Is there a difference between green beryl and emerald?

[innerkitten]

I mean emeralds are beryls right, so why do I sometimes see listings for green beryls?

 

[valeria101]

color intensity... and price, as far as I know.

This is about the same idea as the pink sapphire / ruby line of separation. However, the wording "green beryl" is used for very lightly colored material, so the interpretation is not as much of a problem, but the verso of the coin is not great news - light color beryl is still be called "emerald" and presented as a bargain. So.. it still is the quality of the material, not the name that should remain the ultimate price maker, not the words attached.

Just like for sapphire and ruby, the color hue (aside the intensity of color mentioned above) can make the difference on it's own. In the case on green beryl, one can get some very blue material of light to medium color - not usual, but it happens. Normally, such things would get heated into nice aquamarine, but sometimes one sees the label of "green aquamarine" or "green beryl" on this just to confuse things further. On the other hand, intense blueish green color does pass as "emerald" at a discount.

This is about all the detail that comes to mind. All in all, the game of words should not be an issue as long as you keep a good "sample" for reference at least in mind if not at hand

Hope this answers the Q...

 

[mogok]

Hello...

Emerald can own its green coloration to Chromium and iron, but the question was raised when vanadium colored green beryl was found in Brazil... Up to this point it was common that 'emerald is the green variety of beryl, it is colored by chromium". Most emeralds are colored in fact by iron and chromium, some other stones can also colored by vanadium.

For most gemological laboratories the standard is that if an green stone from the beryl family shows some chromium spectrum and present a chromium percentage higher than 0,1% then it can be called emerald.
If not its a green beryl...

This 0,1% "standard" is coming from a Kurt Nassau proposal in order to solve the proble opposing colombian emerald dealers and brzil or african dealers: As most of the colombian emeralds which are the traditional emeralds owns their color to chromium and iron. The new emeralds from brazil were vanadium rich. The colombian dealer lobby was the stronger, this proposal has been globally accepted.

You can so have a very saturated green beryl colored by vanadium but without the 0,1% of chromium and a weak green emerald that can be called emerald despite its weak green color because its host 0,1% of chromium...

But anyway on internet an emerald sells better than a green beryl... so many people try to be ingorant in order to make better sales and margins. In gem business it is sad to say but the greed of somes is very well completed with the greed and the greater ignorance of the others!

 

[valeria101]

Thank you !

I had no idea that vanadium colored beryl can get anywhere near strong saturation.

When you say:
"You can so have a very saturated green beryl colored by vanadium but without the 0,1% of chromium and a weak green emerald that can be called emerald despite its weak green color because its host 0,1% of chromium... "
is this just the theoretical grading rule, or a farely often encoutered situation ?

 

[DiamondExpert]

There is more emerald than green beryl in the eye of the seller than there is in the eye of the buyer!

 

[mogok]

Sure Gary! lol

Ana well I'm not a specialist on emerald as I'm focus on Burmese gems, and I dont have seen yet such very saturated green beryl. but few months ago I had a chat with Kurt Nassau while he passed in Bangkok and i remember that we had a very interesting chat on beryls, maxixe gems and emeralds... He told me about that and well... i believe him!

All the best,