14K Aquamarine and Tourmaline Wrap Ring in Yellow Gold

AQUAMARINE

Aquamarine reminds us of the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean, after all, "aqua" is part of the name as well as "marine". It is the birthstone of March. The color of aquamarine can be almost colorless to teal and bright blue tones, sometimes with a touch of green. The bluer the stone the more value it holds. The stone is part of the beryl family which includes emerald, morganite, and golden beryl. Aquamarine is often highly clear and transparent. It rarely has inclusions, cracks, or blemishes. The transparency determines the type of cut. It is very reflective and it is always cut to enhance this look. The hardness of the stone is only a small step under that of emeralds and rubies. Due to this, it is able to be cut in many different ways and is applicable to all kinds of jewelry. These days not everyone is looking for a diamond as the centerpiece of an engagement ring. Aquamarine has been growing in popularity as a replacement for traditional engagement rings.


TOURMALINE

Tourmaline is the faceted gemstone for October. While it does come in a variety of colors, the most popular colors are pink to pinkish-red and green to green-blue. The variety many people gravitate towards is the watermelon tourmaline which showcases the stone in more of a rare form via a slice. Watermelon tourmaline is very easy to spot due to it containing the colors of a watermelon. Just like with the slice, not all tourmaline is faceted. It is common for tourmaline to be set in jewelry as a rough stone as well as a cabochon. Many people tend to confuse tourmaline for other types of gemstones. One example of this would be with ruby. The majority of tourmaline comes from Brazil. In the United States production of fine tourmaline has taken place in both California and Maine.