, but a gem's star-quality potential still has to be present in its original crystal. Some aquamarine specimens will look dull and grayish no matter what degree of heat is applied to it. This fact means the variety's top colors can hold high values due to rarity, demand and exclusivity.



Darker toned aquamarines with higher saturations are much rarer and much more valuable than lighter ones, even with both having been heat treated. The gemstone's finest locality source is the Santa Maria area of Minas Gerais in Brazil, which is famous for producing many of the world's top quality blue beryls.

On the other side of the fence, another popular sky blue gem has been making waves for the past several decades. Blue topaz can come in an entire range of tones and saturations due to advancements in irradiation and annealing treatments. Topaz typically comes out of the ground in warmer or grayish colors, but the most popular trade varieties today are 'London Blue', 'Swiss Blue' and 'Sky Blue', all priced affordably in most countries.



Depicted in the picture above is the 'Ostro Stone' topaz, the biggest of its kind- weighing in at around 9,381 carats. As you can see, due to the industry being able to mine topaz specimens in large sizes, candidates for heating are not in low supply. Add to this the possibility of high-saturation color treatments and you acquire marvels like this specimen.

The difference between aquamarine and topaz (aside from obvious chemistry), is that blue topaz' colors don't have much of a hierarchy. Yes, topaz is a natural gem mined from the earth, but its bluish hue is completely re-creatable even in near-colorless parcels. This is very different from aquamarine's limited supply of high-saturation stones (especially in smaller carat sizes).



The supply of blue topaz has quenched the increasing demand for pastel blue hues, bringing it to be one of the most popular gems for the color palette used today. The question is, who wins? Aquamarine with more rarity and monetary value, or blue topaz with more affordability and diversity of color tone?

There exists no green gemstone more well-known than precious emerald. This viridian variety of beryl is showcased around the world for its magnificently intense saturations, exciting inclusion gardens and lush depth of color.


Emerald's most famous locality for mining is set in the wilderness of Colombia. The city of Bogota has become a trade-spot for international buyers and sellers to do business revolving around this green stone. Much of the emerald production that arises from the country's efforts however, are from the regions of Muzo and Chivor. The former is known for producing some of the world's most expensive emerald specimens.

Emeralds from Colombia, in fine qualities, tend to be colored with an almost pure primary green. A hint of iron-colored blue modifies the color ever so slightly, adding a cool tone to the palette of a stone.



The element most responsible for emerald's green hue is none other than chromium, however vanadium can also cause greens in some emeralds, like a majority of specimens unearthed from Zambia (another prominent source, but lesser known for fine qualities).

The name emerald stemmed out from the word "smaragdos" from ancient Greek, meaning 'green gem'. Today, aside from the mines of Colombia, emerald can also be found in many countries around the world- such as Brazil, Zambia, Egypt, Russia, Zimbabwe, Switzerland and Nigeria among others.

Traditionally, it is better to find an emerald with a bluish tinge rather than one with a yellow-green color composition. The latter usually commands a much lower price, as it's seen as more commercial and common on the markets.

Most commercial quality emeralds are lighter in tone. It's much rarer to find dark or deep toned emeralds within the lower brackets of the trade, however the best qualities of emerald possess a medium to medium-dark tone with vivid saturations.

It's much more normal for emerald to have a lot of inclusions compared to other gems like aquamarine or topaz. This is due to the environment that it grows in. You'll see that even the most expensive museum quality stones will have a little bit of natural crystals or liquid inclusions within their bodies. This also aids in determining a stone's authenticity and source.



Emerald, as precious as it is, can also be synthesized or created in a laboratory. Hydrothermal enclaves and flux crucibles can grow crystals of green beryl using mineral-rich solutions over long periods of time. These synthetic man-made gems are very beautiful in their own right, but do not come close to the value of naturally mined emerald. You can learn more about how to tell synthetic emeralds apart from natural emeralds when you take part in our workshop classes coming later in the year.

Be aware that other imitations, like green-dyed quench crackled quartz can also distinctly resemble emerald. People heat artificially colored quartz to high temperatures, causing internal fractures that can be mistaken for emerald's characteristic inclusions.



A vast majority of natural emeralds also undergo enhancement procedures before being released into the jewelry trade. The most common treatment is that of fracture-filling, using a variety of oils and resins to simulate better apparent clarity levels.

Gemcamp laboratories does routine checking for emerald authenticity, and can differentiate synthetics and imitations from natural green beryls using a variety of gemological tests and procedures. We also evaluate for the presence of treatments and oiling.

Contact us via facebook today, in order to schedule an appointment for the gemological assessment of your emerald jewelry.