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PLS give me your opinion on these Emeralds

Newbie w/Question

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
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3
I need an opinion on these emeralds. They are all completely untreated. I am leaning toward the middle one, but it''s small for me (5 x 7). The left is Colombian, the other 2 are Zambian.

Are they too clear? Too blue? Or just right for $500-$800 price?

Seem pretty clean . . .

emerals001a.jpg
 
Sorry, last 2 are from Somalia. Another picture, reverse order.

emeraldstour001b.jpg
 
Fine emerald is typically a medium dark very slightly bluish green with strong saturation of color. These are very light toned, and may look lighter than the photos. Emeralds are valued primarily on color, and for such tiny stones, I find the price to be a bit on the high side, in particular because they are light in tone and so small.

However, the finest is the middle stone since it has the best color and clarity. How big is it? I'm assuming they're small from what you said about them.
 
I believe the OP wrote the middle stone is 5x7mm, I''d call that small, but not tiny...

Newbie w/Question, what is the ct weight of each stone, please?
 
I''d choose the middle one.
 
Date: 6/10/2010 11:56:32 PM
Author: Rockit
I believe the OP wrote the middle stone is 5x7mm, I''d call that small, but not tiny...


Newbie w/Question, what is the ct weight of each stone, please?

Yes, carat sizes would be helpful. Thanks Rockit for pointing that out to the OP.
 
Since emeralds are routinely heavily treated, I would want certificates from reputable labs that these are free of any treatment. Do you have those already?
 
I would be EXTREMELY skeptical of them being claimed as untreated especially at that quality range. Even emeralds costing thousands of dollars per carat are treated, it''s a very common process that''s been done for centuries. In fact, I assume all emeralds are treated unless the emerald has no surface cracks (+10,000''s/ct) at all. If you have access to UV light you can do a quick double check as oil and resin will react to it.

I agree with TL, the center stone appears to be the best and the price appears to be high unless it''s the per carat price and not the total price. It''s hard to tell for sure though because emeralds are notorious for bad photography subjects and they are priced very sensitively to color.

--Joshua
 
Based on looks alone, I’d pick the center stone because it has the best colour and is quite clean. However, I highly recommended getting a cert or having the stone checked out to verify that that they are indeed totally untreated.
 
Top picture left to right

6x6.5mm 1.09 carat 320 per carat,

center 7.5x5x4mm deep 1.08 carat 370.00 per carat,

right 6.7x6.7x4.2 deep 1.54 carat 425.00 per carat

Which lab would certify for the least amount of money?

Should I get them all if they''re untreated? What happens to the value if I treat them to make them darker?
 
I do not know of any treatment to make the emeralds darker. In fact, there is a premium for all untreated stones if they tend to be routinely treated (emerald & corundum). If they are indeed untreated, I would leave them alone.
 
Date: 6/11/2010 8:01:11 AM
Author: Newbie w/Question



Top picture left to right


6x6.5mm 1.09 carat 320 per carat,


center 7.5x5x4mm deep 1.08 carat 370.00 per carat,


right 6.7x6.7x4.2 deep 1.54 carat 425.00 per carat


Which lab would certify for the least amount of money?


Should I get them all if they''re untreated? What happens to the value if I treat them to make them darker?
Ok, those prices seem fair. AGL, GRS, or GIA are what I would recommend. You cannot treat emeralds to change their color. The treatment of emeralds only fills the surface cracks of the stone so they appear a little clearer.

--Joshua
 
I like the color and shape of the one on the left... but I am not an expert at all.
 
They look a little washed out to me. Here is mine. This photo is taken in my home with a D300 Nikon, no macro lens. Greens are hard to photo, but this will give you an idea. On the other hand, the cost of this stone was more than what you quoted. I don''t know if you are flexible on your price range. If not, my thought would be to either go down in size and/or choose a stone with inclusions in order to get better color.Is this for a ring or a pendant?
I once had a pear shaped emerald (Lost) with a visible inclusion and I absolutely loved it. It was a pendant, and I think the inclusions are not as detracting as they are in a ring.

I had a dealer select it at Tucson this year. It is about the size you are looking for, 7x7. Hope this helps you with the color comparison. It is presently being set, and I should have some pictures in a few days, if you are still looking. Emeralds aren''t too popular around here.

c85515.jpg
 
im loving the middle one!!
 
Maybe you should hunt for a darker green? I do like the clarity of these, though. I have trouble with a lot of inclusions in an emerald, even though I know it''s standard for the type.
 
Date: 6/12/2010 11:37:40 AM
Author: iLander



Maybe you should hunt for a darker green? I do like the clarity of these, though. I have trouble with a lot of inclusions in an emerald, even though I know it's standard for the type.

I have found with emeralds, if you want a cleaner stone, go with a lighter toned one, like the middle one above. The inclusions on the middle one above are very minimal for emerald, and I doubt you would see them that well with the naked eye. If you want a darker green with less inclusions, be prepared to pay a lot of $$$ as I believe the stronger chrome content causes the nicer color, but the stresses and fractures in these gems as well. It's a double edged sword really. The finest color emeralds in the world come from Columbia, but they are also some of the most included.

Zambia produces some darker green and cleaner emeralds, but the color isn't as rich as the Muzo Columbian mine stones. They are more like tsavorites from what I hear.
 
Date: 6/12/2010 11:46:00 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Date: 6/12/2010 11:37:40 AM

Author: iLander




Maybe you should hunt for a darker green? I do like the clarity of these, though. I have trouble with a lot of inclusions in an emerald, even though I know it''s standard for the type.


I have found with emeralds, if you want a cleaner stone, go with a lighter toned one, like the middle one above. The inclusions on the middle one above are very minimal for emerald, and I doubt you would see them that well with the naked eye. If you want a darker green with less inclusions, be prepared to pay a lot of $$$ as I believe the stronger chrome content causes the nicer color, but the stresses and fractures in these gems as well. It''s a double edged sword really. The finest color emeralds in the world come from Columbia, but they are also some of the most included.


Zambia produces some darker green and cleaner emeralds, but the color isn''t as rich as the Muzo Columbian mine stones. They are more like tsavorites from what I hear.
Well said!!

--Joshua
 
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