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brendaleong

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Hi

can anyone tell me anything about Madagascar emeralds and how they compare to Columbian and Zambian emeralds? I saw a 2 carats Zambian untreated emerald that will cost me USD5.5K and Richard Homer has a over 7 carats untreated Madagascar emerald going for USD9K. Not knowing much about emeralds (expect that i would like one), I cannot decide between the 2.

Thanks
 

partgypsy

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Wow 7 carat emerald? Cut or rough? You can''t ask us to decide without showing pictures!
 

brendaleong

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Here is a pic of the RH 7.64 carat untreated Madagascar emerald. I do not have a pic of the 2 carat untreated Zambian one as I saw it at a local jeweller and she did not like the idea of me taking pics of the stone.

RH emerald.jpg
 

partgypsy

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The 7 carat although a little on the light side looks beautiful, with beautiful faceting. I am not an emerald expert, but do know that Columbian emeralds trade at a premium to other source emeralds. As far as comparing Zambian versus Madagascar, I have no idea. I wouldn''t think you should pay a premium for it being Zambian origin. I actually haven''t heard much about Madagascar emeralds. Perhaps an expert will chime in. I would think to judge the stones on their own merits, preferably in person. 2 carats versus 7 carats is quite a difference.
 

brendaleong

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Part Gypsy

Thank you for responding! I was relatively new to the forum and was beginning to think that I might have said/ done something I should not have, which was why people were ignoring my post.

I agree with you that the ultimate decision would need to be based on individual taste vs. origin. Richard Homer tells me that Madagascar emerald is lighter in color than Zambian and is also not in abundance. Based on this, I am assuming that is why there has not been too much response to this post as perhaps few have seen/ had experience with Madagascar emeralds?

Brenda
 

valeria101

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Date: 5/26/2005 10:49:21 PM
Author:stone lover

can anyone tell me anything about Madagascar emeralds and how they compare to Columbian and Zambian emeralds?
Why would the average quality of one source or another influence the decission here ?

With two stones on the table, it is quite a bit easier to judge their quality alone, aside from the history of the mine they come from. No gemstone deposit has ever given "consistent production" - ecah yields vastly different qualities. So... it is still down to each stone to make a showing for itself, in my opinion.

I see the light colored, blueish green stone in the picture... how about the other one ? Untreated emerald is not common at all - if the color is any better than that, it would be quite a find. How does the 2 carat piece look ?

Once color and clarity and weight had their say, origin might make a difference of pedigree between winners.

Well, just my 0.2 opinion, of course. I am no expert... this is just what I would be thinking with two emeralds infront
2.gif



On the aside.... I wish this one (link) didn't come with large diamond sies distracting from the speck of green between them... that one perhaps a bit more blue than textbook (although that can easily be a distortion due to photographic conditions) but it is my favorite emerald color.

h.jpg



Even green beryl is very beautiful though, and any shade inbetween:

BGN-00006-s.jpg
BGN-00007-s.jpg

green beryls at AjsGems
 

Schatzley

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Not being an Emerald expert I will weigh in what 45 years in the trade has taught me. And Graduate Gemologist since 1977.

In any colored gemstone COLOR is the most important factor. In Diamonds CUT quality is the most important factor. Of course you have injected Richard Homer into the equation and that complicates a clear cut answer in most cases.

An Emerald should be rich clear green without tooo much yellow or blue secondary colors. Emeralds are not always clear so that increases the value, too.

When you have an Emerald that has too much blue it should be called fancy colored Beryl not Emerald, since Emerald is Green. And having no green but only blue it is Aquamarine since Aqua and Emerald are both in the Beryl family.

Having said that you have to like the gem enough to buy it.

Also remember that the finest Emerald come from Colombia as do the worst. There are exceptional Emeralds from Zambia that rival Colombian in color and are not always in need of oiling or any other treatment. In that case it would be more valuable than Colombian of same quality because it had no treatment.
 

MJO

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Date: 6/1/2005 8:55:21 AM
Author: Schatzley
Not being an Emerald expert I will weigh in what 45 years in the trade has taught me. And Graduate Gemologist since 1977.

In any colored gemstone COLOR is the most important factor. In Diamonds CUT quality is the most important factor. Of course you have injected Richard Homer into the equation and that complicates a clear cut answer in most cases.

An Emerald should be rich clear green without tooo much yellow or blue secondary colors. Emeralds are not always clear so that increases the value, too.

When you have an Emerald that has too much blue it should be called fancy colored Beryl not Emerald, since Emerald is Green. And having no green but only blue it is Aquamarine since Aqua and Emerald are both in the Beryl family.

Having said that you have to like the gem enough to buy it.

Also remember that the finest Emerald come from Colombia as do the worst. There are exceptional Emeralds from Zambia that rival Colombian in color and are not always in need of oiling or any other treatment. In that case it would be more valuable than Colombian of same quality because it had no treatment.

Jack Schatzley
[email protected]
Some of the most beautiful emeralds now come from afghanistan. They are ussually much cleaner. For years the Columbians were importing these stones and selling them as Columbian stones. Now labs can tell the difference.
 
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