Purchasing Emerald today .. what should I pay?

[LimitedGems]

Corundum is my thing, so I'm not very aware of emerald prices.

But there's one emerald in particular that I really really want. I dont know how high or far I should go regarding price? I would appreciate all replies regarding a premium total cost.

The emerald has been Oiled by Cedarwood Oil, weight; 7.00 carats, and the origin; Zambia.

 

[T L]

I would not purchase any emerald without a reputable lab report indicating any and all treatments. They're even irradiating emeralds these days, and AGL was the only one who detected it so far.

The emerald doesn't carry the premium as for Columbian stones, and its very difficult to evaluate the price without knowing the extent of treatment. If its truly uncolored cedarwood oil, you still need to know if the treatment is moderate or strong. It seems highly included, so I would assume its one of those two. The pricing can be very different depending on that. Also are there a lot of surface reaching cracks? You simply cannot properly tell from those photos. Surface reaching cracks, a lot of them, especially on the table, also have an impact on value.

 

[LimitedGems]

I would not purchase any emerald without a reputable lab report indicating any and all treatments. They're even irradiating emeralds these days, and AGL was the only one who detected it so far.

The emerald doesn't carry the premium as for Columbian stones, and its very difficult to evaluate the price without knowing the extent of treatment. If its truly uncolored cedarwood oil, you still need to know if the treatment is moderate or strong. It seems highly included, so I would assume its one of those two. The pricing can be very different depending on that. Also are there a lot of surface reaching cracks? You simply cannot properly tell from those photos. Surface reaching cracks, a lot of them, especially on the table, also have an impact on value.

The seller told me it's old and should be untreated, and if there were any treatment to it it's only slightly oiled by clear cedarwood oil, no color to it, no irradition. Regarding surface cracks, to me there seems not to be any, I cant tell for sure because I'll have to purchase it online. The seller has been extremely helpfull regarding all the information.

I've seen a certificate for it as well from the country where it's being sold, there's no comment regarding oil at all. I will myself send it to AGL to clarify everything. I also have 14 days 100% money back guarantee.

So if the information received are correct, what should I expect to pay for it?

I've been comuniacting with the seller for about one week now and want to purchase it, but I dont know which price is acceptable.

 

[Marlow]

Hey,

I would never purchase an emerald via internet. This is a gem you HAVE to see in person. Green the worst color to take pictures.

My experience with emaralds from Sambia in gemshows: They ( Indian vendor) offer a lot of stones. The better qualities have an excellent clarity but the color is often a bit grey compared to colombian, brasilian and Emerald from afghanistan.

This stone is very large but I don't like the color. Price per ct around $100 - so a nice tourmaline could be a better choice.

On etsy an indian store offers emeralds from Sambia with identical background...?

Maybe you visit a gemshow - in Munich for example we have a gemlab with a free quick check so maybe they see whether colored oil was used.

 

[T L]

I agree with Marlow that emeralds are horrible in pictures, and you should see them in person. That being said, a lot of times, the internet offers more choices, which is why you should have a reputable lab report before you purchase the item.

Here is a three carat Zambian emerald that was for sale in 2012, for around $1500/ct. It was moderately included, and moderately enhanced, but it appears to have much better color/clarity than the gem in your photo. However, again, I don't know how your gem looks in person. If I had to give a ballpark estimate, I wouldn't pay more than $500/ct for the above gem if its moderately enhanced with only cedarwood oil (we don't know for sure), and assuming its much more included than the three carat gem, with less saturated color, but it twice as large as the smaller gem. My ballpark guesstimate could be entirely off however because there are way too many unknowns.

http://www.azemerald.com/zambian-emeralds/3-carat-zambian-emerald/

ETA: The dealer needs to tell you if there are surface reaching cracks, especially along the table. There is no way to properly tell from those photos, or photos in general. They're difficult enough to see with the naked eye, let alone photos.

 

[LimitedGems]

I agree with Marlow that emeralds are horrible in pictures, and you should see them in person. That being said, a lot of times, the internet offers more choices, which is why you should have a reputable lab report before you purchase the item.

Here is a three carat Zambian emerald that was for sale in 2012, for around $1500/ct. It was moderately included, and moderately enhanced, but it appears to have much better color/clarity than the gem in your photo. However, again, I don't know how your gem looks in person. If I had to give a ballpark estimate, I wouldn't pay more than $500/ct for the above gem if its moderately enhanced with only cedarwood oil (we don't know for sure), and assuming its much more included than the three carat gem, with less saturated color, but it twice as large as the smaller gem. My ballpark guesstimate could be entirely off however because there are way too many unknowns.

http://www.azemerald.com/zambian-emeralds/3-carat-zambian-emerald/

Thank you for all your help, I do understand it's difficult to say without seing it.

 

[T L]

I've seen a certificate for it as well from the country where it's being sold, there's no comment regarding oil at all. I will myself send it to AGL to clarify everything. I also have 14 days 100% money back guarantee.

So if the information received are correct, what should I expect to pay for it?

I've been comuniacting with the seller for about one week now and want to purchase it, but I dont know which price is acceptable.

So if it doesn't come back as stated, will the vendor also reimburse you the cost of the AGL report, including S&H? The AGL report may also take quite some time, and 14 days isn't always enough time to get it done. You could pay a premium to get it done more quickly, but again, will the seller eat those additional costs? I would make the vendor get a reputable lab report first. If he's in Thailand, there is a GIA there.

 

[LimitedGems]

I've seen a certificate for it as well from the country where it's being sold, there's no comment regarding oil at all. I will myself send it to AGL to clarify everything. I also have 14 days 100% money back guarantee.

So if the information received are correct, what should I expect to pay for it?

I've been comuniacting with the seller for about one week now and want to purchase it, but I dont know which price is acceptable.

So if it doesn't come back as stated, will the vendor also reimburse you the cost of the AGL report, including S&H? The AGL report may also take quite some time, and 14 days isn't always enough time to get it done. You could pay a premium to get it done more quickly, but again, will the seller eat those additional costs? I would make the vendor get a reputable lab report first. If he's in Thailand, there is a GIA there.

Unfortunately they are not located in Thailand, that would've made it a lot easier. FedEx shipping, GIA, AIGS.
I will have to pay for the AGL services myself, so there's money to be spent there too. I know AGL can give some "plural" information for a low fee, they've done it for me before. So when I know the treatment I will decide wether to keep it or not. I will lose about couple hundred bucks if I choose to return the gemstone. Everything except the AGL will be covered by the money back guarantee.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Old does not mean untreated, specially in emeralds. Oiling has been around since, oh, forever and Opticon has been around since the 80s.

 

[T L]

I've seen a certificate for it as well from the country where it's being sold, there's no comment regarding oil at all. I will myself send it to AGL to clarify everything. I also have 14 days 100% money back guarantee.

So if the information received are correct, what should I expect to pay for it?

I've been comuniacting with the seller for about one week now and want to purchase it, but I dont know which price is acceptable.

So if it doesn't come back as stated, will the vendor also reimburse you the cost of the AGL report, including S&H? The AGL report may also take quite some time, and 14 days isn't always enough time to get it done. You could pay a premium to get it done more quickly, but again, will the seller eat those additional costs? I would make the vendor get a reputable lab report first. If he's in Thailand, there is a GIA there.

Unfortunately they are not located in Thailand, that would've made it a lot easier. FedEx shipping, GIA, AIGS.
I will have to pay for the AGL services myself, so there's money to be spent there too. I know AGL can give some "plural" information for a low fee, they've done it for me before. So when I know the treatment I will decide wether to keep it or not. I will lose about couple hundred bucks if I choose to return the gemstone. Everything except the AGL will be covered by the money back guarantee.

That would be a deal breaker for me. I think it's fine not to always have reputable lab reports on various stones, but when you're talking pricey gems, especially emeralds, rubies, sapphires, that's a different story, and a vendor should be able to obtain it for you if he/she is reputable. At the very least, they should reimburse you the cost if the report comes out differently than the stone was advertised.

 

[T L]

Old does not mean untreated, specially in emeralds. Oiling has been around since, oh, forever and Opticon has been around since the 80s.

+1

Also, the oil will dry up over time and new oiling will be required to make sure the stone looks its best. I prefer the new trade acceptable polymers as they last without maintenance. Opticon turns whitish over time, as it was one of the older types of polymers. It can show up later on in "old emeralds."

 

[JewelFreak]

Will the vendor take it back & reimburse you at least for the stone & shipping if the AGL report takes longer than the 2 weeks? And if it shows unacceptable treatment?

For me, buying a not-so-great quality stone, even if the price is low, is not worth it. Problems you think at first that you can accept begin to drive you crazy after a short time. Soon become almost all you see. Fair amount of inclusion in this emerald, it's not great color, and from the little visible in the photos the cutting doesn't look skilled. I would take a deep breath, step back for a few days, and think it over. If you truly want an emerald, the longer you look, the more you can save up for a better-quality one.

--- Laurie

 

[LimitedGems]

Old does not mean untreated, specially in emeralds. Oiling has been around since, oh, forever and Opticon has been around since the 80s.

+1

Also, the oil will dry up over time and new oiling will be required to make sure the stone looks its best. I prefer the new trade acceptable polymers as they last without maintenance. Opticon turns whitish over time, as it was one of the older types of polymers. It can show up later on in "old emeralds."

That's quite helpful information, thank you.

I really dont know what to do. I dont like taking chances on gemstones. And I really dont know if there's any reputable labs in India? I've been doing some searches but came up with nothing.

 

[LimitedGems]

Will the vendor take it back & reimburse you at least for the stone & shipping if the AGL report takes longer than the 2 weeks? And if it shows unacceptable treatment?

For me, buying a not-so-great quality stone, even if the price is low, is not worth it. Problems you think at first that you can accept begin to drive you crazy after a short time. Soon become almost all you see. Fair amount of inclusion in this emerald, it's not great color, and from the little visible in the photos the cutting doesn't look skilled. I would take a deep breath, step back for a few days, and think it over. If you truly want an emerald, the longer you look, the more you can save up for a better-quality one.

--- Laurie

Yes, I will get reimbursed why ever I do not like the gemstone.

I've been there, inclusions are usually something I got problems with. In emerald's I understand inclusions usually are something that's highly accepted. In the video of this gemstone it looks even more amazing to me, both color and clarity.

 

[T L]

Well, I personally would be quite upset eating the cost of a lab report that came back with something else than what the stone was advertised at. That alone would make me angry enough not to want to purchase the gem from this vendor. If he/she cares about their reputation, they wouldn't have such policies for pricey gems, and I'm assuming this stone is going to be pricey. If it comes back as very cheap, then I would assume it's very poor quality or synthetic.

I'm not a stickler for lab reports on EVERYTHING, but I am for pricey emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

 

[T L]

Will the vendor take it back & reimburse you at least for the stone & shipping if the AGL report takes longer than the 2 weeks? And if it shows unacceptable treatment?

For me, buying a not-so-great quality stone, even if the price is low, is not worth it. Problems you think at first that you can accept begin to drive you crazy after a short time. Soon become almost all you see. Fair amount of inclusion in this emerald, it's not great color, and from the little visible in the photos the cutting doesn't look skilled. I would take a deep breath, step back for a few days, and think it over. If you truly want an emerald, the longer you look, the more you can save up for a better-quality one.

--- Laurie

Yes, I will get reimbursed why ever I do not like the gemstone.

I've been there, inclusions are usually something I got problems with. In emerald's I understand inclusions usually are something that's highly accepted. In the video of this gemstone it looks even more amazing to me, both color and clarity.

Inclusions are accepted on emerald, but not to the point where they are highly distracting to the eye, or impede the integrity/durability of the gem (that's why I asked about surface fissures - see my comments in red above in this thread).

Again, we didn't know the video existed until now, and only saw these photos.

However, for me, I would skip the gem entirely because of the vendor's policies.

 

[LimitedGems]

Will the vendor take it back & reimburse you at least for the stone & shipping if the AGL report takes longer than the 2 weeks? And if it shows unacceptable treatment?

For me, buying a not-so-great quality stone, even if the price is low, is not worth it. Problems you think at first that you can accept begin to drive you crazy after a short time. Soon become almost all you see. Fair amount of inclusion in this emerald, it's not great color, and from the little visible in the photos the cutting doesn't look skilled. I would take a deep breath, step back for a few days, and think it over. If you truly want an emerald, the longer you look, the more you can save up for a better-quality one.

--- Laurie

Yes, I will get reimbursed why ever I do not like the gemstone.

I've been there, inclusions are usually something I got problems with. In emerald's I understand inclusions usually are something that's highly accepted. In the video of this gemstone it looks even more amazing to me, both color and clarity.

Inclusions are accepted on emerald, but not to the point where they are highly distracting to the eye, or impede the integrity/durability of the gem (that's why I asked about surface fissures - see my comments in red above in this thread).

Again, we didn't know the video existed until now, and only saw these photos.

However, for me, I would skip the gem entirely because of the vendor's policies.

YouTube link of Emerald:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANuUfmKdc4

 

[Marlow]

by TL » 25 Jun 2014 08:31
Written by Lady_Disdain » 25 Jun 2014 08:21:
Old does not mean untreated, specially in emeralds. Oiling has been around since, oh, forever and Opticon has been around since the 80s.


+1

Also, the oil will dry up over time and new oiling will be required to make sure the stone looks its best. I prefer the new trade acceptable polymers as they last without maintenance. Opticon turns whitish over time, as it was one of the older types of polymers. It can show up later on in "old emeralds."


-----------

I prefer natural oil - it is possible to remove it ( theoretical - think difficult to find somebody who is able to do it.)

Opticon is a problem course of flash effect - and other polymers - they need UV-light to get it hard ( dentist ) ....
In my opinion close to a glass filled ruby. You can't remove it. I don't want this.

 

[LimitedGems]

I found that there's actually a legit GIA lab located in India, I was not aware of this. Maybe it's new. I requested the seller to get a GIA report for the emerald.

 

[JewelFreak]

Good move. The seller, if it's an expensive stone like this, should be willing to pay for it. Having seen the video, I like it even less. The cutting is not good -- it has a wonky pavilion, thin & flat on one end & deeper on the other. I don't think this emerald will perform well. Honestly, if you have ANY doubts, pass it up. There's a better one out there waiting for you; there always is. Better to look longer & end up with a nicer stone.

 

[minousbijoux]

Good move. The seller, if it's an expensive stone like this, should be willing to pay for it. Having seen the video, I like it even less. The cutting is not good -- it has a wonky pavilion, thin & flat on one end & deeper on the other. I don't think this emerald will perform well. Honestly, if you have ANY doubts, pass it up. There's a better one out there waiting for you; there always is. Better to look longer & end up with a nicer stone.

As usual, I agree completely, especially about the lousy cutting.

 

[T L]

by TL » 25 Jun 2014 08:31
Written by Lady_Disdain » 25 Jun 2014 08:21:
Old does not mean untreated, specially in emeralds. Oiling has been around since, oh, forever and Opticon has been around since the 80s.


+1

Also, the oil will dry up over time and new oiling will be required to make sure the stone looks its best. I prefer the new trade acceptable polymers as they last without maintenance. Opticon turns whitish over time, as it was one of the older types of polymers. It can show up later on in "old emeralds."


-----------

I prefer natural oil - it is possible to remove it ( theoretical - think difficult to find somebody who is able to do it.)

Opticon is a problem course of flash effect - and other polymers - they need UV-light to get it hard ( dentist ) ....
In my opinion close to a glass filled ruby. You can't remove it. I don't want this.

Actually most polymers treat the surface fissures, and if its minor to faint treatment, you can't really compare it to a lead glass filled ruby, which is almost entirely glass. The new and latest polymers are accepted by the trade. Glass filled rubies are not acceptable to the trade, which is why there's so little value to them. You can also remove polymers, there are companies that can do this and it won't hurt the stone, unlike what would happen to a glass filled ruby. Then can then be retreated with the polymer or oil of your choice.

 

[Marlow]

Actually most polymers treat the surface fissures, and if its minor to faint treatment, you can't really compare it to a lead glass filled ruby, which is almost entirely glass. The new and latest polymers are accepted by the trade. Glass filled rubies are not acceptable to the trade, which is why there's so little value to them. You can also remove polymers, there are companies that can do this and it won't hurt the stone, unlike what would happen to a glass filled ruby. Then can then be retreated with the polymer or oil of your choice.

--------

They can remove polymers - that is new to me - thank you for this info.

You are absolutely right that you cannot compare a glass filled ruby and an oiled or polymer filled emerald ( was a little provocation ).

I am a collector - I would never buy a ruby with TE1 and higher level of treatment or an emerald with polymer filling - same problem with a rare collector gem I am sure you know and like - hauyn - nearly impossible to get an untreated cut stone ( stabilisation ) above 0,30 ct.
Without this treatment they would destroy many stones during cutting.

My emeralds are small - I try to get untreated stones with an excellent "body" - hard to get...

A former friend of mine bought a 3 ct stone from Columbia for a customer - unfortunately they used some " older" oil visible in the microskope - the vendor send it back and they remove the old oil and used a better one.

 

[T L]

I have an emerald with some opticon that I purchased 15 years ago or so. It has a little resin on the outside, on one pavillion facet, per the emerald expert I showed it to. I wouldn't worry over a little polymer, especially in a smaller surface fracture. If the whole stone is full of surface fractures, that's a different story, and I probably wouldn't buy an emerald like that to begin with. I used to be a purist like you, but the new resins really do hold up well, and the trade doesn't frown upon them. They also do not need constant maintenance like oiled stones. The emerald expert I showed it to said I could remove the opticon and switch it with one of the newer polymers, or oil, but it wouldn't make much difference as there was so little treatment.

I bought a lead glass filled ruby once, but it was $5, I knew what it was, and I use it as a learning stone. It's very pretty, and yes, they can be very deceptive looking.

 

[chrono]

I don't have an issue with the new polymer either; it is stable, permanent, colourless and completely removeable. Oiling needs to be redone and it seems that sometimes a bit of resin or hardener is added to the oil to keep it from leaking but isn't disclosed, which makes the "oiled only" moot point.

 

[Marlow]

I need def. more informations on these polymers

 

[T L]

I need def. more informations on these polymers

The Excel polymer is one of the most popular. Here's some information on them.

http://www.clarityenhancementlab.com/excel.htm

And another page (same website) indicating possible types of emerald fillers, including cedarwood oil, which also is a resin.

http://www.clarityenhancementlab.com/education.htm

 

[Marlow]

@TL

Thank you very much!!

But $100 pct is only interesting for bigger and better qualities - otherwise to expensive.

I will talk to "my" emerald dealer from Columbia whether they use it.

 

[LimitedGems]

The emerald had been oiled. Minor traces of oil only. But I cancelled purchase.