Aquamarine Crystals (Grade B)
Aquamarine is a blue to green variety of the mineral beryl whose colour comes from trace amounts of iron.
Blue aquamarine crystals tend to be more popular than green, but this material is less common and highly sought after.
Most commercial-grade aquamarine is heated, which removes green tones and produces a bluer colour.
Heating modifies the iron responsible for the colour. By reducing the yellow component associated with ferric iron, the blue colour becomes more prominent.
Lower-grade aquamarine can appear cloudy or opaque due to inclusions within the crystal.
These aquamarine tumbled stones are classed as grade B. They exhibit a distinctive blue colour, but inclusions reduce transparency. Brown mineral inclusions are also present.
In tumbled aquamarine, the brown colouring is often caused by iron oxide staining along fractures or inclusions.
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