All You Need to Know Before Buying Emerald Engagement Ring

The color green has always been known with emeralds for centuries. This gemstone of the beryl family is a truly breathtaking sight and deserves to be placed among the traditional “Big Four,” which include diamond, ruby, and sapphire. Unsurprisingly, cultures the world over have developed a rich folklore around emeralds since ancient times. Emerald is  May’s birthstone and maybe a great gemstone gift for people born in May.

What is Emerald ?

Emerald is a beryllium aluminum silicate, its molecular formula is Be3Al2 (SiO3) 6, belongs to the beryl family of the most "noble" one member. It belongs to hexagonal system. The crystal monomorphic is hexagonal column, hexagonal bicone, mostly in the shape of long square column. Aggregate is granular, massive, etc. Emerald green, glassy luster, transparent to translucent. Refractive index 1.564-1.602, birefringence 0.005-0.009, medium to strong polychromatism (blue-green, yellow-green), heterogeneous. Hardness 7.5, density 2.63-2.90g/cc. Incomplete cleavage, conch - like fracture. Brittleness. Under X - ray irradiation, emeralds have a very weak pure red fluorescence.  Absorption spectrum: 683 nm and 680 nm strong absorption lines, 662 nm and 646 nm weak absorption lines, 630 nm ~ 580 nm partial absorption band, purple region full absorption. Special optical effects: cat's eye effect, starlight effect.

Emerald Meaning ?

Emeralds symbolize kindness, faith, goodness, eternity, luck and happiness, and wearing them will bring a lifetime of peace. Emerald beautiful green conveys harmony, natural love, and happy life. Emerald is a unique color that never tires of looking at. The historian Pliny once said that green delights our eyes. Green fresh, vivid image, never monotonous. Although the green of an emerald can change depending on sunny or cloudy days, natural or artificial light sources, it always vividly emits different soft and rich light,It is also the Birthstone stone of May.

Nature Emerald VS Lab Emerald:

Most natural  emerald enaggement rings have defects and cracks, which are similar to rubies. Their defects are mostly in the shape of "cotton wool", and sometimes some black mineral inclusions and other impurities can be seen; Lab created emeralds are mostly clean or have a few bubbles.Lab-made emeralds typically cost less than natural emeralds of similar color, but the difference in price is matched by the difference in appearance.

There are emerald stimulants or imitations that you will find in the marketplace, which include cubic zirconia, yttrium aluminum garnet, synthetic spinel, and assembled beryl triplets. While these pieces have a similar appearance to emeralds, they are different from the popular green gem in their optical and physical properties.

Many naturally occurring green gemstones may look like emeralds and are easily misidentified as emeralds accidentally or deliberately. As one of the world’s popular gemstones, some unscrupulous vendors are quick to associate the emerald name to other less popular gems just to drive consumer interest, like calling chrome sphene “Mexican emerald” or green fluorite “African emerald.”However, gemologists are experienced in catching these and can distinguish emeralds from other gemstones.

Lab created emeralds or lab grown emeralds differ in color and contain no inclusions. Some view this as preferable, as inclusions can be seen as flaws. Synthetic emeralds are identical to natural ones in chemical composition and similar in appearance, although color and saturation variations may be detected by the eye alone. Man-made emeralds lack the rarity and detail of natural emeralds, as well as, in many cases, the expected color and saturation. It is important to note the difference between terms: while lab created emeralds are real emeralds, they are not considered to be authentic emeralds, as they are fabricated in a lab and did not occur in nature.

Emerald Value

Some of the most valuable emeralds are Colombian emeralds and, more recently, Ethiopian emeralds. The most value hinges on color, with prices affected by nuances of saturation and hue. The most sought-after color is slightly bluish-green in a medium-dark tone with vivid saturation.

Clarity is important as well, and compared to any other gem, inclusions in emeralds are much more tolerated. Top-quality stones that haven’t been enhanced can bring up to 50% more in price compared to treated stones of the same color, size, and clarity. Common treatments greatly influence the price of emeralds. Most emeralds have been treated for clarity enhancement through the use of oil or resin fillers. The reason for this is because they are a Type III gemstones, which means they almost always come with heavy inclusions. Untreated emeralds are rare to find, more so big ones that are over a few carats.

Most of the emeralds, even those in auction houses are treated. The Rockefeller Emerald, with an almost perfectly transparent and no enhancements, is a famous exception. This exceptional 18 carat stone sold for about $5.5 million USD

Even for unpopular untreated emeralds that have no inclusions, they still command the top price. Eye-clean Emeralds are oftennot sporting the most vivid greens either, but there are a lot of exceptions.

And lastly, like many stones, the size greatly impacts the per-carat price of fine quality emerald. For example, a high-quality 3-carat Colombian emerald stone is up to six times more valuable than three 1-carat emerald stones of the same quality.

If you ever get caught in a jewelry conundrum, then remember these simple guidelines: For evening and special occasion, use your emerald and other colored stone jewelry, for casual wear and formal attire at the workplace, slip on some diamonds. Also, remember to keep your jewelry to its context. And, finally, if you are ever in doubt, diamond is a versatile option that would be a great last resort  compared to emeralds.

Emerald Jewelry

Emerald is considered a perfect alternative in engagement rings, either as the side stone or as the main stone.emerald rings can be single emerald cut or oval cut.emerald engagement rings have a classic look and add a luxurious feel to any ensemble. meaningful gift.

What Causes Emerald Color?

Emerald is a green color gemstone that comes in different hues.However, chromium or vanadium impurities or both together are responsible for its vivid green color. Emerald was once defined as only a beryl with impurities such as chromium, but this definition was modified after large beryl stone deposits colored green by the presence of vanadium. The new definition has emerald defined by the purity and saturation of the green color of beryl. The color of emerald is also affected by iron in varying amounts as well. The more the iron atoms, the bluish the tones.

Where are the Major Sources of Emeralds?

The major source of emerald in the world is from mines in South America, Colombia, and Brazil. The South American content is followed by Africa, where emerald mining is done in countries like Zambia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar. The emeralds produced by these locales vary in color, size, and clarity unique to that locale. Ethiopia has produced some of the high-quality green to blue-green emeralds in the continent since 2016.

Afghanistan and China are two other notable sources of emeralds. However, the United States and Japan are the largest consumers of the world's cut emeralds.

Emerald Care

Emeralds are durable stones that can withstand scratching and abrasions. They are usually set in rings with settings that protect them from physical blows. When it comes to emeralds, it is not recommended to do mechanical cleaning. It is also possible for emeralds to shatter with ultrasonic, steam, and boiling methods. And these methods may require re-oiling your emerald. The simple and best care practice for your emerald is to use warm water, detergent, and a soft brush, or visit a professional jeweler. 

Can you help me custom a unique Alexandrite engagement ring?

It would be my honor. Send me a note or email me  here, and let’s talk about exactly what you want, and how I can make your dreams come true! I’m also available to answer questions about emerald, how to select a stone, how certification works, and what other gemstones there are out there! I love this stuff; drop me a line!