There are many varieties of colored gems. One of the best known is the Emerald, an intense green stone, harder than quartz and more delicate than ruby, sapphire or diamond. Emeralds are found all over the world and are mined in the mines of Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Zambia, Brazil, Indiana, Afghanistan, Russia, and Pakistan. However, the most precious emeralds come from Colombia. As gems are a great investment, it is vital to know how to choose a high quality emerald before buying one.
Steps
Step 1. Check the color of the gem
A real emerald is a deep green. Stones with lighter tones are not emeralds at all but green beryllium. There are no guidelines, however, and jewelers and gemstone labs can safely sell beryllium for emerald. A real emerald will be darker than the glass of a Coke bottle.
Step 2. Look carefully for cracks or inclusions
Emeralds are very resistant stones: the more fragile ones should not be purchased.
Small inclusions are acceptable. Inclusions occur when a foreign material settles in the gem. They can be solid, liquid or gaseous. The inclusions make the emerald unique. An emerald with inclusions has a greater value than one with a lighter color
Step 3. Look at the stone through a magnifying glass
So you will be able to see imperfections invisible to the naked eye.
Step 4. Check the transparency
A high quality emerald can be unclear but must have a high degree of transparency.
Step 5. Ask the jeweler or gem seller if the stone you want to buy has been treated with oils or resins, and if so, ask for all the details regarding the treatment
Emeralds are delicate and could react negatively if treated inappropriately; for example, if the pores that are naturally created in the emerald are closed with the material to enhance their beauty, this could make the stone look duller.
Step 6. Research the emerald seller
There are many sentetic and imitation emeralds on the market so it is imperative to ascertain the seller's reputation.
Advice
- Large and high quality emeralds are very rare. A high-value emerald will be much more expensive than a diamond or other gemstone of the same weight.
- If you buy a loose emerald and have it set in a setting, check the gem after setting it. The stone could be damaged during the procedure.
- Colored stones such as emeralds tend to be large. If your budget allows, experts suggest using one-carat emeralds for jewelry.
- Depending on where they are mined, emeralds can have blue or yellow hues. This is tolerable.
