Emerald good or not?

[media991]

Hi everyone,
i have come across an emerald but not sure if its any good or not. I found this forum and would love peoples thoughts and if its any good? They say it is a Colombian emerald. Also approximately 30mm width and height
Thanks

 

[cm366]

Hi media991, and welcome to the site!

The stone you've posted may be emerald in the technical sense, but it's not a gem quality stone like the crystal pictured below. Stones like your picture are not valued as 'emeralds' in the gem or jewelry trade - they're more collectible for sentimental value. High quality rough gems should be transparent (you can read a book through them) and vividly coloured, although the colour and clarity naturally depend on the type of stone in question. One of the pinned threads, "New to coloured gemstone buying? Read this first!" might be interesting reading for more information.... hope it helps!

 

[media991]

Hi cm366,
Thank you for your insightful reply and information. Also your example photo made things really clear and what to look for. I will head over to the thread you mentioned as i am very new to stones and look forward to learning more.
Thanks again

 

[chrono]

When looking to purchase rough to be cut, expect the final product to be anywhere from 1/3 to 1/5 the starting carat weight. So if you have a 1 carat piece of rough, the finished emerald could be 0.3 ct at best case or 0.2 ct at worst case.

 

[media991]

Thanks chrono for the info, it seems you lose quite a lot of carats from rough stones.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Is there a reason why you are looking for rough, instead of a finished stone?

Buying rough to have cut is not easy. First, the shape of the rough can vastly influence the final shape and weight after cutting. Some rough can easily accommodate the finished stone, others may be too flat or badly oriented. You also have to consider clarity, not only from an esthetic point of view but also how the fractures might grow during cutting and their final position on the cut stone (a surface breaking fracture can significantly weaken a stone). Sometimes, the crystal might have most of its colour in the outermost layers, meaning a pale stone after cutting. There is also the risk that the rough might split during the lapidary process - are you willing to take this risk? Etc, etc, etc. Even experienced cutters and buyers have stories about rough that didn't turn out as expected.