When you buy Emerald Jewellery there are several factors to consider if it is to be such as Emerald Rings, Emerald Earrings and Emerald Pendants,- these are the 4 C's - colour, clarity, carat weight and cut.
Emerald
Emeralds occur in a variety of green hues. Some emeralds are yellowish or bluish colours. this tone loses its colour when heated strongly.
The colour of emerald is the primary determinant of value. The best colour is emerald green or "grass" green. There is nothing else in the world we love that has enough of that colour. It is not too yellow and not blue, not light or dark, intense and brilliant. if of sound quality, it will shine. Usually, the most beautiful emeralds come from Colombia.
Once again, the most widely accepted and most documented system is the GIA grading system, but there are also many other commercial systems.
Emerald Clarity
Unlike most gemstones, clarity is not relatively important in determining value of Emerald. It is definitely not as important as colour. This is because inclusions are so common in natural Emerald and are not thought to impede its beauty.
Good clarity is still desirable, however to the extent that light is able to play inside the stone, and it is transparent. While perfect clarity is not necessary to make an Emerald exceptionally valuable, an absolutely opaque Emerald is not worth much: in fact even the best colour of Emerald, if it is completely opaque, can no longer be considered precious. Clarity is the second most important of the 4 C's when considering quality.
The clarity of Emerald, as with all other gemstones, is officially classified as ranging from the best VVS (very, very, slightly included), to VS (very, slightly included), SI-S2 (slightly included), and down to I1,I2,13 (included).
Emerald Weight
Very large Emeralds (over 10 cts) of good quality are extremely rare. Most of them are in museums, crown jewels or the jewellery boxes of the elite. Emeralds over 3 cts are even rare, available to average people for thousands of pounds. An Emerald of good quality of any size is valuable, though the price will go down significantly when the stone is less than 1/2 carat.
Emerald Cut
A good cut means Emerald to sparkle and shine in its full capacity. Facets that are good is not so important in emerald, because as in the other gemstone, an emerald is worth more for the colour saturation, and it is often very included to still shine. The type of cut known as "emerald cut", which is now a popular cut also for diamonds and other precious stones, was actually originally created for the Emerald. This type of cutting was to emphasize the colour rather than the sparkle. However, it is increasingly important to know the difference between a good and a bad cut, so that when you highlight a selection of Emerald, you can choose a well cut version. In assessing the emerald cut, you should look for:
"Fish Eye": If the bottom is not emerald cut at right angles, you will be able to see through Emerald rather than seeing the light reflected back to you.
Uneven facets: especially pronounced in emerald cuts, step cuts, baguette and princess cuts, which are common among Emeralds. These cuts have long straight facets instead of small triangles and diamonds. A poorly cut Emerald of this style will have one end smaller than the other instead of an even length.
Polish: The emeralds can be difficult to polish due to the natural structure of the crystal, so spin the emerald around, to see that each facet reflects light like a mirror without dull or rough areas. Also, Emerald is subject to internal cracks and fissures which can also be applied to the surface. If you see fine lines on the facets of emerald surfaces, there is an error in the cut and you must avoid when you can make your vulnerable to cracking. In large emerald gem trade, emeralds are sold at a price per carat basis. Therefore, it makes sense that 3-carat emerald will cost more than a 1 carat emerald, when all else is equal. But an additional factor is that it is rare to find a 3 carat emerald to that of a 1 carat emerald. Therefore, not only is the total price higher, but the price per carat is higher because of the extra factor of scarcity.
Emerald Treatments
Almost every Emerald available on the market has been treated to improve its clarity. Because Emeralds are naturally full of cracks and fissures which make it more opaque and less attractive, it has become an industry standard to fill the cracks in Emerald, thereby improving its clarity. Traditional fillers are natural oils such as cedar oil. Over many decades, these oils may fade or "sweat." Although they are accepted and do not make an Emerald worth less, there is discussion regarding the permanence of the treatment. For a gemstone treatment to not diminish a gemstone's value, it must be "permanent." Other methods of filling cracks in Emerald are being explored such as waxes, resins and even glass. A substance is considered good for filling cracks in Emeralds when it reflects light in a way very similar to Emerald, thus making the fillings less noticeable.
While sealing cracks that are acceptable in order to improve clarity, it is sometimes also used to improve the colour. For example, green coloured oil is used. This is generally regarded as misleading and it is best not to buy these "coloured" emeralds. This can be detected under a magnification of 10x.
Please note: Emerald gems may lose the oils or fillers after a few years of wear. This is quite normal. The Emerald Gemstones in this condition become quite brittle and are more prone to cracking and breaking. Most local Jewellers are well informed to do the treatment required for Emeralds and you can avail of their services. This is a special care that should be done by a professional Jeweller and cannot be attempted at home.
Emerald fakes and imitations
In recent years, synthetic emeralds have been recorded on the market. They come with labels such as "created", "lab", "synthetic", "Chatham"(a major producer of synthetic emeralds). They are "real" Emeralds in the sense that they are the same mineral, the difference is that they were made in a laboratory rather than in the earths crust. Synthetic emeralds are generally much more transparent than natural emeralds with fewer inclusions. It is also possible to find very attractive colour synthetic emeralds. Emeralds are created at about 1/10 the price of natural variations of emeralds.
Wearing Your Emerald Jewellery
Do not do heavy work while wearing emerald jewellery. Protect the jewels from bumps and jolts. Also, do not put near sources of heat, because it can damage the oils and fillers in emeralds that have been treated. When you care for emerald gemstone jewellery you should take into account improvements/enhancements in the gem.
Caring for your jewellery Emerald
Emeralds should never be cleaned with very hot water, steam or any other solution that contains petroleum distillates or solvents. jewellery cleaning solutions are sold as such in the market are not compatible with the oil treatment of emeralds. All jewellery containing emeralds should not be placed in ultrasonic cleaning equipment.
To clean an Emerald or Emerald Jewellery use a soft old toothbrush or a cloth piece dipped in luke warm water. Avoid soaking Emeralds in hot or warm or cold water. The water may seep into the treated fissures and dilute or dissolve the fillers. Exposing the Emeralds to heat may cause the fissures to expand and make your Emerald very fragile.
Remove jewellery with Emeralds when not needed and stored in a safe place, away from heat or moisture. The idea is to keep your emeralds in good condition, avoiding the need for frequent jewellery cleaning.
My Last Word..,
I have always recommended that people should buy emerald jewellery carefully. Expect to pay more for larger examples, and remember at the end of the day, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So, then select the stone you want, not what you are led to believe you want! Regardless of the emerald, the size or shape you choose, be sure to use and enjoy!
Thanks for reading my article - I sincerely hope that it helps somehow.
Emerald
Emeralds occur in a variety of green hues. Some emeralds are yellowish or bluish colours. this tone loses its colour when heated strongly.
The colour of emerald is the primary determinant of value. The best colour is emerald green or "grass" green. There is nothing else in the world we love that has enough of that colour. It is not too yellow and not blue, not light or dark, intense and brilliant. if of sound quality, it will shine. Usually, the most beautiful emeralds come from Colombia.
Once again, the most widely accepted and most documented system is the GIA grading system, but there are also many other commercial systems.
Emerald Clarity
Unlike most gemstones, clarity is not relatively important in determining value of Emerald. It is definitely not as important as colour. This is because inclusions are so common in natural Emerald and are not thought to impede its beauty.
Good clarity is still desirable, however to the extent that light is able to play inside the stone, and it is transparent. While perfect clarity is not necessary to make an Emerald exceptionally valuable, an absolutely opaque Emerald is not worth much: in fact even the best colour of Emerald, if it is completely opaque, can no longer be considered precious. Clarity is the second most important of the 4 C's when considering quality.
The clarity of Emerald, as with all other gemstones, is officially classified as ranging from the best VVS (very, very, slightly included), to VS (very, slightly included), SI-S2 (slightly included), and down to I1,I2,13 (included).
Emerald Weight
Very large Emeralds (over 10 cts) of good quality are extremely rare. Most of them are in museums, crown jewels or the jewellery boxes of the elite. Emeralds over 3 cts are even rare, available to average people for thousands of pounds. An Emerald of good quality of any size is valuable, though the price will go down significantly when the stone is less than 1/2 carat.
Emerald Cut
A good cut means Emerald to sparkle and shine in its full capacity. Facets that are good is not so important in emerald, because as in the other gemstone, an emerald is worth more for the colour saturation, and it is often very included to still shine. The type of cut known as "emerald cut", which is now a popular cut also for diamonds and other precious stones, was actually originally created for the Emerald. This type of cutting was to emphasize the colour rather than the sparkle. However, it is increasingly important to know the difference between a good and a bad cut, so that when you highlight a selection of Emerald, you can choose a well cut version. In assessing the emerald cut, you should look for:
"Fish Eye": If the bottom is not emerald cut at right angles, you will be able to see through Emerald rather than seeing the light reflected back to you.
Uneven facets: especially pronounced in emerald cuts, step cuts, baguette and princess cuts, which are common among Emeralds. These cuts have long straight facets instead of small triangles and diamonds. A poorly cut Emerald of this style will have one end smaller than the other instead of an even length.
Polish: The emeralds can be difficult to polish due to the natural structure of the crystal, so spin the emerald around, to see that each facet reflects light like a mirror without dull or rough areas. Also, Emerald is subject to internal cracks and fissures which can also be applied to the surface. If you see fine lines on the facets of emerald surfaces, there is an error in the cut and you must avoid when you can make your vulnerable to cracking. In large emerald gem trade, emeralds are sold at a price per carat basis. Therefore, it makes sense that 3-carat emerald will cost more than a 1 carat emerald, when all else is equal. But an additional factor is that it is rare to find a 3 carat emerald to that of a 1 carat emerald. Therefore, not only is the total price higher, but the price per carat is higher because of the extra factor of scarcity.
Emerald Treatments
Almost every Emerald available on the market has been treated to improve its clarity. Because Emeralds are naturally full of cracks and fissures which make it more opaque and less attractive, it has become an industry standard to fill the cracks in Emerald, thereby improving its clarity. Traditional fillers are natural oils such as cedar oil. Over many decades, these oils may fade or "sweat." Although they are accepted and do not make an Emerald worth less, there is discussion regarding the permanence of the treatment. For a gemstone treatment to not diminish a gemstone's value, it must be "permanent." Other methods of filling cracks in Emerald are being explored such as waxes, resins and even glass. A substance is considered good for filling cracks in Emeralds when it reflects light in a way very similar to Emerald, thus making the fillings less noticeable.
While sealing cracks that are acceptable in order to improve clarity, it is sometimes also used to improve the colour. For example, green coloured oil is used. This is generally regarded as misleading and it is best not to buy these "coloured" emeralds. This can be detected under a magnification of 10x.
Please note: Emerald gems may lose the oils or fillers after a few years of wear. This is quite normal. The Emerald Gemstones in this condition become quite brittle and are more prone to cracking and breaking. Most local Jewellers are well informed to do the treatment required for Emeralds and you can avail of their services. This is a special care that should be done by a professional Jeweller and cannot be attempted at home.
Emerald fakes and imitations
In recent years, synthetic emeralds have been recorded on the market. They come with labels such as "created", "lab", "synthetic", "Chatham"(a major producer of synthetic emeralds). They are "real" Emeralds in the sense that they are the same mineral, the difference is that they were made in a laboratory rather than in the earths crust. Synthetic emeralds are generally much more transparent than natural emeralds with fewer inclusions. It is also possible to find very attractive colour synthetic emeralds. Emeralds are created at about 1/10 the price of natural variations of emeralds.
Wearing Your Emerald Jewellery
Do not do heavy work while wearing emerald jewellery. Protect the jewels from bumps and jolts. Also, do not put near sources of heat, because it can damage the oils and fillers in emeralds that have been treated. When you care for emerald gemstone jewellery you should take into account improvements/enhancements in the gem.
Caring for your jewellery Emerald
Emeralds should never be cleaned with very hot water, steam or any other solution that contains petroleum distillates or solvents. jewellery cleaning solutions are sold as such in the market are not compatible with the oil treatment of emeralds. All jewellery containing emeralds should not be placed in ultrasonic cleaning equipment.
To clean an Emerald or Emerald Jewellery use a soft old toothbrush or a cloth piece dipped in luke warm water. Avoid soaking Emeralds in hot or warm or cold water. The water may seep into the treated fissures and dilute or dissolve the fillers. Exposing the Emeralds to heat may cause the fissures to expand and make your Emerald very fragile.
Remove jewellery with Emeralds when not needed and stored in a safe place, away from heat or moisture. The idea is to keep your emeralds in good condition, avoiding the need for frequent jewellery cleaning.
My Last Word..,
I have always recommended that people should buy emerald jewellery carefully. Expect to pay more for larger examples, and remember at the end of the day, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." So, then select the stone you want, not what you are led to believe you want! Regardless of the emerald, the size or shape you choose, be sure to use and enjoy!
Thanks for reading my article - I sincerely hope that it helps somehow.
About the Author:
If you are interested in buying Beautiful Emerald Jewellery, then I suggest you visit www.GlobeJewellery.co.uk for a superb range of Quality Emerald Rings, Emerald Pendants, Emerald Earrings, and much much more!