QuestionMy dad had bought me a aquamarine birthstone ring 38 years ago. It is a rectangle shaped stone surrounded by 2 diamonds on each side. I have tried several times to get earring to match the ring and have been told that the aquamarine that is sold now is man made. The color of my stone is much darker blue than the ones sold now. What is the approximate value of this stone....I know that without seeing it yourself it will be hard to say. The stone itself does not have any scratches, chips or other markings on it.
AnswerYou are correct that it would be difficult to approximate a value of your stone without knowing seeing it. It sounds to be of good quality as you describe it. Good quality natural aquamarine can fetch very high prices per carat. Prices can be very close to decent quality emeralds. Emeralds are a relative of aquamarine as both are types of beryls and share the same physical properties, crystal structure, and hardness. Chemically they are the same, but different trace elements present during the crystal's formation account for the difference in color.
If the stone is of good quality and a carat or more, it could be worth hundreds of dollars per carat or more for really fine aquamarine. But if you must know the value, I'd recommend having it looked at by a jeweler or appraiser, as a guess really isn't useful.
It is true there is quite a lot of synthetic or lab created gems on the market today for just about any type of stone, but natural aquamarine is still out there. Much of it comes from Brazil. I see it being sold in Bogota, Colombia where I work from and buy emeralds. Pakistan and Afghanistan are other sources that I know of.
