Nowadays, emerald is one of the most sought-after gemstones on the market and many people wonder how to choose an emerald. It may seem too complicated to buy the right one among the large variety, but the tips below will help you to choose the best emerald when shopping.
Choosing Emerald Colour
Colour is the most important factor when choosing an emerald. These gemstones come in many shades of green from medium to dark, with bluish or yellowish hues.
When evaluating an emerald, it’s very important to consider colour intensity and darkness. Intensity refers to how rich is the colour, while darkness describes the tone of the colour you see in the gemstone.
In general, darkness is just a matter of personal taste, but the intensity is the key: the higher it is, the higher the value of the stone.
The most valuable emeralds are in medium to dark tone with strong or vivid saturation.
Choosing Emerald Clarity
Emerald clarity is graded by eye. In general, these gemstones often contain inclusions and flaws and these are considered part of the character of emeralds.
If an emerald doesn’t have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye, it is considered flawless.
In general, fewer inclusions an emerald has and less visible they are, the higher the price of the stone.
Inclusions should not be so big to detract from the stone’s appearance. Numerous and large inclusions can compromise the stone’s appearance and make it more likely to break.
As a rule, you should avoid emeralds with inclusions that are close to the surface, since such flaws make the stone vulnerable to damage.
Choosing Emerald Carat Weight
Like other gemstones, the bigger an emerald, the more expensive it is.
Keep in mind that an emerald that is twice as large as another gem of the same quality, will not be twice as expensive. The price will increase dramatically because bigger emeralds are very hard to find and their rarity makes them very pricey. Besides, it’s very hard to find a stone that is both top quality and large.
What About Emerald Treatments
Nowadays, a lot of emeralds available on the market are treated to enhance their appearance.
The internal cracks that reach the surface of the stone are usually filled with oils and resins to make them less visible. It’s a common practice, but in this case, you should not put treated emeralds in ultrasonic cleaner as it can destroy the fillers.
Some emeralds are dyed to enhance their colour, but these stones are less valuable.
Synthetic and Imitation Emeralds
Imitation or fake emeralds are stones that have been made of another material to make them look like real ones.
