Aquamarine Price Per Carat
Aquamarine is currently worth $20 to $900 per carat depending on quality.
Aquamarine pricing is a saturation game: pale silvery-blue stones are plentiful at under $100 per carat, while the deep 'Santa Maria' blue that the trade chases brings $300–$900. Unlike many gems, aquamarine rewards size — large clean crystals exist, and a fine 10-carat stone is a legitimate statement gem at a four-figure, not six-figure, price.
AquamarineValue Chart by Carat & Quality (2026)
Retail price per carat for loose stones, by size bracket and quality tier.
| Carat | Commercial (pale blue) | Fine (good medium blue) | Top 'Santa Maria' blue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 ct | $20–$50 | $50–$120 | $120–$250 |
| 1–3 ct | $30–$80 | $80–$200 | $200–$400 |
| 3–5 ct | $40–$100 | $100–$300 | $300–$600 |
| 5–10 ct | $50–$120 | $150–$400 | $400–$800 |
| 10–20 ct | $60–$150 | $200–$500 | $500–$900 |
| 20+ ct | $60–$150 | $200–$500 | $500–$900+ |
Natural aquamarine, per carat. Standard gentle heating is priced in. Blue topaz — the common substitute — trades at $10–$25 per carat regardless of how 'aqua' it looks.
What Drives Aquamarine Value
The factors dealers actually price on — and how each one moves the per-carat number.
Depth of blue
The single dominant factor. The scale runs silvery-pale → sky blue → the saturated 'Santa Maria' blue (originally from Brazil's Santa Maria de Itabira mine). Each visible step up in saturation can double per-carat value.
Green tint
Modern markets pay for pure blue; a greenish cast discounts 20–40%. Most material is gently heated to remove green — accepted, stable, and undetectable.
Size synergy
Beryl crystals grow big and clean, and color reads deeper in large stones — so fine large aquamarines exist and carry honest (not exponential) per-carat premiums.
Clarity
Eye-clean is the expectation; aquamarine routinely achieves loupe-clean. Visible inclusions push material to the commercial tier quickly.
Cut precision
Pale material lives or dies on cut: a well-cut stone concentrates color and brightness, while windowed cuts look watery. Precision cutting can be half the value story in lighter goods.
What Is YOUR Aquamarine Worth?
Charts show the market — your stone has its own carat, color, clarity, and treatment story. Get a personalized estimate in under a minute.
These prices only apply to genuine aquamarine
Imitations and undisclosed synthetics trade at a tiny fraction of these figures. Run the aquamarine real-vs-fake tests before valuing or selling your stone.
Aquamarine Price Questions
Get answers to common questions about rock identification, rockhounding, and using our platform.
Pale commercial stones bring $30–$80 per carat; good medium blue $80–$200; deep Santa Maria-type blue $200–$400. Aquamarine's best values are actually in larger sizes, where the color deepens naturally and per-carat prices stay sane.
The trade's benchmark for the deepest natural aquamarine blue, named after Brazil's Santa Maria de Itabira mine. Similar-color African material is called 'Santa Maria Africana'. Either way it's a color grade commanding $300–$900 per carat, far above ordinary sky-blue stones.
By 10–30×. Treated blue topaz sells for $10–$25 per carat because the color is factory-made by irradiation; natural aquamarine blue is geology's work. They look similar, which is exactly why topaz is the most common aquamarine substitute — verify before you pay aqua prices.
No. Gentle heat to remove green tints is near-universal, permanent, and undetectable, so the market prices all aquamarine as if heated. There's no meaningful 'unheated premium' — unlike sapphire — which keeps aquamarine pricing pleasantly straightforward.
More AquamarineTools & Guides
Gemstone Value Calculator
Estimate what YOUR aquamarine is worth in under a minute.
Is My Aquamarine Real?
Aquamarine prices only apply to genuine stones — test yours first.
Aquamarine Identification Guide
Properties, colors, varieties, and photos in the encyclopedia.
Free Gemstone Appraisal
Photo-based appraisal estimate for any gemstone.