hydrothermal emerald

Emeralds are quickly becoming an increasingly popular trend in the jewelry trade. More and more people prefer emeralds to diamonds, sapphires and other precious stones in any setting, from pendants to wedding rings. As a symbol, the green color of emeralds represents new life, humility, and unwavering loyalty, and as such, it has gained popularity among shoppers who want to give a gift that symbolizes these vital traits of friendship and romance.

When buying hydrothermal emerald and gemstones, buyers typically ask how to determine if they are worth their money.

Buying an emerald: important qualities

Buying an emerald is much easier than buying a diamond, although some of the same principles apply. As with diamonds, there are several factors you need to pay attention to when buying an emerald:

Emeralds are valued more for their characteristic color than for their cut or brilliance. When choosing the color of an emerald, there are three factors to consider: hue, tone, and saturation. To determine the hue, carefully inspect the stone to determine if there is more yellow or blue in a particular shade of green. Most of the emeralds on the current gemstone market come from Colombia, and these stones are well known for their bluish-green hue. The bluer the emerald, the more desirable the stone.

Hue is also important in coloring, as it determines how much light is reflected and how much is absorbed. Darker tone emeralds are not necessarily superior in quality or value to lighter tone emeralds, but the most beautiful emeralds are often medium to medium dark.

The saturation of an emerald is determined by the intensity and strength of its color. For the jeweler, stones with brighter greens are desirable, as they catch the light and display the beauty of the emerald's inner layers. When considering an emerald color, look for a bluish green stone with a medium to medium-dark hue and vibrant color saturation to ensure you get the best and most beautiful stone for your money, even if it carries a slightly higher price tag.

Cleanliness

The clarity scale for emeralds is completely different from the clarity scale for diamonds. Natural diamonds have many inclusions, which are imperfections that appear as dark spots, while an emerald without inclusions is most likely not a natural stone.

Inclusions are also the reason why 80-95% of an emerald's raw material needs to be trimmed to make a gemstone. So if you see dark marks, this is not a sign of poor quality. The only inclusions of concern are cracks and inclusions that look like bubbles, seem to be arranged in a certain order, or are obvious large spots. These inclusions indicate weaknesses in the stone itself, which can lead to cracking or shattering over a long period of time.

Cutting

The shape, width and depth of the emerald should be uniform and symmetrical to bring out the color and brilliance of the stone. If an emerald is cut too deep, light will pass through it without sufficient reflection, and it will appear dull or dark. If it is cut too finely, the light will not be able to reach the core of the stone, allowing it to reflect brilliantly.

carats

Larger stones can be cut in such a way that they reflect light brilliantly, which is not possible with smaller stones, but total carat weight has less effect on the price of an emerald than on the price of a diamond.

Experts recommend buying a lower carat weight emerald with better color and clarity than a larger, lower quality stone to get a better price. Any emerald larger than one carat will be significantly more expensive due to the rarity and cost of acquisition. To find a single one-carat gem-quality stone, approximately five tons of dirt must be removed. Even mining an emerald deposit is an expensive undertaking, which is reflected in the final price of the sticker.