Emerald Jewels Blog
Emeralds are the most valuable green gemstone in the world. For thousands of years, they adorned powerful rulers as symbols of royalty, vitality, and grace. Emeralds remain a widely adored treasure to this day, considered one of the four most precious gemstones alongside rubies, sapphires and diamonds
For over seven generations, we have been utterly mesmerized by their magical color and personality. Few gemstones drive us to create inspirational pieces like fine quality emeralds.
We invite you to discover some of our more extraordinary emerald pieces by visiting the link below:
The History of Emeralds
Emeralds are steeped in history; a prized treasure across civilizations and cultures since at least 350 BC. The word emerald derives from the Latin ‘smargadus’ which translates to ‘green stone’. Their verdant hues have often been linked to rejuvenation or the resplendence of springtime.
Emerald lore commonly starts with the ancient Egyptians, who believed they possessed healing and empowering properties. Their famous ruler, Cleopatra, was said to be infatuated with emeralds. They also played a prominent role in the gemstone tales of the Romans, Aztecs, Incas, the Mughal Empire and Imperial Czars of Russia. Indeed, few gemstones give rise to as many cases of royal and imperial provenance.
The emerald’s eternal charms ensure it remains a fitting gift to mark a number of occasions: engagement, marriage, anniversaries, parenthood and birthdays. As the May birthstone, emerald jewels are prominent birthday gifts. Emerald jewels also make for marvelous anniversary gifts, often to celebrate the 55th anniversary. Equally, they are an outstanding choice for bridal jewellery.
How are Emeralds formed?
Emeralds owe their stunning, singular appearance to the conditions that cause their formation: blazing volcanic forces that bring beryllium in contact with chromium and vanadium from ancient seabeds. For emeralds to form, these minerals must collide under a precise combination of pressure and extreme temperatures. The rare reaction of fire and water creates an alchemy of minerals that take millions of years to crystalize into the gemstone we adore.
Expert gemologists make educated guesses as to the provenance of an emerald depending on its chemical composition. Emeralds from Colombia tend to have a warmer and intense pure green colour due to chromium. On the other hand, Zambian emeralds tend to have a bluish green hue tone due to a more prevalent presence of iron.
Emerald Clarity
Emeralds are one of the hardest gemstones known to men, scoring between 7.5 and 8 in the Moh’s Hardness scale. However, they are moderately less tough than rubies, sapphires and diamonds. This means they have a relatively higher amount of inclusions. It also means that they require more care and expertise when they are set in jewellery.
We often call these inclusions “gardens” because they resemble branches and plant roots. Like fingerprints, an emerald’s garden gives it a unique identity; a soul. Moreover, the presence of such inclusions help distinguish natural emeralds from synthetic ones.
What are the Emerald treatments?
There are a variety of clarity enhancement treatments that improve the appearance of an emerald. The most common treatment is clarity enhancement, also known as fracture filling. This process involves filling surface-reaching fissures with either organic colourless filler or artificial resins. This technique decreases the visibility of fissures, thus enhancing the apparent clarity of the gemstone.
Since clarity enhancement is common for emeralds, buyers will notice many emeralds described as having “minor” or “moderate” amount of filler. If the filler material is of natural origin, the impact on value between emeralds described as having “minor” enhancement or “moderate” enhancement is relatively insignificant, particularly if the emerald has desirable colour, transparency, size and cut quality. However, the type of filler can affect an emerald’s value significantly and should be disclosed alongside the extent of enhancement to a buyer before purchase. We provide a gemological report from the world’s most reputable laboratories for all our larger emeralds to disclose the nature and extent of any treatment.
Where do Emeralds come from?
Some of the finest Emeralds in the world were mined in Colombia. Indeed, the South American country is known for producing emeralds with an intense, luxurious color and exceptional luster. The Muzo district is a particularly famous source for high-quality emeralds.
Although Colombian emeralds tend to command premium prices, mines in Brazil, Zambia and other parts of the world also produce exquisite and valuable emeralds. Origin alone is therefore not the only factor driving value.
Factors such as size, transparency, clarity, color, degree of treatment and luster are all important in determining an emerald’s value. Large, transparent and untreated emeralds with a deep green color are especially scarce and valuable. Such emeralds are will likely continue to increase in value over time.
The Pursuit of Rare Emeralds
‘Gem-quality’ emeralds are more sought-after than ever. Knowledgeable gemstone collectors consider a sublime natural emerald amongst their most prized possession.
The supply of emeralds is no longer large enough to meet the growing demand coming from discerning collectors. Emerald exports fell due to famous mines becoming exhausted, adding to the scarcity of the finest material.
Designing Beautiful Emerald Jewellery
Our expert gemstone cutters reveal the natural beauty of the finest quality emeralds. From the traditionally fashioned step-cut to hypnotizing cabochons our goal is to bring out the depth of colour and beguiling visual charisma of the emerald. An impeccably crafted emerald will have an intense colour and striking brilliance. Once the gemstones attain their full grandeur, they can become the cornerstone of magnificent jewellery.
Both yellow and white diamonds elegantly complement the vivid verdant splendour of emeralds. Emeralds also make wonderful jewellery when paired with deep blue sapphires. We revel in the infinite design possibilities this mythical gemstone offers.
