Ooh, needing opinions on this emerald!

[Crazie4Cuts]

Heelllooo @T L, @voce, @Sungura, @ordinaryrainbow, @TheGarnetGirl -
So I recently received an emerald ring as a gift that was originally my MIL...however before that happened, I got myself contacting a few vendors inquiring for a bluish green colored Columbian one... and so wanted to get your opinion on this
1.66 ct stone. I have not asked about the treatment or certification to AGS yet, and this stone is about $4,000 before negotiating. I hope to hear what you all think. Do you think the color is a bluish green ? I do not want a vivid green stone. Is the saturation pretty even? And what would you pay for this? I think the price is a little more than what I want to pay.

 

[T L]

You mean AGL, not AGS, right? It’s hard to tell from photos how saturated it is, but it looks pretty clean, but that could quickly change depending on the degree and type of clarity enhancement. Is it metallic green, or satiny? Do you think it’s very saturated?

The problem with the pricing is that we need to know the type and degree of clarity enhancement, as well as true origin, and the hue/saturation. It’s medium dark in tone, right, or darker?

 

[ordinaryrainbow]

I found it REALLY hard to see the blue in photos. Having the stone on a white background, next to comparable emeralds so you can see relative colours, helped, as you have done. I would also ask to see videos where they roll the emerald gently from side to side so you can see how the colour changes, and photos/videos in lots of different lighting conditions including direct and dappled sunlight, if possible. You can also ask to see photos of the emerald upside down so you see the true colour rather than reflected light from the cut.

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Ahh...thanks for all your insight @ordinaryrainbow and @T L. Vendor says the stone is from Columbia. Also yes, I would feel better if I had it certed from AGL. Vendor says stones like this get snapped up quickly, so maybe I will need to send to AGL after purchase.

 

[T L]

Ahh...thanks for all your insight @ordinaryrainbow and @T L. Vendor says the stone is from Columbia. Also yes, I would feel better if I had it certed from AGL. Vendor says stones like this get snapped up quickly, so maybe I will need to send to AGL after purchase.

I hope there’s a no risk return policy.

 

[ordinaryrainbow]

Columbian stones are more likely to have the blue/green than stones from other regions. But it doesn't mean this particular stone is of a colour you will like IRL.

Telling you that the stone will be snapped up quickly is just a pressure sales tactic. Presumably there's no urgency for you to have an emerald you like right now, so even if this stone is sold, you will be able to find other stones of this size and colour. If not now, then you will find one if you wait a little while.

To T L's point, there should be a no risk return policy, especially if you are particular about colour and just need to check it out with your own eyes.

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

There is a return policy, so I do feel good about that. I also have a vid but too large to upload! So I placed it on hold and ask for more pics of the stone underneath. And the price went down due to negotiating. So a little more than 1/2 price....

 

[lovedogs]

There is a return policy, so I do feel good about that. I also have a vid but too large to upload! So I placed it on hold and ask for more pics of the stone underneath. And the price went down due to negotiating. So a little more than 1/2 price....

Make sure that if you send it to AGL and it comes back treated or anything that you get 100% money back. No restock fees, no hidden fees, nothing. Bc in that case, the vendor sold something not as described.

 

[lovedogs]

Also, If you got it down to 1/2 price, I'm worried the vendor isn't very honest in their sales tactics. It's less that you got it down than that the vendor uses gross mark ups

 

[T L]

If they go so fast, why are they slashing the price in half?? No one gives fine emeralds away. $2k for a clean, dark 1.68ct Columbian emerald seems too cheap. I wonder if it’s Zambian, and/or moderately treated?

Or worse, synthetic.

 

[lovedogs]

If they go so fast, why are they slashing the price in half?? No one gives fine emeralds away. $2k for a clean, dark 1.68ct Columbian emerald seems too cheap. I wonder if it’s Zambian, and/or moderately treated?

Or worse, synthetic.

Lol right. Either ppl are clamoring to buy it at full price or they aren't. Vendor can't have it both ways. I wonder if it's more blue/green than is considered ideal? That would make me want it more, but obviously not everyone feels that way. Or it's not lively in person. Or treated.

 

[lovedogs]

There is a return policy, so I do feel good about that. I also have a vid but too large to upload! So I placed it on hold and ask for more pics of the stone underneath. And the price went down due to negotiating. So a little more than 1/2 price....

Upload to YouTube then send us a link. I'm interested to see it moving.

 

[whitewave]

I found it REALLY hard to see the blue in photos. Having the stone on a white background, next to comparable emeralds so you can see relative colours, helped, as you have done. I would also ask to see videos where they roll the emerald gently from side to side so you can see how the colour changes, and photos/videos in lots of different lighting conditions including direct and dappled sunlight, if possible. You can also ask to see photos of the emerald upside down so you see the true colour rather than reflected light from the cut.

It’s funny what our eyes see/don’t see because I feel like I see a lot of blue in this stone.

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

@lovedogs,@voce,@T L, @ordinaryrainbow here is the vid link on YouTube:

Thank you for all your time and feedback so far!
-C4C

 

[T L]

Too bad she couldn’t take them out of that gem jars. The plastic top impedes the sheen.

However, it is still hard to tell, but out of all four, the elongated one looks to be the best and the cleanest.

 

[ordinaryrainbow]

It’s funny what our eyes see/don’t see because I feel like I see a lot of blue in this stone.

Sorry - I wasn't referring to your stone in particular. I meant I found it hard to see any blue in any emerald photos I looked at, when I made my recent purchase. Whereas I could clearly see the blue/green colour I liked when looking at emeralds in high-end B&M stores.

 

[ordinaryrainbow]

I would like to see them out of the containers on a hand, in a few different lighting conditions. But from what I can see, I like the top one and the bottom one. I think the second one is too light, and the third one might not have as much blue tone as the others.

 

[T L]

The first two are more medium to medium light tone, and not as fine as the second two.

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Ok ya’all! I asked for more pictures of the 1.66 ct one, I really like the color and specified to have it out of the gem containers. I also requested that the stone be flipped over to see the color on the bottom. I also asked if it could be sent to AGL, but I would pay the cost. Vendor so far is accommodating and we’ll see what I images/videos I receive.
Vendor comments: ‘It is minor cedar treatment and he did say I completely understand! When it comes to quality this stone is double the cost xxx stone.I ONLY treat my emeralds with CEDAR OIL. It is the correct and ethical treatment for emeralds. You can see from my reviews that when I sell it is 100% guarantee and quality. It will not be a problem to send it to AGL but it will be an additional cost for what ever there charge is. I can also have it certified here in my lab for free from my gemologist as an option as well. When a stone is F2 it is heavily including most of the time. Why? Because the more inclusions mean the more microscopic fissures that will let the oil enter. When the stone is fairly very clean before treatment and made an insignificant change after treatment is F1. This stone was beautiful before treatment as I can remember. 95% of emeralds are treated.’
-C4C

 

[T L]

I would get the prestige report that offers origin and enhancement. You could pay more for the full color quality prestige report, but the price seems very reasonable if it is truly Columbian with minor enhancement. I don’t think the gem brief offers the degree of enhancement. That and origin are really important here. Don’t let his gemologist look it over!!

ETA: F3 is significant enhancement, so he’s correct. I thought there was an F4. I think AGL has more levels of clarity enhancement.

 

[ordinaryrainbow]

Did you say you had negotiated him down 50% in price? Then it is a very good price indeed if it checks out!

 

[voce]

@lovedogs,@voce,@T L, @ordinaryrainbow here is the vid link on YouTube:

Thank you for all your time and feedback so far!
-C4C

I liked the first one and the last one. If the 1.66 was the third one in the video, that one was my absolute least favorite. The reason being that with the others, you could see the bright glint (light return: reflection of light back through the table of the gem) at all angles with the other emeralds, but for the 1.66 there were some angles where there WAS no light return and all you could see was body color. This to me is the equivalent of a sleepy emerald and raises questions in my mind about the clarity/treatments.

 

[lovedogs]

I like the first 2 in the video. I strongly dislike the third one. I feel like at some angles that one is totally dead. The last one is alright, but I prefer the first 2 bc they look brighter and more lively. But that said, the ones I like are lighter than trade "ideal"

 

[T L]

Dark emeralds, whether they’re fine or poor quality, all photograph poorly. I have a more recent book on emeralds and the author delineates on various qualities with photos, but all the qualities look almost the same for the darker stones, although the prices vary by thousands per carat. Emeralds are the most difficult stones to buy online for this reason. The first two gems, if you saw them in person with the others, you may change your mind as @Atwater did in her thread on emeralds.

 

[Sungura]

Based on my recent experience in Colombia (seeing top colors and clarify and attempting to photograph them)..... the third stone (1.66 cts) appears to have the most expensive color. The stones I saw and priced had insiginificat to minor cedar oil.

The GIA grades are none, insignificant, minor, F1, F2, F3 and the grades in the AGL prestige report are: none, insignificant, minor, moderate, strong, prominent

Like the others I am concerned about the price. Top color with minor enhancement should be more significantly more expensive. Moreover, the darker duck-neck emeralds tend to come from Muzo mine and Muzo generally carries a premium.

But as you say there is a good return policy. Will you have to pay for the report if the clarity come back as greater than minor or F1/moderate? Would it make more sense to have it certified only if you love it in hand?

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Ugh! So here’s the thing, although I love this gem, it is so much of a hassle right now. Since there is ‘another’ person interested, I couldn’t in good faith just keep the vendor waiting. So for now , I released it. I would have to purchase it, have them send to AGL, then back to me and then I can review it in hand for 14 days, money back if I don’t find it to my liking. Too much going on right now...
-C4C

 

[DauphineMucha]

Another interested buyer tactic is commonly used among vendors, including PS recommended. Only you could tell what you like imho. Take a break and maybe you would find something even better. If not, go back to the original vendor....not the end of the world.

Take what you learned from this forum and apply the knowledge when you shop again.

 

[Sungura]

Take a break and maybe you would find something even better.

@Crazie4Cuts - After I saw the range of emeralds in Colombia I also needed to step back and proceed more slowly in upgrading my emerald engagement ring stone. I did buy a high-quality small emerald and an inexpensive larger one in Bogota (I'll post them soon) It's also an education to see those gems here in NYC area light vs equator light in Colombia. Emerald buying is complicated because of treatments and the need to really see the stones in person. I am confident you will find your emerald!

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

@Sungura Thank you so much for your comments! I read every bit of your experience in Bogota! @DauphineMucha appreciate your encouragement! @T L, I love your emeralds and thank you for always chiming in for us colored gem folks.
-C4C