What Is an Emerald, Exactly?
Emeralds have been around for a while and trace their origins back to 1500BC. Initially they were thought to be fertility symbols and people in ancient Egypt would often bury them with their dead as a way of representing rebirth. The Incans also shared this reverence for these green jewels, believing that giving an emerald or two to the person you loved would deepen your love for each
Emeralds are one of four considered “precious” gemstones around the world (others are diamonds, sapphire, and rubies). Emeralds are reformed of beryl. Emeralds are generally recognized for their green colour. Emeralds can come in many different Green shades from pale yellowish-green to bright bluish green. Chromium or vanadium helps create green shades in this gemstone, unlike other precious stones that don't turn green at all.
Usually, people think that diamonds are the rarest and most expensive gemstones, but the truth is emeralds are more than 20 times rarer than diamonds and, as a result, attract a much higher price. Emeralds are a better choice for someone to maximise the size of the stone while staying within a range price, as emeralds appear larger in the same carat weight due to their lower density.
How Do I Purchase An Emerald?
Purchasing an Emerald is far less complicated than purchasing a diamond. Emeralds are prized for their colour, whereas diamonds are prized for their brilliance. Because colour is crucial, you should buy your emerald from a site that provides high-resolution photos of their stones.
The 4Cs of colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight is used to evaluate all jewels. Depending on whatever gem is being examined, the 4Cs may be modified. Emeralds are treated to improve its clarity. Emeralds are purchased and sold under the assumption that they have been treated in some way.
The 4Cs are a series of ranges rather than a set of defined standards. With 3 major factors hue, tone, and saturation, emerald can be found in many distinct colour ranges. Clarity, cut, and carat weight all have their own ranges, and the chances of receiving the optimum result from each are little to none. Finding perfect emeralds (or any other stone for that matter) at any weight is conceivable, but extremely unusual. Only a few people can buy these types of emeralds because they are so pricey. As a result, knowing the 4Cs of emeralds is critical for determining what you want and what you can afford.
Emerald and diamond earrings
Colour of the gem
What we think of as colour is made up of three elements:
Hue - Colour is most people's understanding of hue. Emeralds come in a limited spectrum of colours. The colour green is required by the definition of emerald. Greens that have been modified, such as blue-green and slightly yellow-green, are also suitable. When there is a lot of yellow and the emerald gets lighter it makes it green beryl instead of an emerald.
Tone - Rather than green beryl, an emerald should be a medium to light tone. Dark emeralds are not affected by this, but if they go too dark and become black then it is no longer emerald.
Saturation - colour purity is essentially what saturation is. Green can turn greyish or brownish, but most dealers aren't concerned because desaturated stones aren't commonly stocked. They don't sell as well as their more vibrant siblings.
When it comes to buying an emerald, most gemologists think that colour is everything. It's important that the colour is uniformly distributed and not too dark. Rare emeralds have a vivid green-blue colour, whilst more common emeralds have a lighter colour (and therefore, often more reasonably priced). Instead of a desaturated grey, the saturation should be a vibrant green.
Clarity of the gem
Emeralds of better clarity, like diamonds, have a higher market price. The resemblance, however, comes to an end there. While there is a distinct clarity grading scale for diamonds, there isn't one for emeralds.
The other big distinction is that 99 percent of emeralds are expected to include inclusions (imperfections that reduce the clarity rating). In fact, if there are no inclusions, you should suspect that the emerald is not natural.
Emerald Cuts
On an emerald, the cut is crucial since it helps to highlight the desired green hue. Many emerald gemstones are cut into an emerald shape, which is an elongated, rectangular shape with a cut of rectangular griddles that helps to produce a bright, gleaming stone with few impurities or fissures.
The most popular cut is the emerald cut, which is a square or rectangle step cut. The weight and shape of the natural emerald gem are maximised with this cut. To create a brilliant, vivid stone, well-cut stones accentuate the attractiveness of emerald hue.
There are circular and oval cuts in addition to emerald cuts, but they are both more valuable and rare because so much more rough must be lost to cut them. Pear cuts and cabochons (round convex shape of a gem in a brooch) follow, with princess, brilliants, trilliants, and other fancy cuts becoming far less common.
Carat Weight
It's far more difficult to factor weight into the price. The rarity of a gem is determined by its weight rather than its quality. Because carat weight is how dealers determine how uncommon or expensive a gem is, it is so closely tied to the price tag. The carat weight of an emerald obviously influences its price, therefore a 4 carat stone will cost more than a 1 carat stone, all other things being equal.
Carat weight, on the other hand, is far more important in the value of diamonds than it is in the pricing of emeralds. We're most concerned with the stone's colour, followed by its clarity and cut, and finally its carat weight.
Experts agree that buying a smaller emerald with outstanding colour quality is preferable to buying a larger one with poor colour quality. And keep in mind that once you hit 1 carat, prices will skyrocket because finding a gem-quality emerald over 1 carat requires the removal of five tons of dirt on average.
Today, famous emeralds in possession privately as collections or museums exceed hundreds of carats in weight and are considered priceless. Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Taylor, and the British monarchy have all sported emerald gemstone jewelry that is renowned for its size and beauty.
Rarity and Price
Emerald prices do not rise at a set rate, such as $1,000 for a carat, two carats will be $2,000, $3,000 for three, and so forth. For one carat, the price increase is $1,000, $2,000 for two, and $4,000 for three carats. Although this is just a sample of pricing, it is twice the price with every carat increase. The overall calculation of the 4Cs determines the final price.
Stunning emerald earrings and diamonds
Quality of the Setting
It is important to consider the setting when picking out a gem. Some settings are more suited to certain shapes than others, and design becomes a far more important consideration. There are a few things to consider when it comes to the setting. Other gems complement the colour of the main gem which helps to emphasise its beauty. The design of the setting adds up to make the gem into a spotlight. Making it a centrepiece among complementing gems will definitely catch your attention.
Top Choice of Emeralds
Colombia is known to be where the most exciting ideal emeralds are found — however, Zambia also has the ability to produce top-quality emeralds. What matters is that you are content. colour selection is a highly personal matter, and not everyone enjoys emeralds in the same way. It's also possible to match the colour to another emerald or green-coloured item of jewellery. Remember that emerald is a colour spectrum, not just one!
Look for Certificates
If you've ever wanted to be sure that you are purchasing a natural emerald, now is your chance. A certificate of authenticity has been created to guarantee the buyer that they are purchasing a genuine piece of natural emerald
GIA Classification
Emeralds are type III as per the GIA classification. These stunning gems take many forms and colours, but they all have inclusions, which are the different colours present within the gem. This can be seen best in an emerald-cut diamond, where there is a white light area that is surrounded by dark green. These inclusions can come from gas bubbles or the liquid surrounding them.
Emerald treatment
Emeralds come in a variety of colours but are usually identified by their transparency. The most popular colour is green, as it is often what people prefer for jewellery. Emerald vendors often offer the option to purchase green-tinted oil to use on the stones during the process of cleaning them. Upon purchasing emerald jewellery, the vendor must inform the buyer of the treatment used.
