EMERALD

Colombian emerald and moissanite engagement ring
Colombian emerald engagement ring
Variety:  Emerald
Species:  Beryl
​​Mohs Hardness:  7.5 to 8 out of 10
Color:  Medium light to dark green, slightly yellowish green and bluish green
RI:  1.577 to 1.583 (+/-0.017)
Birefringence:  0.005 to 0.009
SR/DR/AGG:  DR
Clarity Type:  Type III
Optic Character:  Uniaxial negative
Pleochroism:  Moderate to strong green & bluish green
Spectrum:  Broad absorption at 580 to 630nm.  Lines at 646 & 662nm.  Distinct lines at 680.5 & 683nm.  Almost complete absorption of the violet.
Fluorescence:  Generally inert but fine colors may fluoresce orangy red to red under LW & SW (stronger reaction under LW)
SG:  2.72 (+0.18 / -0.05)
Routine Treatments:  Oiling
Additional Enhancements:  Excessive oiling, fracture filling, fracture filling combined with dye

Emerald Facts

Sugarloaf emerald and bezel set diamond ring in 18K gold
Sugarloaf emerald and bezel set diamond ring in 18K gold

Emerald is a beautiful green gem that has been appreciated for thousands of years.

The first known emerald mines were located in Egypt, Africa before 330 BC.

Colombia, South America is historically known as home to the finest and most valuable emeralds.​

The most valuable emeralds are a pure green to slightly bluish green with vivid color saturation.

Nearly all emeralds have surface-reaching fissures.  Natural emeralds with no surface-reaching fissures can be very valuable due to their rarity.

Most emeralds have undergone a routine oil treatment that fills surface-reaching fissures, improving their appearance.  The degree of oiling will determine the effect on the emerald's value.

Emeralds with large surface cavities are sometimes filled with synthetic material.  These fracture-filled emeralds are worth less than untreated or routinely oiled emeralds.  The filler material can also be dyed, which lowers the emerald's value even further.
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Due to the shape of emerald's crystal structure, gems are often cut into rectangular step cuts, known as "emerald cuts", in order to yield the most weight.​

Did you know that emerald is the green variety of beryl?  Other members of the beryl species include aquamarine and morganite.

Emerald is a May birthstone and is the 20th & 35th wedding anniversary gemstone.


​EMERALD CLARITY ENHANCEMENT SCALE

NONE:  No Fissures Present
INSIGNIFICANT:  No or Insignificant Clarity Enhancement Detected
F1:  Minor Clarity Enhancement
F2:  Moderate Clarity Enhancement
F3:  Significant Clarity Enhancement

Emerald Gallery


​All photos courtesy of Scott Papper, GG, ASA, CMA, RGA, AJP, CSMP, CSSP

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