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The jewelry of European royalty has always been very interesting, and all kinds of precious stones are not only numerous, but also large carats.
Is the large carat jewelry worn by the royal family unattainable by ordinary people in this life? Of course not.
There is a large carat gem favored by the royal families of all countries, and you can have one without a loser, that is, aquamarine.
Queen Elizabeth
Princess of Denmark
Although aquamarine is not as famous as red and sapphire, there are countless royal nobles and design masters who have fallen under its skirt.
Not convinced? Then today, let's give treasure fans a detailed pick of its "highlight moment"
Aquamarine's road to popularity
As the saying goes, "one life, two luck, three skills", this is also applicable to Aquamarine, and its popular road is really so "legendary".
△ Tiffany Aquamarine necklace
Born in the purple
Many jewelry whites will mistake aquamarine for crystal or tourmaline, but in fact, people are "born famous".
Aquamarine and emerald, the king of green gemstones, and morganite, the star of the emerging color treasure, belong to the beryl family.
Such an extraordinary origin gives aquamarine natural qualities of precious gemstones: high hardness, luster, and attractive color.
Most importantly, it also has the characteristics of high clarity and large particles.
△ Van Cleef & Arpels Aquamarine series
For example, Dom Pedro, the world's largest faceted aquamarine, weighs more than 10,000 carats, a staggering number of carats that 90% of gemstones can't match.
△ It is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
But it is not enough to have excellent characteristics, if you want to become a "popular star", you also need to have the help of nobles.
Royalty flop, big names favored
Aquamarine was able to open its fame in the royal family, and the biggest contributor was definitely Cartier.
As the "emperor's jeweler", cartier made aquamarine crowns for all the royal families of Europe in the 1930s.
△ Cartier made an aquamarine set for the Grand Duchess of Russia
Among them, the most classic is the Pine flower crown that Princess Anne often wears.
It was custom-made by George VI in 1938 to celebrate the 15th wedding anniversary, and was later given to Princess Anne by the Queen as a 15th birthday gift.
△ Crown of pine flowers
However, the popularity of aquamarine can be further improved, and it is inseparable from Queen Elizabeth to "bring goods" for it, and the queen often wears a set of large carats of pure aquamarine suits to attend important events.
This allows aquamarine to frequently brush its face in the public eye, so that more and more people pay attention to such a beautiful gemstone.
In Europe, the popularity of aquamarine is inseparable from the affection of the royal families of various countries. So in China, how did it catch fire?
Quickly occupy the Chinese market
Aquamarine has not been in the Chinese market for several years, but it can be said to be a typical representative of the development of China's color treasure market.
In 14 years, the domestic aquamarine market was still basically in its infancy, most of the aquamarine color was average, and the overall quality had not yet come up.
After 18 years, the domestic jewelry industry has become more and more mature, and the market has higher and higher requirements for gem quality.
Under the promotion of international brands such as Tiffany, Cartier, bulgari and so on, many aquamarines with rich colors and exquisite cuts have quickly entered the eyes of Chinese jewelry lovers.
△ Tiffany's 2018 Blue Book Fine Jewelry Collection
Today, although Aquamarine has gained a firm foothold in the Chinese market, it has a supply problem.
Under the dual influence of the epidemic and lack of resources, the price of Aquamarine has increased by nearly 10%-30%, and then it is afraid that it will rise even more and cannot brake the car.
△Source: Shenzhen Jewelry Bonded Platform
Shine and achieve great results
Let's use the auction data to understand the international market of aquamarine
In the 19th year of Christie's Spring Auction in New York, an aquamarine treasure carving double dragon button fang seal from the 18th and 19th centuries of the Qing Dynasty, auctioned more than 3 times the estimated price, about 1.26 million yuan.
By December, London's Bonhams had auctioned an aquamarine necklace from Cartier for about $3.74 million, more than four times the estimated price.
Various transaction prices that exceed the estimated value by 3 or 4 times are also enough to prove the popularity of aquamarine in the entire international market.
At the same time, it also shows that the charm of Aquamarine is not limited to the category, whether it is Western-style jewelry or oriental antiques, it can impress the "picky" auction audience.
△ 15.59ct Santa Maria color aquamarine ring
Estimated price: HKD 85,000
Realized price: HKD 324,000
2021 Tiancheng International Spring Auction
After reading the above, are you also moved ~ then let's talk about how to choose a sea blue treasure that suits you!
How to choose an aquamarine that's right for you
Buying aquamarine is mainly based on personal needs
Do you simply want to experience the charm of aquamarine, or do you want to start an early investment before the price rises?
Different needs, naturally have different directions ⬇️ of purchase
Choose from an investment perspective
As colored gemstones, aquamarines with investment value are basically determined by color, cutting and origin, so which ones have room for appreciation?
color
Aquamarine has a wide range of colors, and it can be blue, very slightly blue-green, blue-green, very intense blue-green.
In general, the purer and more intense the blue color, the higher the value of the gem.
GUILD, an authoritative testing organization, calls the aquamarine with rich color, high brightness and pure color not biased as Santa Maria aquamarine.
Guild will be represented in the test report as Vivid Blue* and will be marked with the commercial name under the photo on the right: Santa Maria Color.
As the saying goes, "the color difference is one point, the price difference is ten times", the best way to buy Santa Maria aquamarine is to look for an authoritative certificate to avoid being shoddy.
△ Source: GUILD Gem Lab
Origin
Aquamarine is produced in many places, such as Brazil, China, Myanmar, Russia, Mozambique, Madagascar and so on.
Among them, Brazil is the largest and most well-known mining area for aquamarine, and the santa mariane color first came from the santa Maria mining area in Brazil.
Brazilian aquamarine is equivalent to The Ruby of Myanmar and the Emerald of Colombia, and has a unique origin advantage.
If you're looking for a more investment-worthy aquamarine, look for a mine in Brazil.
incise
Aquamarine can be cut into almost any shape to meet the creative needs of jewelry designers.
However, if you want to be more convenient for circulation as an investment product, you can choose aquamarine with pear shape and emerald cut.
△ Emerald cut Ofe Santa Maria
Gram weight: 22.25ct
Not only are these two cutting methods a good representation of aquamarine's permeability and large size, but they are also two of the most popular shapes in the aquamarine market in 2021, according to GILD lab data.
△ Source: GUILD Gem Lab
As an investment product, popularity = high market value, and it can be realized faster when it is sold in the future.
Choose from the wearing angle
The aquamarine color is crystal clear and reminiscent of the sunny Maldives, making it tailor-made for summer.
If you want to buy an aquamarine that is suitable for wearing, there are two directions:
Luxurious high-end
The most obvious feature of the high-end aquamarine is that it is large carat, which can give people a brilliant and luxurious beauty just from the visual point of view.
△ Bulgari aquamarine necklace
But many of these big-name high-end aquamarines win with design and inlay, and the requirements for color are more casual, some are very rich, and some are relatively light.
△ Shangmei Paris Aquamarine ring
So, if you want to buy a high-end aquamarine, first of all, the large carat is definitely a necessary condition, preferably above 5ct.
It's even better if you can meet a bright and colorful one, so you can wear it and invest it with both hands!
△ Santa Marian Aquamarine Ring
Center Stone: 6.77ct
Exquisite everyday style
If you want to choose an aquamarine that is suitable for everyday wear, you can choose a k gold setting of 1ct or less.
This small carat of aquamarine is delicate and not exaggerated, and can be worn with a very eye-catching effect and show a very temperamental.
Moreover, whether it is a ring, pendant or earring, it is very versatile to pick the style and age of the clothes.
In midsummer, wearing a delicately designed k-gold inlaid aquamarine will not only make you feel fresh and cool, but also make it easy for you to stand out in the crowd