What''s the difference between...

[kayla.tastikk]

Green beryl and emerald? Is it a fine line like pink ruby and red sapphire? Is it a matter of saturation, tone? thanks in advance

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

It is typically a matter of saturation. Green Beryl is typically a lighter almost mint green color while emerald is a darker green, blue-green, or other darker green variation.

 

[kayla.tastikk]

So is it really a matter of opinion? Or is there a way to tell for sure?

 

[chrono]

Yes, it is the level of tone and to a lesser degree, saturation. A light toned green beryl remains as is and a medium toned with stronger saturation gets to be called an emerald.

 

[RevolutionGems]

I believe that to be considered an emerald, it must be colored by chromium. Other green beryls are colored by vanadium (there is some debate as to their qualification as emerald) and iron (the same coloring agent as aqua).

So the easy way to tell is chromium=emerald, iron or vanadium=green beryl

 

[chrono]

Jeff,
I thought the debate of being coloured by vanadium or chromium was decided years ago? I have read that all major gem labs are now calling darker toned green beryls that are coloured by either vanadium or chromium emeralds?

 

[RevolutionGems]

You are probably right. I''m not sure of the date on the info I looked at. I think it was Wikipedia. The reference isn''t dated.

Richard, can you weigh in on this?

 

[T L]

Date: 3/2/2010 4:52:04 PM
Author: Revolution
I believe that to be considered an emerald, it must be colored by chromium. Other green beryls are colored by vanadium (there is some debate as to their qualification as emerald) and iron (the same coloring agent as aqua).

So the easy way to tell is chromium=emerald, iron or vanadium=green beryl

True, but my very light toned minty green beryl is also colored by chromium, but I would not call it an emerald. However, some might consider it a very light emerald.

 

[Barrett]

fine lined..well vanadium colored beryls are emeralds after that find of deep green beryls from nigeria which sparked off the debate whether vanadium as a chromophore should make a beryl be called an emerald..now...technically even a light pale beryl colored by van. or chro. can be called an emerald..many zambian emeralds are very light but since they are colored by chromium then they are emeralds..so like i said technically they are called emeralds even though they are very light..now the fine line is really how much chromium or vanadium is required to make it an emerald?? parts per million..parts per billion..even just a couple chromium atoms??

 

[ma re]

To me personally, it comes down to tone and saturation. Green beryls are a pale, pastel shade comparable to the oranges in morganites (also a beryl), while emeralds for me need to at least have a medium tone (or close to that) and more saturation than green beryls, so that they''re more comparable to bixbite in that regard (a red variety of beryl).

 

[kayla.tastikk]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I feel like I learned something useful

 

[Barrett]

sort of like the mint vs. the tsavorite..one persons mint is another''s tsavorite

 

[kayla.tastikk]

I''m new to gem collecting, but I''ve definitely picked up that there''s so many things that walk a fine line, and for some it''s clean cut and for others it isn''t. My eye is definitely getting trained though.

 

[Nacre]

Interesting discussion.

On a National GAA final exam a few years ago there was a very very pale green Beryl crystal for identification. Students examined two different crystals. One showed a Chromium reaction and the other showed a very very pale pink reaction.

Students who marked the crystals as Natural Green Beryl were marked as incorrect... the correct answer was Emerald or Natural Emerald. So I guess Australian Gemmologists are trained to call any green Beryl which does show any Chromium reaction as Emerald, however pale that may be.

The ''Emerald'' crystal was chosen probably to trip up any students calling the crystal Green Beryl as the Chromium reaction was so difficult to see.