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| Color |
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Bluish green to vivid
grass green to slightly yellowish green |
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| Gem Family |
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Emerald is a unique variety
of the mineral beryl. |
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| Source |
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Emerald is mined in Colombia,
Brazil, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe,
and Madagascar. |
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| Clarity |
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Almost always found with
inclusions, tiny fissures and crystals that the
French call the jardin, or garden, because they
resemble foliage inside the gem. |
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| Size Range |
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0.5 carat to 3 carats.
Larger sizes are increasingly rare and valuable. |
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| Shapes Available |
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Most commonly seen in
the octagon step cut, more commonly known as the
emerald cut. For extra brillance, some emeralds
are cut in the barion or emerald brilliant cut,
with adds more sparkle from extra facet reflections.
Emeralds are also available in ovals, princess cuts,
rounds, and trillions although other shapes are
less common in large sizes. |
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| Enhancement |
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Virtually all emeralds
have tiny fissures filled with oil, resin, or chemicals.
Only a very few emeralds have no fissure filling
whatsoever. If a jeweler tells you all his emeralds
aren't enhanced, he probably isn't truthful! Traditional
oil is the most preferred enhancement because it
is reversible. New epoxy resins are durable but
may be difficult to remove if damaged. Lower quality
emeralds can be made to look better with epoxy resins. |
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| Lore & History |
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Treasured for 4,000 years,
emerald is the essence of Spring, a symbol of rebirth
prized by the ancients as the gem representing love
and new life. Legend says emerald protects a marriage
and increases fertility. The Ancient Romans associated
emerald's powers with Venus, the Goddess of Love.
Many seekers said the Holy Grail was carved from
emerald. |
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| Toughness &
Hardness |
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The hardness of emerald
is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. |
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| Care & Cleaning |
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Although emerald is quite
hard and durable, inclusions can weaken its crystal
structure. Avoid sharp impacts on the stone and
shapes with exposed points, like a marquise, should
be protected. Clean with warm water, detergent,
and a soft brush. Store separately from other jewelry
and gemstones. Never put emerald in ultrasonic or
steam cleaners. |
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| Price Range |
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$500 to $4,000 per carat
for sizes from 0.25 to 1.00 carat. Gems between
1 to 3 carats can be as much as $10,000 per carat.
Exceptional gems and larger sizes can be much more. |
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| Special Characteristics |
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Ancient emeralds were
from mines in Egypt, now called Cleopatra's mines,
since Cleopatra was famous for wearing emerald.
Egyptian Mummies were buried with an emerald to
symbolize eternal life. Today we would find Cleopatra's
emeralds unimpressive. Spanish explorers in the
new world were staggered by the size, color, and
quality of emeralds they saw when arriving in the
New World. They spent almost a century searching
for the source, which they finally located in Colombia,
the El Dorado of gems. |
