Emerald is the
most valuable of gems. It is the transparent green variety of the
beryllium alumino silicate mineral beryl that owes it's green color
to small amounts of chromic oxide. It is a relatively hard stone, 7.5
on the Moh's scale. The emerald (Greek: Smaragdos) of the ancients
probably referred to a number of green stones. Lacking the fire and
brilliance of the diamond, emerald is usually step cut, with
elongated narrow facets and an oblong table, to enhance its color.
Emerald has
been obtained from the schists of Cleopatra's mines, rediscover in
1818 in the Sikiat-Zubara region of Egypt. Vast quantities were taken
from South America during the Spanish conquest, but the original
mines have since been lost. The finest stones come from Columbia
where they are mined from the calcite veining bitumous limestone at
Muzo, Cosauez, and Somodocco and Bogoti.
The Emeralds
that we have in our facet stone section comes from Zimbabwe
and they are known as the Sondawana
emeralds. They have stunning color and is known for the inclusions
inside. Some emerald have also been found in Zambia. A lot of
superstition surrounds the emerald.
Zambian emerald
although discovered in the late 40's was not commercially mined until
the 1950's. Today Zambia is one of the worlds's leading producers of
fine Emerald. Highly prized for its intense color and remarkable
clarity, Zambian Emerald retains its magnificent hue even in small
stones of less than 0.5 ct. Although the experienced professional
could identify a Zambian emerald in a Bond Street window, the chances
are that it will be sold as a 'Sandawana' stone since the exporting
of Zambian rough has long been considered a clandestine event and
therefor does not lend itself well the respectability projected by
the top jewelers shops of the world.
Much legend, lore and illusion are used by the
trade when it comes to selling a fine emerald. Antiquity now seems to
be the order of the day. Some dealers refer to emeralds as "Old
Mine" and offer wonderfully supportive tales as to how the stone
found its way through the centuries. Although much research has been
done to establish the source of the 'Old Mine' (believed to have been
in India) it still remains a mystery. This does not appear to deter
the buyer and 'Old Mine' stones have been known to change hands for
as much as US$ 30,000 per carat.
Colombia, much
sought after for the large crystals and therefore bigger stones.
However the material does not suit small stones and invariably is
more included than its Zambian brother.
Zimbabwe: Sandwana mine is well known for its
similarity to Zambian material. Steady production from this mine has
been bolstered by Zambia’s illegal exports, rendering an even
greater reputation as a reliable source.
Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Russia and
Nigeria also produces an 'Emerald' colored by vanadium but it is not
intentionally recognized as emerald since the chromium content is too low.
It is the birthstone of May. It
is treated with colorless oil or wax, or natural and synthetic
resins into voids to improve appearance. Surface cavities of emeralds
is commonly filled with a hardened colorless substance.
Superstitions abound concerning the emerald,
birthstone for May: it supposedly soothes the eyes, preserves
chastity, cures dysentery, prevents epilepsy, drives away evil
spirits, and facilitates childbirth symbolizes youth and rebirth
and believed by the ancients to empower the owner with
foresight into the future.
As one of the most revered of all gemstones,
Emeralds are a variety of the mineral Beryl and are mined in
Columbia, Brazil, and Zambia. They are cut in a number of different
shapes including round, marquise, oval, pear shapes, squares,
cabochon, as well as the traditional emerald cut or step-cut shape.
Emeralds are graded principally according to
color, clarity and shape. For simplicity, the grades are usually
called Commercial, Good, Fine, and Extra Fine. Each grade represents
a range of qualities.
Emerald Enhancements
Most emeralds have inclusions which can be
regarded as its natural birthmarks that distinguish them as truly
natural gemstones. Early gem merchants from India sought to enhance
the color of emeralds by immersing them in clear oils and paraffin.
They discovered that clear oils and waxes rendered surface fractures
nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Today, most emeralds are oiled. Oiling is the
oldest and most widely used treatment and is done in most places in
the world. It is a process used to enhance the clarity of emeralds
and is relatively easy to identify by a gemologists. In practice,
clear oil is applied to the emerald and seeps into the emerald
through surface fractures. Oiling is generally not permanent and may
need to be reaplied every few years. While colorless oil is
considered an acceptable practice, the use of green oil is considered
a deceptive practice.
Today, there are many sophisticated techniques
with which to improve the clarity of emeralds. In addition, to oils
and waxes, there are now clear resins called Opticon that is
sometimes applied to an emerald that seals surface fractures. In
contrast to oiling, Opticon is loner lasting. Opticon is considered
an acceptable practice, except when green dye is used to enhance the
emerald's color.
Emerald Value
Emeralds are one of the most rare and valuable of
all gemstones. While commercial grade emeralds are quite plentiful,
fine and extra fine quality emeralds are very, very, rare. For
purposes of illustration the following table indicates the range of
retail prices that could be typical for a 1 carat emerald ( prices
are for comparison only, exact prices vary according to market demand).
-
Quality Grade Low to High Retail Price Range for
1.0 Carat Emerald
-
Commercial $30.00 to $525.00
-
Good $525.00 to $1,125.00
-
Fine $1,125.00 to $2,900.00
-
Extra Fine $2,900.00 to 9,800.00
Similar to other gemstones, larger emeralds are
much more rare than smaller sizes. Accordingly, larger emeralds
command much higher prices. For instance, while a one carat (1.0 ct.)
good quality emerald may sell for somewhere between $525 and $1,125,
a five carat (5.0 ct.) emerald of similar quality could sell for
between $7,500 and $15,000 ( prices are for comparison only, exact
prices vary according to market demand).
-
Quality Grade Low to High Retail Price Range for
5.0 Carat Emerald
-
Commercial $300 to $7,500
-
Good $7,500 to $15,000
-
Fine $15,000 to $32,500
-
Extra Fine $32,500 to $95,500
The effect of oiling or the use of Opticon on the
price of an emerald depends on its quality. For most qualities of
emerald sold in jewelry, the effect on the price is negligible.
However, for fine to extra fine emeralds, a non-oiled gemstone could
command from 30% to 60% higher
The rich green emerald holds within it the
promise of new life in springtime. How appropriate that it should
also be considered the May birthstone.
Long ago the emerald was dedicated to Venus, the
goddess of love. Lovers were told that this gemstone could reveal the
faithfulness of their beloved. Faithfulness was reflected in a fresh,
bright green color; a cheating heart was betrayed by a lifeless color.
Emeralds have always been highly prized by
royalty. Cleopatra, queen of Egypt wore emeralds from her mine in
Upper Egypt. Emeralds are heavily represented in the Russian Crown
Jewels from the time of the czars. The Emperor Nero is said to have
gazed through a large emerald to soothe his eyes as he watched the
gladiator games in the Coliseum.
The ancients prized the emerald highly and
believed it held many powers. They felt it could endow the wearer
with the ability to think clearly in the past, present and future. It
was supposed to improve one's memory, promote eloquent speech,
quicken intelligence and endow the ability to foretell the future. It
was also believed to promote honesty and frugality. Powdered and
taken as a medicine, it was considered a preventative of epilepsy and
other serious disorders.
Like many other gems, emerald had to share its
earliest fame with other green gems which had not yet been recognized
for their uniqueness. Also called emerald by the ancient Romans were
green sapphire, turquoise, smithsonite, malachite, jasper and glass.
According to the historian Pliny, the Romans believed that emeralds
ripened into their color, so gems with light patches or consistent
paleness were considered immature.
The emerald's exciting color has always been its
lure. Even uncut, unpolished crystals are immediately recognized as
something special. Indeed, when evaluating emeralds, color is the
most important quality factor. Included crystals and cavities are not
a hindrance unless they weaken the stone or cause it to appear cloudy
or muddy. In fact, emerald inclusions often create a graceful,
branch-like pattern known as a "jardin" (French for "garden").
A colorful history
Colombia, South America has always been the
source of the finest emeralds. When the Spaniards conquered the Incas
in the early 16th century, they stole all the emeralds they could
find. However, the Incas refused to reveal the source of these
coveted gems, and fortunately, the jungle quickly grew over the paths
to the mines. The precious treasure was safe from the plunderers---at
least temporarily. In 1555 one of the mines of Muzo was discovered by
accident, and the Spanish began mining.
Colombian emeralds are a relatively clear pure
green, slightly yellowish-green or slightly bluish-green. The only
neighboring country to Columbia that is important as an emerald
source is Brazil. Other sources are the African countries of
Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The two most famous emeralds are the Devonshire
and the Patricia. The Devonshire is a 1383.95-carat, uncut Colombian
crystal of fine green color. It was given to the sixth Duke of
Devonshire by Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil in 1831. It is on
permanent loan to the British Museum of Natural History. The
630-carat Patricia Emerald is another crystal of fine color that
resides in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Duplicating nature
Synthetic emeralds first became commercially
available in the 1940's. This was a tremendous technological
improvement over the imitations which had been substituting for
emeralds for generations. The synthetic is physically, optically and
chemically identical to the natural gemstone. It is the result of the
scientist's attempt to duplicate nature's processes in the laboratory.
Jewelry fashioning
The most popular cut for emeralds is a
rectangular step cut. As a matter of fact, this cut is so widely
used, the cut itself is often called the emerald cut. It is preferred
because it shows fine color to the best advantage.
Emeralds are used in a wide range of jewelry
styles from dainty pinkie rings to the most extravagant emerald and
diamond necklaces. Quality and prices vary just as much. Emeralds are
popular as center stones in rings, earrings and pendants, either
encircled or offset by diamonds. Small emeralds are often combined
with diamonds in cluster rings or pins or set into an anniversary
ring. They are sometimes carved into exciting ring stones or pendants