Please Show Me Your Emeralds

[chrono]

For those who think those emeralds Phoenix posted look yucky, I can personally attest from experience that the nicest ones photograph like opaque crap.

 

[Phoenix]

For those who think those emeralds Phoenix posted look yucky, I can personally attest from experience that the nicest ones photograph like opaque crap.

Oh no, why "yucky"? Is this because these emeralds are not translucent? Pls be brutually honest. I'm only a novice, I really would love your honest opinions - in any case I only put down a $100 deposit, and am prepared to walk away from it. They only cost $1,500 for the pair (1.66ctw, each measured 5mm by just a hair under 5mm) and they're uncertified. I just thought they'd make lovely inexpensive earrings, or even sidestones in a 3-stone ring (perhaps paired with a lower colour antique cushion). What do you think? Worth it at all? Or just walk away?

Is this emerald better? This is much much more expensive (though it still has insignificant oil). Costs $60k for the stone, which is just a little over 4ct. It comes with a GRS cert although the vendor is prepared to send it to Gubelin or GIA.

 

[Phoenix]

Another pic of the super-expensive emerald (the one on the left) with an oval, another gorgeous emerald. These two are from a different vendor to the little cushion pair showed before.

The large cushion costs a cool $15,000 per ct whereas the oval is $6,500/ct. I was told the price of the oval is old and need to be revised upwards. I can def see the difference in quality IRL (the cushion is more a lot more transparent that the pair I posted before and more a tiny more transparent than the oval too; it seems to have a water-like quality to it, more fluid - not sure what the correct lingo is). To me, the difference in quality between this large cushion and the oval (to my eyes anyway) is not enough to warrant the large price variance.

I am going to take my own sweet time to consider the larger cushion, look around a bit more at other stones, would also need to read up a lot more...but would still appreciate your experts' opinions and advice.

 

[Phoenix]

PS. the pair of cushions and the lone cushion are not alternatives - it's not an either or deal. I guess I am still learning and would love to find out if you guys or ladies think of the quality and also corresponding pricing.

So, if you think the price of the little cushions is not bad, I could get them today....If you really think they're "cr*p", please tell me so I can just not get them.

The larger cushion would need a lot, I mean A LOT, of researching and thinking about...but again your expert opinions would still be very much welcome. Please educate this novice!

Thank you.

 

[violeta978]

Wow what a stunning piece!

I got to admit that I have actually broken the emerald on a ring a few times by dropping - each time I replaced it. Now it has cost me so much but I still love emerald. You really have to take care of them unlike sapphire. i have dropped my sapphire ring many times and still standing well. I am not a diamond girl

 

[violeta978]

My 5ct columbian emerald set in diamond art deco bracelet.

Oh I am new this, I meant to comment on this.

 

[chrono]

Phoenix,
I don't know how accurate your photography is so I am giving the stones you are considering the benefit of the doubt. I find that the lighter toned emeralds photograph better; it is easier to capture their true colour, faceting and transparency. The higher end deeper and richer coloured emeralds tend to photograph looking translucent rather than transparent, unless you are either very skilled and /or have the right set-up. In short, for most high end emeralds, their true beauty is extremely difficult to capture via photography.

When evaluating emeralds, there are these considerations, not in any particular order. I have left out the obvious Cs such as cut and carat weight.

1. Colour
a. Hue: green with a touch of blue, straight green, and green with a touch of yellow
b. Tone: ranges from light to dark
c. Saturation: ranges from light to dark

2. Clarity
It is normal for emerald to not be eye clean but it doesn't mean one has to purchase an emerald with lots of jardin either. Lighter toned emerald tends to be very clean whilst richer coloured emerald tends to be more included. The reason for this is the chromium content. For some strange reason, the greater the Cr+, the better the colouration but the emerald crystal also doesn't grow well and tends to fracture. This is why untreated or very lightly treated finely coloured emerald is uncommon and expensive. As always, the more transparent the gem, the more highly valued it is. The more crystalline it look, the more expensive it will be.

3. Treatment and levels of treatment
This ties in to #2 clarity. The cleaner the emerald, the less the need for it to be clarity enhanced. Most lighter toned emeralds are untreated or lightly oiled. Most richer emeralds are treated to varying degrees from none to heavily treated. Therefore, it stands that the less the treatment, the more valued the stone is. Of course, treatment alone does not set the price - colour and clarity is highly considered too.

4. Origin
In general, the Columbian emeralds cost more than their African brethren for good reason - the colouration is richer and deeper. Even amongst Columbian stones, quality will vary from mine to mine and within the mine itself, so do not be deceived by the notion that all Columbian emeralds are of high quality. As always, there will be exceptions. As I like to say, buy the stone, not the paper. If the stone happens to be from the famed origin, great! I'm willing to pay a bit of premium for the name in that particular case. If it looks ordinary, yet has the Columbian premium, I'd rather pay less for an African version that looks exactly the same.

Ahem, now that my "preaching" is done, the decision is yours, as always. How particular are you about earring stones, meaning do you mind that they aren't that great or does it matter a lot that they be of very high quality? Is size more important or some other factor? There is nothing wrong with $1500 emeralds as long as you understand why they are priced as such. Do you mind paying $1500 for emeralds with unknown treatment? Some people don't care but some people do. Will it be mind clean for you or will you always be wondering if it is resin filled up the wazoo?

There is a lot of personal consideration when it comes to buying coloured stones, so "worth" will vary from person to person. However, to understand why one is priced at $X and why one is priced at $Y is why I explained the above. By the same token, just because something is expensive does not necessarily mean it is of high quality. There is no true standardized of pricing of coloured gemstones. Two very similar stones from the same might be priced differently. It could be that one has been sitting in inventory longer (old pricing that has not been raised), the vendor sourced it at a great price and therefore is able to price it lower than the other similar stone, or some other reason.

Just like diamonds, some people don't mind relaxing a requirement or two for earring stones, most commonly clarity since few get close enough to the ears to check out inclusions. Ring stones, be it a center stone or side stones, tend to be scrutinized more closely so it is more difficult to decide which C has the lower priority.

 

[eastjavaman]

Phoenix, the more expensive one looks like a better emerald, assuming your photo is accurate(color, and same level of treatment), as you can see it looks quite transparent from the picture as compared to the oval one, which is difficult to find (as the ones with deep rich color tend to be heavily included thus reducing clarity) as Chrono pointed that even your earrings do not look bad at all, but you see the size and clarity of the bigger one create price difference and scarcity.

 

[menyenye]

I use Canon Powershot SX500 IS that makes taking pics of beautiful CS-es less arduous. Pics taken still doesn't translate to 100% of what we see in real life, but I'd say that it does capture 80% of the real beauty.

Here's a few of my mother's other emerald:

Much more saturated than the previous emerald ring I posted. I much prefer the former, but most people would go for this kind of emerald. Also of Colombian origin, but less bluish tone. Bigger carat at 6.73ct.





I'm such a spoilt mama's boy, but what can I do? The first thing that I do after waking up is to look at my mama's stones. That's exactly how I end my day too. I refused to move out of my mom's house until I can afford some of these stones on my own. Which is probably gonna be NEVER

*hashtagcoloredstoneaholic*

 

[pregcurious]

Emeralds are notorious for photographing very poorly. How accurate are your pics Phoenix? Please don't be concerned if they are inaccurate. Most of us can't take good pics of our CSs.

 

[Phoenix]

Phoenix,
I don't know how accurate your photography is so I am giving the stones you are considering the benefit of the doubt. I find that the lighter toned emeralds photograph better; it is easier to capture their true colour, faceting and transparency. The higher end deeper and richer coloured emeralds tend to photograph looking translucent rather than transparent, unless you are either very skilled and /or have the right set-up. In short, for most high end emeralds, their true beauty is extremely difficult to capture via photography.

When evaluating emeralds, there are these considerations, not in any particular order. I have left out the obvious Cs such as cut and carat weight.

1. Colour
a. Hue: green with a touch of blue, straight green, and green with a touch of yellow
b. Tone: ranges from light to dark
c. Saturation: ranges from light to dark

2. Clarity
It is normal for emerald to not be eye clean but it doesn't mean one has to purchase an emerald with lots of jardin either. Lighter toned emerald tends to be very clean whilst richer coloured emerald tends to be more included. The reason for this is the chromium content. For some strange reason, the greater the Cr+, the better the colouration but the emerald crystal also doesn't grow well and tends to fracture. This is why untreated or very lightly treated finely coloured emerald is uncommon and expensive. As always, the more transparent the gem, the more highly valued it is. The more crystalline it look, the more expensive it will be.

3. Treatment and levels of treatment
This ties in to #2 clarity. The cleaner the emerald, the less the need for it to be clarity enhanced. Most lighter toned emeralds are untreated or lightly oiled. Most richer emeralds are treated to varying degrees from none to heavily treated. Therefore, it stands that the less the treatment, the more valued the stone is. Of course, treatment alone does not set the price - colour and clarity is highly considered too.

4. Origin
In general, the Columbian emeralds cost more than their African brethren for good reason - the colouration is richer and deeper. Even amongst Columbian stones, quality will vary from mine to mine and within the mine itself, so do not be deceived by the notion that all Columbian emeralds are of high quality. As always, there will be exceptions. As I like to say, buy the stone, not the paper. If the stone happens to be from the famed origin, great! I'm willing to pay a bit of premium for the name in that particular case. If it looks ordinary, yet has the Columbian premium, I'd rather pay less for an African version that looks exactly the same.

Ahem, now that my "preaching" is done, the decision is yours, as always. How particular are you about earring stones, meaning do you mind that they aren't that great or does it matter a lot that they be of very high quality? Is size more important or some other factor? There is nothing wrong with $1500 emeralds as long as you understand why they are priced as such. Do you mind paying $1500 for emeralds with unknown treatment? Some people don't care but some people do. Will it be mind clean for you or will you always be wondering if it is resin filled up the wazoo?

There is a lot of personal consideration when it comes to buying coloured stones, so "worth" will vary from person to person. However, to understand why one is priced at $X and why one is priced at $Y is why I explained the above. By the same token, just because something is expensive does not necessarily mean it is of high quality. There is no true standardized of pricing of coloured gemstones. Two very similar stones from the same might be priced differently. It could be that one has been sitting in inventory longer (old pricing that has not been raised), the vendor sourced it at a great price and therefore is able to price it lower than the other similar stone, or some other reason.

Just like diamonds, some people don't mind relaxing a requirement or two for earring stones, most commonly clarity since few get close enough to the ears to check out inclusions. Ring stones, be it a center stone or side stones, tend to be scrutinized more closely so it is more difficult to decide which C has the lower priority.

Chrono,

Thank you soooo much for such a detailed reply. The more I learn about emeralds, the more I love them. I've yet to look up the parts I've bolded - not sure I understand them completely yet.

Yes, you are right of course that there are many reasons a stone is priced $X while another is priced at $Y, especially about the sourcing and inventory. I came across another beautiful emerald yesterday, not Columbian, but absolutely GORGEOUS (prob the most gorgeous emerald I've ever seen). But it is priced at a whopping $140k!! I am sure a huge part of that is because this is a B&M vendor and a lot of that pricing goes to pay the rent (she's located in a major shopping belt), staff etc..

I actually went back and looked at the matching pair of cushion emeralds. I went with no cash (I was worried I may give in and just pay for them without actually liking them). I looked very carefully and you know what? The lighting there is horrible! It made Holly look like an I or J. There was this lady wearing a beautiful pear-shaped diamond, apparently a D, and I asked her if it was light yellow and she looked completely mortified!! Anyway, I digress.....So the long and short of it is that I bought these little emeralds (with a CC)! I don't know yet if or how I will set them but the vendor has an upgrade policy (he has a high-end emerald too which was quite magnificent). I am very happy with my new "babies" - at least for now - they're gorgeous, have a deeper green hue that I really love and they really sparkle. They don't look anything like the photos, I looked at them again outdoors, indoors at home, in the gym etc...and they're quite beautilicious! They're not as translucent as some of the more pricey ones I saw but you know what, they cost a fraction of those!

I will continue my quest for a larger, higher-quality emerald but in the meantime I will continue to enjoy this pair and of course all the CS around here. Actually, your 3-stone ring with the AVC and red side spinels as well as your WF halo'ed red pear are on my new wishlist... When I am ready to buy a red stone or stones, I will for sure come to you for advice.

Thank you again.

 

[Phoenix]

Emeralds are notorious for photographing very poorly. How accurate are your pics Phoenix? Please don't be concerned if they are inaccurate. Most of us can't take good pics of our CSs.

Ha ha, my pics are cr*p!! I am a horrible photographer. Those pics were taken with my cell phone. And the lighting at the show is horrendous, they use yellow lights!

Anyway, I bought them!

Thank you for your reassurance.

 

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, the more expensive one looks like a better emerald, assuming your photo is accurate(color, and same level of treatment), as you can see it looks quite transparent from the picture as compared to the oval one, which is difficult to find (as the ones with deep rich color tend to be heavily included thus reducing clarity) as Chrono pointed that even your earrings do not look bad at all, but you see the size and clarity of the bigger one create price difference and scarcity.

Thank you. I can clearly see the difference in quality. The higher-end emeralds look completely mesmerising. Check out the 7ct ring shown below, it costs a whopping $140k (which I reckon is priced higher than it should otherwise be - the vendor is a B&M). As usual though, the pic doesn't do the stone any justice. I also lightened the pic a bit so you can see the ring more clearly; the green is much deeper IRL. The stone is much much much more beautiful IRL.

But I am quite happy with my new little emeralds. Didn't cost much and I could always upgrade them later.

 

[menyenye]

Lovely specimen you've got there, phoenix. I notice a whole lot of blue, if your photo is accurate, which is my favorite kind of color for emerald. But I do think the price tag is a little too steep imo. Usually that kind of $$ would be reserved for emeralds with less bluish coloration.

 

[JewelFreak]

Glad you got them, Phoenix, & they make you a happy puppy. It's just super when you keep opening the box wherever you are to look at them -- good sign. Btw, your hands in the last pic are as pretty as the emerald! Wanna model my stuff so nobody sees my wrinkly old paws?

--- Laurie

 

[Phoenix]

Lovely specimen you've got there, phoenix. I notice a whole lot of blue, if your photo is accurate, which is my favorite kind of color for emerald. But I do think the price tag is a little too steep imo. Usually that kind of $$ would be reserved for emeralds with less bluish coloration.

I didn't get the 7ct, though I wish. Not sure which one you're referring to. I only bought two tiny emerald cushions, posted on page 5 of this thread.

Love all the beautiful and large emeralds you're showing btw.

 

[Phoenix]

Glad you got them, Phoenix, & they make you a happy puppy. It's just super when you keep opening the box wherever you are to look at them -- good sign. Btw, your hands in the last pic are as pretty as the emerald! Wanna model my stuff so nobody sees my wrinkly old paws?

--- Laurie

Thank you, Laurie. In fact, I keep all my new goodies (the tiny rubies and these two little emeralds) on a white ceramic plate on my bedside table so I can ogle them last thing before I go to bed and first thing when I wake up! DH is complaining about my new obsession!

I was wondering if someone would comment about the hand. It's actually not my hand. I cheated, he he...It actually belongs to one of the nice ladies who were trying to sell me the 7ct.

 

[ilovegemstones]

I would love brutally honest opinions on this emerald
I bought this off ebay from a gem cutter and gemologist. It was in a pendant but I had it put into a Daniel M setting I had thatheld a diaspore. It was described as having no treatment. It was a under 100 dollar purchase because of the big line inclusion that reaches the surface. Still
, it is my birthstone, it is a good size and I love the colour and glow. I like the tiny line inclusions or jardin but not the big line but I love the stone overall.

 

[menyenye]

Personally, I could care less about the inclusions when it comes to emeralds. Especially if it's below $100. Judging from the pic, your emerald has got a lovely, lovely color! So who cares about surface-reaching gash, amirite?

 

[menyenye]

Phoenix: glad that you bought the twin! And oh, my mom got the emerald on my last post a long long time ago. Nowadays it's much harder to find good quality ones in significant sizes, so that might explain the exorbitant price-tag of the 7-carats; its still to die for though!

 

[partgypsy]

Phoenix I'm glad to see you got the pair of emeralds, so now you can set them and we can see them again!
I agree, it is hard to take pics of emeralds. I don't know if it is the chromium or what, but the camera pics may not reflect what you see in person.

Of the 3 dream stones you showed, I think I like the 4 carat cushion the most, more than the 140K stone. The term you may be looking for is gota de aceite, which means "drop of oil", which that cushion seems to have. Not a scientific but esthetic term.

 

[Phoenix]

Phoenix I'm glad to see you got the pair of emeralds, so now you can set them and we can see them again!
I agree, it is hard to take pics of emeralds. I don't know if it is the chromium or what, but the camera pics may not reflect what you see in person.

Of the 3 dream stones you showed, I think I like the 4 carat cushion the most, more than the 140K stone. The term you may be looking for is gota de aceite, which means "drop of oil", which that cushion seems to have. Not a scientific but esthetic term.

Love love love this!!

Yes, that cushion was breath-taking. The 7ct was very sparkly. It was a real shame I couldn't compare the two next to each other because there were two separate jewels shows going on, at different locations. Mind you, it's not like I'd spend $140k any time - not now and prob not ever. The 4ct cushion is a bit easier on the pocket but still a significant amount of money, particularly when you think how fragile emeralds are - one blow to the ring and poooooof $60k is a goner!

I am going to take my own sweet time thinking about this, especially since I am now being distracted by that 9ct OEC!

Thank you.

 

[chrono]

ilovegemstones,
For under $100, I would not bother with testing or be overly fussed about the quality. Lab reports do not tell you what filler was used other than the AGL prestige report (if I'm not mistaken). Considering the cost of the reports, they cost at least as much as the emerald or even more than the emerald, which makes little financial sense. I would enjoy it as it is, which is what you are doing.

 

[partgypsy]

Phoenix, could I live your life for one day, just to peruse all those wonderful stones!

Ilove, I think you did well. From what I can see the stone has a lovely color and clarity is not bad, so I would enjoy!

Thanks to everyone showing their lovely stones, whether they are yours or your mothers.

 

[Indylady]

Quick bump--have anyone set their emerald in rose gold?

 

[iLander]

Sorry, Indy, no rose gold from me.

Just wanted to finally add my own emerald, to my own emerald thread.

I should correct my original post; it's from Somalia (via Dana) not Columbia. I remembered wrong, and pulled up the original emails and realized my mistake. SO: Somalia, from very old rough that Dana got sometime in the 1990's. If Somalia ever gets its government together, we should see some beauties from there.

I'm so lame, I only know how to do halos. I REALLLLLLYYYY loved LD's 3 stone ring (first page of this thread) but couldn't afford to set it that way. Maybe someday.

Set by IDJ, they have the sparkly diamonds that I am addicted to.

 

[chrono]

Quick bump--have anyone set their emerald in rose gold?

Interesting question; I've never seen any emeralds set in rose gold but I'm sure I will be proven wrong shortly.

 

[LD]

Phoenix, I'm not sure if you've bought your Emeralds yet? If not, please shop around because (a) I think the prices you're seeing are much much higher for lower quality than you could get elsewhere. Also, the twin ones for earrings? If they're opaque in any way then pass them by. Emeralds should be clear. A SMALL amount of jardin is okay if it doesn't affect the overall look.

 

[Starzin]

I've been on something of a hiatus with PS it's been too addictive! This thread is a prime example... I've been drooling over everyone's lovelies for far too long this afternoon.

iLander - just lovely!!! It looks so beautiful on you (<-- moi is definitely green with envy)

 

[GoldfishPie]

Quick bump--have anyone set their emerald in rose gold?

I have! This is a diamondzone setting in 10k rose gold, with a somewhat low quality emerald, by traditional standards. I actually really like the light blue-green emeralds with lots of silk and inclusions. Here it is:


In icky fluorescent lights. Blah!


I don't know why I don't have a picture in normal daylight. Here it is in warm incandescent light indoors.