There was a time when every green gemstone was considered an Emerald. You say the word emerald and visions of intense vivid greens come to flash before our mind's eye. It is a stone that has been used to make jewelry for as long as history. From the Egyptians to the Romans to modern day, Emerald much as many other gemstones, has great value and significance. From the ancient belief that it brings fertility and eternal youth to today's notion of its great exotic nature.
At Jewels Quest, we carry a few pieces of Emerald jewelry and often disclose much about it to our customers who desire to buy an Emerald. It is a beautiful stone and knowing and understanding fully the features of this gemstone before you buy it leaves customers better equipped to make their decision before buying it.
Let's begin with the 4 c's of Emerald, these are the same as diamonds, cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The difference is the importance of the order. In diamonds, you'd be more concerned with the clarity grade while with emeralds we look at color which is the most important aspect to consider with emeralds, while the carat weight will be the least important.
Tip#1: The darker the color, the more valuable: It would have to be a dark blue green while still brilliant and translucent, simply dark green opaque stones isn't enough to be considered valuable, these can be quite cheaper in fact.
Tip#2: Inclusions in the emerald are what cause the beautiful green color: Remember that point, and don't be surprised at how highly included these precious stones are. It is also the reason why the emerald rough must be cut away so much. This weight loss is the main reason of their high cost.
Tip#2: Symmetrical and uniform facets providing maximum color and brilliance are an Emerald's ideal cut: If the cut is too shallow, light will be lost at the bottom of the stone and the emerald will not have maximum brilliance. If the cut is too deep, the light will escape out of the sides and the emerald will appear dark.
Caution when cleaning your Emerald jewelry: Clean your emerald with a soft, dry cloth. Oil is used during the stone treatment, therefore you should never clean an emerald with an ultrasonic cleaner because this oil could be removed or damaged. In addition, do not clean emerald in hot soapy water since it too can remove this oil. Avoid sudden temperature changes as emeralds lose their color when strongly heated.
