Aquamarine Vs. Sapphire

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

Quick Facts on Differences of Aquamarine and Sapphire

For a quick recap of the differences aquamarine and sapphire:

• While both aquamarine and sapphire is hexagonal, in terms of crystallography, sapphire can be trigonal.
• For chemical formulas, aquamarine is Be3Al2Si6O18 while sapphire is Al2O3.
• While both aquamarine and sapphire is vitreous, in terms of luster, sapphire can be adamantine.
• Aquamarine's hardness is lower than sapphire - aquamarine ranges from 7.5 to 8 and sapphire is 9 on the Moh's scale.
• Aquamarine's specific gravity is lower than sapphire - aquamarine ranges from 2.66 to 2.8 and sapphire ranges from 3.99 to 4.

Quick Facts on Similarities of Aquamarine and Sapphire

The similarities of aquamarine and sapphire include:

• Aquamarine and sapphire both can be opaque, translucent or transparent.
• Aquamarine and sapphire both streak colorless.
• Aquamarine and sapphire both can be commonly blue or green.
• Aquamarine's rarity is similar to sapphire.

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 Sapphire

Sapphire is a precious mineral that belongs to the corundum family. It is a variety of aluminum oxide that is distinguished by its blue color, although it can also be found in other colors such as pink, yellow, green, and purple. Sapphire is one of the hardest minerals in the world, with a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, making it an ideal material for use in jewelry and industrial applications.

Table Comparison of Aquamarine vs Sapphire