Aquamarine Vs. Emerald

Aquamarine is a very popular gemstone composed of beryllium aluminum silicate.^[1] Emerald is also a very popular gemstone and its chemical composition is also beryllium aluminum silicate.^[2]

Quick Facts on Differences of Aquamarine and Emerald

For a quick recap of the differences aquamarine and emerald:

• While both aquamarine and emerald can be commonly green, aquamarine is often blue.
• Aquamarine's rarity is less rare than emerald.

Quick Facts on Similarities of Aquamarine and Emerald

The similarities of aquamarine and emerald include:

• Aquamarine and emerald both can be opaque, translucent or transparent.
• In terms of crystallography, aquamarine and emerald both are hexagonal.
• For chemical formulas, aquamarine and emerald both are Be3Al2Si6O18.
• In terms of luster, aquamarine and emerald both are vitreous.
• Aquamarine and emerald both streak colorless.
• Aquamarine's hardness is similar to emerald - they both range from 7.5 to 8 on the Moh's scale.
• Aquamarine's specific gravity overlaps with emerald - aquamarine ranges from 2.66 to 2.8 and emerald ranges from 2.68 to 2.78.

Summary of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is a blue-green variety of the mineral beryl. It is a popular gemstone because of its beautiful color and clarity. The name aquamarine comes from the Latin words aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning sea. This is because the color of aquamarine is similar to the color of the ocean.

Summary of Emerald

Emerald is a green variety of beryl, a mineral that also includes aquamarine and morganite. The color of emerald is caused by the presence of chromium and vanadium in the crystal lattice. The intensity of the color and the purity of the green hue are the most important factors in determining the value of an emerald.

Table Comparison of Aquamarine vs Emerald