Like emeralds, aquamarines are members of the beryl family. Endowed with a dreamy blue hue that evokes the sea, the stone symbolizes courage, clarity and communication, making a unique vintage aquamarine engagement ring ideal for marking the start of a harmonious union.
For the stones that star in elegant pieces of aquamarine jewelry, look for an evenly distributed saturation of color and a cut that shows it off. “With aquamarine, the best shapes are emerald and oval cuts, which maximize an even amount of color throughout the stone,” says Roshni Kothari, cofounder of Roshe Jewels alongside her sister Reshma. “The color of the aquamarine can also be boosted by a cut that has higher crowns and deeper pavilions,” she adds.
Small stones tend to be paler in hue. The deepest colors (think of a swimming pool in one of those Slim Aarons photographs) are most gloriously displayed in gems of five or more carats. The most prized aquamarine is the Santa Maria variety, named for the Santa Maria de Itabira mine, in Menas Gerais, Brazil, where stones of this deeply saturated blue were first discovered.
The Brazilian government gifted Eleanor Roosevelt with a 1,847-carat aquamarine in 1935 and Queen Elizabeth II received a sizable aquamarine upon her 1953 coronation; this stone is now the focal point of her aquamarine tiara. Earlier, aquamarine could be found in engagement rings of the Edwardian era, which is part of the Belle Époque, a period that lasted from 1890 to 1915 and also includes the Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movements.
The influence of Art Nouveau brought floral motifs and delicate, curved lines to the elaborate Edwardian engagement ring settings. Diamonds emerged as the preferred stone during this period, often framed by pearls and other colored gemstones like aquamarines. And renowned Tiffany & Co. designer Jean Schlumberger made a diamond Bow setting for a 148.5-carat aquamarine, which was originally exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, now in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Brazil, indeed, is the source of many of the world’s finest aquas, but that should not discourage you from considering stones from other regions. In this case, the premium you pay for origin is not worth it, say experts. Quite a few dealers who sell aquas are impressed by the material coming out of Argentina, Pakistan and Afghanistan, in addition to Brazil.
Find an extraordinary collection of vintage and antique aquamarine engagement rings on 1stDibs, and visit our buying guides for a close look at antique engagement rings, Art Deco engagement rings and vintage engagement rings.
