When only flawless will do: the essential value factors of aquamarine.

Just as aquamarine's color must be clearly determined, of almost equal importance is the gem's clarity. Clarity is the term that identifies how free from flaws any gemstone is. The good news is that aquamarine is typically very free from flaws, hence, yielding high clarity. The drawback is that nothing less will do.

Even though aquamarine is normally "eye-clean," it's wise to examine the stone with a 10X magnifying loupe to insure that the clarity you see is the clarity you get. Remember that all gem quality aquamarine should be flawless, not just eye-clean.

Therefore, color and clarity are by far the two most important factors in valuing aquamarine. Think of the flawless deep blue sea and you'll be well on your way to the aquamarine of your dreams. Keep in mind, however, that you're not likely to encounter the top quality color in stones under 5 carats and large stones are rare, so you will definitely pay a premium for a truly fine stone.