Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring?

[jake7671]

Any Educated Guesses as to what this ring may be worth? I am considering a purchase because the price seems right but thought I would get some feedback. Unfortunately the ring is in Afghanistan and this is all to go on. I'm a novice please comment if you can.
Stone: Afghan Emerald Untreated
3.5 Carats / Gold Setting

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I know little about emeralds, but since the stone is highly included, I would imagine that the value of the ring would largely be in the setting. What's the gold purity?

 

[T L]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

Any Educated Guesses as to what this ring may be worth? I am considering a purchase because the price seems right but thought I would get some feedback. Unfortunately the ring is in Afghanistan and this is all to go on. I'm a novice please comment if you can.
Stone: Afghan Emerald Untreated
3.5 Carats / Gold Setting

NEVER EVER EVER EVER buy an emerald without a reputable lab report indicating how highly treated it is, and NEVER EVER accept a vendor's word it is untreated, as 99% of emeralds are treated in some fashion, and the amount/type of treatment has a huge bearing on their value. Also, emeralds never photograph well, so to venture a guess of how much a treated stone is from a photograph, in this case, is just not possible.

 

[VapidLapid]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I think if you are a novice you should stick to buying from reputable vendors at least on the same continent as you. And before you buy anything, do your research. In this case, research for a novice buying an emerald would most likely take a few months. so get comfortable, get a cool drink and some popcorn and start searching here for threads about emeralds. Read them all. Then come back and tell us if you still are interested in a good deal on an unseen emerald ring from someone in Afghanistan.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I would take the advice on lab reports for emeralds. I am currently in Kabul and know some of the vendors. Let me know where it is from and I can take a look more than likely I am in the guys office today. There are very few online Afghan dealers so I think I knwo where it is coming from.

 

[chrono]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I doubt anybody will dare to hazard an educated/uneducated guess on that ring for several reasons:
1. How do we know it's really an emerald?
2. Nobody knows if it's really untreated.
3. If it is, then there's the question of the type of treatment and the level of treatment.
4. The stone has black inclusions which run across a good portion of the body, driving down the value and attractiveness.
5. Weight and karatage of the gold?

 

[SB621]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I would pass. My DH was stationed in Afghanistan several months ago and while I'm sure there are reputable dealers out there most CS are highly treated. He bought me a few just for fun and all of them gave back BE diffused, heated, etc. they are fun play gems but I would never buy anything seriously.

 

[Barrett]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I sent the pic to one of my old emerald contacts in Peshawar and he said $80-$120 a ct if it's natural and untreated..thats in US dollars and only for the stone(setting not included in that)

 

[partgypsy]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

I've purchased a couple emeralds in person. I will be the first to admit that it is very difficult to purchase emeralds via the internet or through pictures, I've pretty much given up.

OTOH this decision is easy. the stone is set in a ring to be worn as a piece of jewelry. It's value should be in the beauty. But those "carbon" inclusions are extremely visible and totally detract. Why would you buy a ring only to be looking at the inclusions all the time? I might pay a small amount for the unset stone, as a specimen piece but that's it.

I should also mention that emeralds are bandied about as being extremely rare. That should be rephrased as untreated or minimally treated emeralds with a combination of good color AND high clarity are rare. You can find nice colored opaque emeralds and even very clear but practically colorless emeralds rather easily.

 

[VapidLapid]

Re: Any Help With Pricing This 3.5 carat Afghan Emerald Ring

It also probably should be noted that the setting is a cheap die-stamped nothing