Does heating aquamarine greatly reduce the price?

[bluejet]

I can't find a definitive answer on this. Does anyone know?

 

[T L]

I can't find a definitive answer on this. Does anyone know?

Absolutely not. In fact, heating it makes much of the green secondary in aquas go away, as the blue coloration is more prized. Most aquas are heated. Greenish blue aquas are making a comeback though.

The thing that makes an aqua valuable is the tone of the stone. The darker the blue color, even if it's greyish, the more expensive.

 

[mastercutgems]

Good question and many may have better answers than I ...

But it is very hard to determine as most labs will say they cannot tell and it is a common thing done to the beryl... But out of experience I have heated heliodore from Russia on a stove top and it went to a very lovely blue with the slightest secondary green; so saying that if the gem has any secondary green it has not been heated is really hard to fully determine as I have done it and have them in my collection. Now it will remove/drive a considerable amount of the green away like TL said but do not let that be the only indicator of whether it has had any heat or not... Now if you continue to heat on from the fine blue it will go lighter blue and then clear or white and it is permanent... TL is correct in that the color of the saturation is a key component to determine value...

So this is at a temperature of about 800 degrees to 1000 degrees F. But like the Santa Maria Africana which was the Mozambique material it was an awesome blue like the Vietnamese; it had so much stuff floating around in it and gas bubbles, etc. if you heat that stuff it will pop... So I can see where if you have the proper type inclusions you or a lab could determine that the gem had not had any significant heat...

Tough call and I would really love to hear what everyone else has to say on this issue.

Most Respectfully;

Dana Reynolds
ASG Certified
Supreme Master gem Cutter
#96CGE42

 

[T L]

TL is correct in that the color of the saturation is a key component to determine value...

Hi Dana.

Actually, it's more of the tone than the saturation. For some reason, aqua is the only stone I know of where saturation is pretty much ignored, and stones of darker tone are more valuable, but I do think saturation should be considered. It's almost next to impossible to fine highly saturated aqua without substantial grey.

As for treatment, one must be very careful about the source where they buy because some of these so-called "Santa Maria" aquas are really pale aquas irradiated to a darker blue color. The color will fade over time, so buyer beware. Heating is stable, but irradiation is not, and both types of treatment are not detectable as far as I know.

 

[bluejet]

TL is correct in that the color of the saturation is a key component to determine value...

Hi Dana.

Actually, it's more of the tone than the saturation. For some reason, aqua is the only stone I know of where saturation is pretty much ignored, and stones of darker tone are more valuable, but I do think saturation should be considered. It's almost next to impossible to fine highly saturated aqua without substantial grey.

As for treatment, one must be very careful about the source where they buy because some of these so-called "Santa Maria" aquas are really pale aquas irradiated to a darker blue color. The color will fade over time, so buyer beware. Heating is stable, but irradiation is not, and both types of treatment are not detectable as far as I know.

So what would you say about this heated aquamarine?

Do you think it will fade over time?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/I-PRESENT-T...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[LoversKites]

TL is correct in that the color of the saturation is a key component to determine value...

Hi Dana.

Actually, it's more of the tone than the saturation. For some reason, aqua is the only stone I know of where saturation is pretty much ignored, and stones of darker tone are more valuable, but I do think saturation should be considered. It's almost next to impossible to fine highly saturated aqua without substantial grey.

As for treatment, one must be very careful about the source where they buy because some of these so-called "Santa Maria" aquas are really pale aquas irradiated to a darker blue color. The color will fade over time, so buyer beware. Heating is stable, but irradiation is not, and both types of treatment are not detectable as far as I know.

So what would you say about this heated aquamarine?

Do you think it will fade over time?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/I-PRESENT-T...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

If that gem is truly what it is advertised as, it'd be worth far more, and would probably have a reserve price to reflect that. If the vendor is willing to send it to a good lab for a lab report, I'd be less suspicious. A heat-only aqua like that can definitely sell for well over 10k. I also see an apparent purple secondary colour; something I haven't seen in aqua before.

That store is auctioning off a couple loose gems that are simply below what their actual value would be, so buyer beware, when something is too good to be true it usually is. (a very clean 2 carat magnesio axinite currently at $20?)

 

[T L]

Beware about synthetic blue spinel sold as natural aqua too. That happens quite a bit and the color of that gem is suspicious.

Only buy dark aquamarine from reputable dealers who know their sources well.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Generally a stone is heated in increase it's value, not decrease it.

Not all blue Aquamarine is heated, some naturally doesn't have a much green at all. Two aquamarines with identical color, one heated and one not heated, would typically yield the same price.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

There is a gemstone in the beryl family called Maxixe. Its a deep blue beryl whose color fades. It is sometimes irradiated, but still fails to hold its color. I suspect its a Maxixe.


Annette

 

[pregcurious]

Annette, thanks for that. I learned something new.

 

[LoversKites]

Hi,

There is a gemstone in the beryl family called Maxixe. Its a deep blue beryl whose color fades. It is sometimes irradiated, but still fails to hold its color. I suspect its a Maxixe.


Annette

Didn't know about maxixe, thanks.

 

[chrono]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/I-PRESENT-T...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The listing is highly suspect; a true Santa Maria at this size and colouration will never go for only $400. First off, the sale is FINAL, which means you have no option to have it verified by the lab for the purported Brazilian origin and that it isn't a synthetic spinel. Even if it is indeed a beryl, it could well be irradiated, which as mentioned above, will fade over time.

Info on Maxxie Aquamarine
http://www.gemsociety.org/article/aquamarine-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/
http://gemologyproject.com/wiki/index.php?title=Maxixe
http://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-2008-aquamarine-beryl-analysis-identification-adamo