How much is aquamarine worth per carat?

Pale or small stones run about $5–$30 per carat, medium blue $50–$300, and fine deep-blue material $300–$1,000+ per carat in larger clean sizes. Depth of blue matters far more than size alone.

Is aquamarine heat-treated?

Usually yes — most aquamarine is heated to remove a greenish tint and produce a purer blue. It's a standard, accepted treatment; untreated deep-blue stones are scarcer and can command a premium.

How can I tell real aquamarine from glass or blue topaz?

Real aquamarine is a hard beryl (Mohs 7.5–8) with a soft natural blue and few bubbles. Rounded internal bubbles suggest glass, and a very vivid electric blue is often irradiated blue topaz rather than aquamarine.

Is Your Aquamarine Real or Fake?

How to tell genuine aquamarine from imitations

Because fine blue aquamarine is valuable, it's imitated by cheaper blue stones and glass. The usual substitutes are blue glass, synthetic spinel, and irradiated blue topaz sold as 'aquamarine' — all cheaper than genuine gem beryl.

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Common aquamarine fakes & look-alikes

Blue glass. Rounded gas bubbles, a warm feel, and molded rather than crisp facet edges; often too perfectly clean and very cheap.
Irradiated blue topaz. A more vivid, electric blue than aquamarine's soft sea-blue; genuine topaz but a different, cheaper stone being mislabeled.
Synthetic spinel. Very clean, evenly colored 'aquamarine' with no natural inclusions — a lab-made look-alike.

Simple at-home tests

1Hardness & feel. Aquamarine is Mohs 7.5–8 and feels cool; glass is softer and warms faster in the hand.
2Loupe for bubbles. Round suspended bubbles mean glass; aquamarine shows crystalline inclusions or is clean, not bubbly.
3Color character. A soft, slightly greenish-to-pure sea blue reads aquamarine; a hard electric blue is more likely treated topaz.

At-home tests are indicative, not definitive — for valuable pieces, get a professional gemologist's opinion.

The bottom line

A hard, cool, softly sea-blue stone with crystalline (not round-bubble) inclusions is genuine aquamarine. Round bubbles and warmth mean glass; a vivid electric blue is more likely irradiated blue topaz.

FAQ

How can I tell if my aquamarine is real?: A hard, cool, softly sea-blue stone with crystalline (not round-bubble) inclusions is genuine aquamarine. Round bubbles and warmth mean glass; a vivid electric blue is more likely irradiated blue topaz.
How much is aquamarine worth per carat?: Pale or small stones run about $5–$30 per carat, medium blue $50–$300, and fine deep-blue material $300–$1,000+ per carat in larger clean sizes. Depth of blue matters far more than size alone.
Is aquamarine heat-treated?: Usually yes — most aquamarine is heated to remove a greenish tint and produce a purer blue. It's a standard, accepted treatment; untreated deep-blue stones are scarcer and can command a premium.
How can I tell real aquamarine from glass or blue topaz?: Real aquamarine is a hard beryl (Mohs 7.5–8) with a soft natural blue and few bubbles. Rounded internal bubbles suggest glass, and a very vivid electric blue is often irradiated blue topaz rather than aquamarine.

Is Your Aquamarine Real or Fake?

Check your aquamarine now

See what this rock is worth — and if it's real

Common aquamarine fakes & look-alikes

Simple at-home tests

The bottom line

FAQ

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