Emeralds

Emerald Stud Earrings: How to Buy the Perfect Pair

When people think of beautiful stones to use as jewelry, they usually think about opulent diamonds. While they may have their own allure, we tend to forget another gorgeous type of gem: emeralds.

 

These beautiful stones form part of the beryl mineral family, with green emeralds being the most valuable kind. You can often see them glowing in a pair of emerald stud earrings.

Coloring

As with any product you might be interested in buying, it is important to know the quality of the emerald stud earrings you’re looking at. The most important factor when it comes to these stones is color. We all know them for their gorgeous hues, but it takes a trained eye to spot subtle differences that can give away their quality.

 

The best coloring for emeralds is bluish-green to pure green. The gem needs to have a bright color that isn’t too dark. It’s important for the color to be consistent and to not fluctuate. If the gem is too yellow or blue, you most likely don’t have an emerald, but another member of the beryl family, making it far less valuable.

 

Trace elements that create an emerald’s color include chromium, iron, and vanadium. The amount of these elements featured in a stone will determine the exact color seen in a pair of emerald stud earrings.

 

The climate of the mine also tends to play a part in the coloring of stones found there. Emeralds found in Columbia tend to have the best green color, while Zambian emeralds lean more towards bluish-green hues. This is not an exact science, as any coloring can be found in both locations.

Clarity

Most emeralds feature inclusions that the naked eye can see. Because inclusions are such a common occurrence, trade members and consumers tend to accept them. Inclusions look moss-like which has earned them the nickname of “jardin,” the French word for garden.

 

Finding a gem that looks clean to the naked eye is exceedingly rare, making those kinds of stones especially valuable.

 

Transparency and coloring tend to go hand-in-hand with colored stones, and this is especially true for emeralds. However, when inclusions detract from the gem’s color and transparency, the value decreases.

The Perfect Cut

When cutting an emerald, the cutter must consider the rough stone’s color, inclusions, and durability. This is often a huge factor in how good your emerald stud earrings look.  A bad cutting job can result in weight loss, which can cause a gem’s value to drop considerably. Four critical factors need to be taken into account when cutting an emerald.

Fractures

All emeralds have fractures, which are sometimes referred to as fissures. When cutting the stones, one should seek to minimize fractures as much as possible, avoiding a negative impact on the final product.

Sensitivity

Emeralds are not very strong stones and can easily obtain damage during the cutting, polishing, and setting processes. A good cut can help to protect your emerald stud earrings from damage during everyday wear.

Maximizing the Color

Because coloring is such an essential factor in emerald jewelry, the chosen cut must highlight the hues, saturation, and tones. Cutters can darken a pale stone by lessening the facets, using a small table, and making a deeper cut. They can lighten dark stones with a large table, shallow cuts, and extra facets.

Cutting from the Right Angle

The cutter needs to position the cutting so as to accentuate the bluish-green hue in a pair of emerald stud earrings rather than the yellow sheen.

Carat Weight

Whether you’re interested in buying an emerald ring or emerald stud earrings, carat weight plays a major role, as is the case with most ornamental stones.

 

Emeralds come in a variety of sizes. We’ve all seen a picture of a large green emerald necklace that can weigh many carats, but you would be able to use smaller stones of less than a carat for emerald stud earrings.

 

Zimbabwe’s Sandawana emerald mine is famous for producing emeralds that are as small as one square millimeter. What these gems lack in size, they make up for in color, with a brilliant green. On average, their stones vary between 0.05 to 0.25 carats, and they rarely weigh more than 1.50 carats. Sizing for popular emerald jewelry tends to fall somewhere in the middle.

 

Naturally, the larger the stones used in a pair of emerald stud earrings, the greater the value.

Emerald Stud Earrings

While they can adorn various pieces of jewelry, emerald stud earrings tend to be the most popular kind. These are some of the questions people have about these sought-after pieces.

How to Choose the Emerald Size for the Earrings

Firstly, it’s important to remember that there are many low-quality, synthetic gemstones on the market. The team at ESHED pride themselves on only selling natural and high-quality stones at their stores, making them the best bet when looking for suitable stones for your emerald stud earrings.

 

A size of approximately 1.50 carat is ideal for emerald stud earrings.

Are Emerald Stud Earrings Expensive?

If you want superior quality emerald stud earrings, then the answer is yes. They are expensive. ESHED emeralds start at $3000, but the prices are that high because they only sell the very best quality stones.

How to Buy Earrings with Emeralds Online

Several companies are selling loose gems and jewelry online, but beware as many do not adhere to sound quality. ESHED sells a wide range of jewelry. They have a very accessible website with contact channels through email and social media.

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