TRAPICHE EMERALD

5.42 ct. natural Colombian trapiche emerald & diamond ring

Variety:  Trapiche Emerald
Species:  Beryl
​​Mohs Hardness:  7.5 to 8 out of 10
Color:  Medium light to dark green, slightly yellowish green and bluish green with a distinctive six spoke pattern
RI:  1.56 of 1.57 Spot Reading
Birefringence:  0.006 to 0.007 (Often Not Detectable)
SR/DR/AGG:  DR/AGG
Clarity Type:​  Type III
Optic Character:  Uniaxial negative
Pleochroism:  Weak 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
SG:  2.68 to 2.71 (Could be lower due to spoke inclusions)
Routine Treatments:  Oiling
Additional Enhancements:  Fracture filling, dyeing

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Trapiche Emerald Facts

Beautiful 5.42 ct. Colombian trapiche emerald accented by trillion cut diamonds

Trapiche emeralds are a rare variety of emerald named after a six-spoke cogwheel used in sugar cane mills (trapiche de cańa azucar in Spanish).

During the emerald crystal's formation, black carbon impurities enter the emerald, forming a six point pattern as they fill in the gaps between growth sectors of the hexagonal crystal structure.

The earliest mention of trapiche emeralds dates back to 1879, when French mineralogist Emile Bertrand described a trapiche emerald at the meeting of the Société Géologique de France.

​The majority of trapiche emeralds are found in Colombia, but they are also currently mined in Brazil and Madagascar.​

Trapiche Emerald Gallery

All photos courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CMA (NAJA)