How to Choose High Quality Emeralds

There are several types of colored gemstones. One of the most popular is and emerald, which is a dark green stone harder than quartz and more fragile than ruby, sapphire or diamond. Emeralds can be found all over the world, and are extracted mainly in places like Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Zambia, Brazil, India, Afghanistan, Russia and Pakistan. The highest quality emeralds, however, come from Colombia. Gemstones are an important investment, and it is crucial to find out how to choose high quality emeralds before purchasing them.

Check the color of the gem

A real emerald is dark green. Stones with a lighter shade are probably not emeralds, but green beryl. Even knowing this, there are no exact instructions to differentiate the two types of stones, and jewelers and gemology laboratories can sell green beryl as if it were emerald. A real emerald will be darker than a bottle of coke.

Check for cracks or inclusions in the stone

Real emeralds are very resistant stones, and if there are cracks in the stone, don't buy it.
Small inclusions in the emerald are acceptable. An inclusion occurs when a foreign material that is not part of the stone is inside it. Inclusions can be solid, liquid or gaseous, and make an emerald unique. An emerald with inclusion is more valuable than a normal one.

Observe the stone with a magnifying glass. This will allow you to see imperfections that are not visible to the naked eye.

Check transparency

As much as a high-quality emerald may be slightly opaque, it must have a significant degree of transparency.

Ask the jeweler or gemstone seller if the stone you are considering purchasing has been improved with oils and resins. If so, ask for details on what type of treatment she has undergone. Emeralds are sensitive and can react negatively if they are treated incorrectly; if the natural pores of an emerald are closed with improvement materials, for example, it may appear dull.

Tips

Very large, high-quality emeralds are very rare. A high quality emerald is likely to be much more expensive than a diamond or other gemstone of the same weight.

Depending on where they were extracted, emeralds have bluish or yellowish tones. This is acceptable.

If you buy a loose stone and want to place it on an accessory, check the stone thoroughly before attaching it to the accessory. It may be damaged during the cutting or laying process.

Colored gemstones like emerald for use on the body, tend to look more beautiful if they are bigger. If your budget allows, many experts recommend using emeralds of 1 carat or more in jewelry.