Shop for Emeralds
Emeralds are a valuable gemstone known for their rich green color. Mankind has sought this stone ever since the Middle Ages, and many individuals continue to covet it even today. When you shop for emeralds, you should shop with quality in mind. Color, cut, and clarity can all affect an emerald's value. You must also shop with reliable jewelers and sellers to avoid getting scammed.
Contents
Steps
Check the Quality of the Emerald
- Consider the emerald's hue. Hue refers to the purity of an emerald's color, and it is one of three points to consider regarding color quality. Most emeralds have a blue-green tint, while others may have a yellow-green tint. The most valuable have little to no tint, however, and are as pure green as possible.
- Look for a deep tonal color. Tonal color refers to the lightness or darkness of an emerald. Natural emeralds range from very light to very dark, and the most valuable emeralds generally fall on the darker end of the scale. High quality emeralds generally have a tonal color that falls between medium to very dark.
- Pick out an emerald with strong saturation. Saturation refers to the strength of an emerald's color, and it is, perhaps, the most important aspect of color quality. A richer saturation means more brilliance, which means that the emerald reflects light better. Weak saturation will cause an emerald to look dull and flat.
- Consider the cut. No one shape is inherently more valuable than another, but some cuts may reflect light more easily. The rectangular "emerald" cut is, unsurprisingly, the most common for emeralds. Round, oval, pear, teardrop, and cabochon cuts are also fairly common.
- In addition to maintaining a high degree of brilliance, emerald cuts allow gem cutters to yield the most saleable product from the rough crystal.
- Expect inclusions. Emeralds are a Type III gemstone, as rated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This means that nearly all emeralds will have some inclusions, due to the softness of the stone. Opt for emeralds with interior inclusions rather than surface or near-surface inclusions, since interior inclusions are less likely to cause the stone to break later on.
- Look at the inclusion ranking from the GIA. The GIA rates emeralds from VVS to I3.
- VVS (Very, Very Slightly Included) emeralds have inclusions that are identifiable under magnification but not to the naked eye.
- VS (Very Slightly Included) emeralds have inclusions that are obvious with magnification and detectable by the naked eye.
- Sl1 and Sl2 (Slightly Included) emeralds have prominent inclusions that are obvious to the naked eye.
- I1, I2, and I3 (Included) emeralds have inclusions that are large enough to potentially affect the gemstone's appearance and durability in a negative manner.
- Note that the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) each have separate yet accepted grading systems. Familiarize yourself with these systems if the jeweler you visit adopts these, instead.
- Ask about the oiling process or other clarity enhancements. Clarity enhancements help seal some of the fissures and inclusions in an emerald, and are considered perfectly acceptable.
- Verify that a clear treatment is used, since green-tinted treatments may be used to cover up or disguise a problem with the emerald's color quality.
- Traditional enhancements use cedar oil or other similar, clear oils. Emeralds treated with oil may need to be retreated once the oil dries out.
- Man-made epoxies and resins are another acceptable emerald treatment. These treatments wear out less easily but can wear away if exposed to high temperatures.
- Decide on an appropriate carat weight. Larger emeralds have more carats, but they also cost a lot more because a large emerald is considerably more difficult to mine. Most individuals find it easier to spot the quality of a large emerald. As a result, a large high-quality may look even more beautiful than a small high-quality emerald, but the flaws of a large low-quality emerald will also be more obvious.
- Find out where an emerald comes from before you buy it. The finest emeralds typically come from three Colombian mines: Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez. Other high-quality emeralds are mined in Brazil, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, Russia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Ask each jeweler where his or her company gets its emeralds.
- Know the peculiarities of emeralds from popular mines. In many cases, emeralds from a specific mine share similar qualities.
- Emeralds from the Muzo mine are usually a deep green with a slight trace of yellow or blue. These emeralds often have mineral parasites that appear as yellow-brown or red-brown needles.
- Emeralds from the Coscuez mine often have a faint hint of blue and have an intense saturation.
- Emeralds from the Chivor mine have deep blue tints and often have two phase tubular inclusions.
- Spiral inclusions are also common to all Colombian emeralds.
Shop Smart
- Choose a sturdy setting. Emeralds have a hardness that ranges from 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, making them relatively hard stones that are still capable of breaking if handled poorly. To ensure longevity of your emerald, you should choose settings that surround the stone with metal and offer a high level of protection. Bezel settings and V-prong settings are especially good.
- Consider a lab-created emerald. Emeralds created in a lab share all the physical and chemical properties that natural emeralds have. Many consider these emeralds to be less valuable, but you can find a large carat emerald with high-quality color and clarity for an affordable price if you opt for a lab-created stone.
- Look into buying loose wholesale gemstones. Some companies buy large quantities of stones at cheap, wholesale prices and resell these stones individually with little markup. Instead of buying finished pieces of emerald jewelry, buy loose stones from trusted retail wholesalers online and have a piece custom made. This option often proves more affordable and may allow for greater customization.
- Only buy from trustworthy jewelers. Look for large chain stores and individual sellers that offer certification from the GIA, AGTA, AGL, or other widely accepted and reliable gemological societies.
- Be wary of discounts when buying natural emeralds. Natural emeralds are fairly rare, so many jewelers hesitate to sell them at large discounts. If you run across a seller offering high discounts on natural emeralds, you may want to second guess their credibility.
Tips
- Avoid using ultrasonic or steam cleaners to clean your emerald jewelry. These cleaning processes rely on high heats that can weaken clarity enhancing treatments, causing your emerald to become weaker and lose its luster.
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