Gemologist Guide to Identifying Aquamarine

aquamarine specimen

Aquamarine is the name used to describe the gem quality variant of Beryl. It only comes in variations of blue because if you had a different colored beryl then you’d have a different gemstone. High-quality aquamarine is commercially available with Santa Maria being the most sought after but double blue takes a close second. Lighter-colored […]

Gemologist Guide to Identifying Peridot

peridot specimen

Peridot is incredibly well-known because it has been used for jewelry dating back to Pharaohs in Egypt. It’s a variety of Olivine and has a beautiful light green to olive-green color. The intensity of color depends on the amount of iron present when it is formed. The more iron, the deeper the shade of green […]

Gemologist Guide to Identifying Turquoise

turquoise cabochons

Turquoise is well known in the jewelry industry and rock hounds enjoy digging for it and collecting it. It’s known for its incredible shades of blue and bluish-green and has been a treasured gemstone for centuries. Very few minerals have such a profound and well-known color among professional collectors and the general public. High-quality turquoise […]