Most gemstones are assessed using the 4 Cs: color, clarity, cut, and carat. Color is of utmost importance for colored gemstones like aquamarine stones. Therefore, they are first categorized by the quality and type of color that they display, such as a Santa Maria blue. Clarity refers to the imperfections or the lack thereof, within a stone. For colorless stones it is ideal to be as clear and void of inclusions as possible. While it is still of great significance to showcase impressive clarity, color gemstones, particularly beryl, generally possess some sort of imperfection. Having said that, Santa Maria aquamarine gemstones are known for being ‘eye clean,’ meaning, inclusions cannot be detected by the unaided eye. In terms of cut, aquamarine stones need to be cut with sharp angles and symmetric patterns because of their reflective nature. This is why stones with a high clarity can still appear dull if they have a poor cut. Lastly, it is difficult to find a Santa Maria aquamarine in large carat sizes. Half a carat is about the largest size for an average stone. However, LEIBISH is fortunate enough to possess a 1.23-carat Santa Maria oval-shaped aquamarine gemstone.