When you gather your family together, you can probably see of a host of ways that you are both similar and different. Gender, hair color, personality, food preferences, and height are just a few ways to see those similarities and differences. Did you know that gemstones have a family too? Emerald is the birthstone for May, but it is related to a few other gemstones with different colors, Aquamarine and Morganite!
(This pic is of an Emerald on the lower right and a Green Beryl on the top left! Photo credit: @giagrams)
Emerald, Aquamarine, and Morganite are all minerals in the Beryl family. Beryl comes in various colors, but the most well knows colors we see in gemstones are bluish green to green (Emerald), greenish blue to blue (Aquamarine), and pink to orange pink (Morganite). While all Beryls will have a make-up of Be3 Al2 Si6 O18, trace elements of other chemicals will bring about the various colors while forming.
Emerald: Emerald will contain trace elements of Chromium or Vanadium, and Iron. It is the varying degrees of these elements that determine the exact color and intensity of a gemstone. Both Chromium and Vanadium bring the green while Iron brings the blue. Emerald can be a true green color, but most of what we see has a slight bluish color.
Aquamarine: While Emerald will have higher amounts of either Chromium or Vanadium, Aquamarine will have higher amounts of Iron to make it bluer. Interestingly, most Aquamarine is naturally greenish blue, but is generally heat treated to take out the yellow color so that it is a truer blue.
Morganite: Morganite gets its pastel pink color by the traces of Manganese in its chemical composition. It generally is very light in color unless it is a very large rough stone. Most Morganite is set in rose gold metal to enhance the pink color because it is usually very light and much of it has been heat treated to improve its color.
Other Colors: Beryl comes in various other colors including red, orange, yellow, or colorless. We don’t usually see these colors in jewelry except for interesting specimens. One of the rarest gemstones, in fact, is a Red Beryl. Red Beryl is found as gem-quality rough in the Wah Wah Mountains of Beaver County Utah and is rare because it requires distinct conditions for Manganese to mix into the forming beryl material. You might have heard of Heliador (yellow to greenish yellow), Goshenite (colorless), Maxixe (deep blue, pronounced “ma-she-she”), or Green Beryl (a very light green color, see above pic) which are all in the Beryl family too!
Even in your own family, every person has a uniqueness about them that gives them their own “color.” Who are the classic Emerald and Aquamarines in your family? Who are the rare reds? Just as in gemstones, it is the “color” that we fall in love with or only tolerate during the holidays!
Whichever gemstone fascinates you, I would love to help you with your special purchase or custom design! Angela Cisneros Jewelry Concierge brings back the joy and confidence of jewelry shopping, so that you can celebrate with ease! My by-appointment approach means:
One-on-one appointments (personal attention and no crowds!)
Discretion and privacy (surprises remain surprises!)
Expert help from a Graduate Gemologist with 23 years of experience (yep, that’s me!)
Book your FREE appointment with me today! www.angelacisneros.com/book-appointment