Together with rubies and sapphires, emeralds make up the ‘big three’ in the world of precious gemstones. Belonging to the Beryl family, this May birthstone is a gorgeous forest green hue, often symbolizing growth, life, hope, peace, and fertility.
Ancient treasures
For thousands of years, people across cultures have treasured the emerald. The actual word first appeared in the 14th century. Some believed that early Christians associated emeralds with Christ’s resurrection, while many others believed the emerald could assist with the pain of childbirth and that it had supernatural powers to foretell the future.
Cleopatra’s love of emeralds is well-known historically. Egyptians began mining emeralds in 1500 B.C., and the first mines were named after the Empress. They carved the gems to bear her likeness and presented them to favorable subjects in various forms, such as a green emerald necklace.
Global deposits
Emeralds were mainly mined in Colombia until emerald deposits were found in Zambia. Many believe that Colombian emeralds are older in their formation and assign them a higher price. Historically, diamond buyers saw the origin of the emerald to be of paramount importance. Nowadays, the emerald’s characteristics have gained more interest. There may come a time when the origin of a green emerald necklace and accessories will not be an influencing factor at all.
The four C’s
Having a good understanding of the four C’s of gemstone valuation is vital for any emerald buyer. Whether you are purchasing a green emerald necklace or bracelets or earrings, there are subtle variations that make a marked difference in the value of the emerald.
Color
For thousands of years, the emerald has been the standard green. Bluish-green to pure green are the most sought-after emerald colors. Color saturation should be vivid, and the tone should not be too dark. The more translucent the emerald, the higher the value. Ideally, the color should have an even distribution without any zoning. Trace elements of chromium, vanadium, and iron give the emerald its gorgeous green hue. The greater the number of trace elements, the brighter the green color. Meanwhile, the value will decrease if there is too much yellow or blue; at that point, the gemstone is not an emerald but a green beryl.
The color and appearance of many emeralds are often associated with their mine location. The Colombian mines tend to produce emeralds of a warmer, more yellowish hue. Emeralds of a cooler, more bluish tint are found in the Zambian mines. However, this is not a rule, and color ranges tend to overlap from both sources. When purchasing a green emerald necklace or any type of emerald jewelry, always take note of the stone’s color.
The emerald’s color is an essential factor in determining its value. The chosen cut needs to help maximize the emerald’s hue, saturation, and tone. A deep cut will help darken a pale emerald, while a shallow cut can lighten an emerald that is too dark.
Clarity
It is very rare to find emeralds without visible inclusions. As a result, emeralds without inclusions are very valuable. The name often given to these impurities is “jardin.” This French word for garden is an apt choice as these types of emeralds appear mossy.
Emeralds with eye-visible inclusions are included as higher-quality gemstones in the jewelry industry if they don’t affect the clarity negatively. In these cases, a green emerald necklace or other emerald jewelry will experience a significant reduction in cost.
The Gemstone Institute of America (GIA) has been offering an emerald classification service since 2000. After examining an emerald, they will provide its owner with an emerald report describing the level of clarity enhancement, viz. minor, moderate, significant.
Cut
One must consider the durability, color depth, and inclusions of an emerald before deciding on the correct cut for it. A poorly-chosen cut can reduce the emerald’s weight, affecting the overall value of the gem in your green emerald necklace, ring, earrings, or bracelet.
Cutting emeralds is a complex process. Most emeralds have fractures (or fissures), and the chosen design needs to help minimize this. Emeralds are brittle and the processes of cutting, polishing, and setting can easily damage them. The correct cut can help protect the emerald from breakage.
One should cut emeralds of a bluish-green to yellowish-green in such a way that the bluish-green hue is more prominent. This will enhance the emerald’s value.
Carat
Emeralds come in a vast range of sizes. Some emeralds are as small as 1 mm squared but rarely weigh in excess of 1.50 carats. 1 to 5-carat stones are usually popular as center stones in emerald jewelry, such as emerald rings, emerald bracelets, and emerald stud earrings. Some prestigious necklaces with green emeralds can weigh over 20 carats!
ESHED emeralds
Be aware when shopping for emerald jewelry. The gem market is chock full of low-quality, synthetic green emeralds. ESHED prides itself in only selling natural stones, which puts them ahead of competitors. Although ESHED emeralds’ online prices begin at $3000, they are of exceptionally high quality.
You don’t have to be an empress like Cleopatra to wear a green emerald necklace with matching rings and bracelets. Gorgeous emerald jewelry can find its way to your own jewelry box. A green emerald necklace can complement most complexions. Its deep forest hue will combine beautifully with a range of outfit colors. The ESHED website offers a wealth of choices for green emerald necklaces and accessories.