Record Emerald Sale in Geneva

[serenitydiamonds]

Muzo International sold a 9.27 ct emerald for a record breaking $90,000/ct in Geneva. Details are here:

http://www.muzoemerald.com/site/news.php

Naturally the photo in that article is optimistic, as emeralds never photograph well. Here's a more realistic view at Christies:
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/...3965&sid=d3cbae60-61ee-4d45-ad3d-e0bac1b6823b


--Joshua

 

[Treenbean]

Wow, That is pretty spectacular. With all this talk of emeralds I think I will have to find myself one

 

[Arkteia]

The rich have their own laws...

 

[T L]

That's an unprecedented price for an emerald, even of that size and color. Did they say if it had any treatment? Beautiful stone.

 

[LD]

STUPID QUESTION ALERT!​

Joshua - forgive me in advance for what may be a stupid question (feel free to roll your eyes at me before replying!). I'm confused. Ok, 9ct Emeralds probably don't come along very often but I wouldn't say this was a one off (like for example the Hope Diamond or the Hooker Emerald). What is it about this Emerald that makes it so special? The colour/clarity of course look excellent, especially for an Emerald of this size but .............. I'm still confused! Why has this commanded such a high price?

*runs away to hide in embarrassment*

 

[T L]

STUPID QUESTION ALERT!​

Joshua - forgive me in advance for what may be a stupid question (feel free to roll your eyes at me before replying!). I'm confused. Ok, 9ct Emeralds probably don't come along very often but I wouldn't say this was a one off (like for example the Hope Diamond or the Hooker Emerald). What is it about this Emerald that makes it so special? The colour/clarity of course look excellent, especially for an Emerald of this size but .............. I'm still confused! Why has this commanded such a high price?

*runs away to hide in embarrassment*

Don't hide LD, I thought the same thing myself. I guess someone really wanted that stone badly!!

 

[LD]

STUPID QUESTION ALERT!​

Joshua - forgive me in advance for what may be a stupid question (feel free to roll your eyes at me before replying!). I'm confused. Ok, 9ct Emeralds probably don't come along very often but I wouldn't say this was a one off (like for example the Hope Diamond or the Hooker Emerald). What is it about this Emerald that makes it so special? The colour/clarity of course look excellent, especially for an Emerald of this size but .............. I'm still confused! Why has this commanded such a high price?

*runs away to hide in embarrassment*

Don't hide LD, I thought the same thing myself. I guess someone really wanted that stone badly!!

*slinks back out of hiding*

Phew! I thought I had suddenly forgotton everything I knew about gems and was back at square one again! I wish I knew the buyer as I'd have offered to glue together four of mine - I'm sure it would have looked the same

By the way, all 3 of the reports just state no clarity enhancement so like you, I'm wondering if it's been oiled or is totally natural.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Lol, you guys are cute. Definitely not a stupid question. The main reason is it's documented (by three labs no less) as untreated. It's extremely rare to find an emerald of a perfect color (hard to see in the photos) and excellent clarity (for an emerald) that is untreated.

--Joshua

 

[serenitydiamonds]

By the way, all 3 of the reports just state no clarity enhancement so like you, I'm wondering if it's been oiled or is totally natural.

Totally natural. No oil, no traces of oils, polymers, resins or anything else. Very, very rare.

--Joshua

 

[T L]

For that price, I would want an untreated emerald. The lab report should also state the type of treatment and the amount of treatment. I would require an AGL. I didn't see one on there, but if someone bought it without, it just goes to show you how little people know that are rich and shop at auction houses. I've seen huge emeralds that color and clarity, but not for $90K/ct. That's a huge price for such a stone. I guess the economy hasn't hurt the gem market for huge, rare and unusual gems. Look at what Laurence Graff has been paying for his FCD's as of late.

 

[T L]

By the way, all 3 of the reports just state no clarity enhancement so like you, I'm wondering if it's been oiled or is totally natural.

Totally natural. No oil, no traces of oils, polymers, resins or anything else. Very, very rare.

--Joshua

Okay, that makes a difference.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

In the very high end market, internationally, some clients lean toward Gubelin. That report in itself is almost 1,000 USD. They are very highly respected for large value stones. Just in case someone doubted them, they provided two other reports. lol.


--Joshua

 

[T L]

In the very high end market, internationally, some clients lean toward Gubelin. That report in itself is almost 1,000 USD. They are very highly respected for large value stones. Just in case someone doubted them, they provided two other reports. lol.


--Joshua

Thanks Josh,
I didn't see the Gueblin report. I was browing the Muzo site more. I see it has an SSEF and Gueblin, both fine labs. Never heard of Gem Tech Lab though. It would be nice if there were a video of that stone somewhere.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Maybe.... Video probably wouldn't look much better. *sigh*

--Joshua

 

[LD]

Thanks Joshua - makes a bit more sense now but it's still an eye-popping price!

By the way, in the article it says that the reports state "no evidence of clarity enhancement". Does this include oiling then when stated like this? It's a bit "woolly" and I think I'd prefer something like "no evidence of any treatment or enhancement"! How picky am I?!

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Thanks Joshua - makes a bit more sense now but it's still an eye-popping price!

By the way, in the article it says that the reports state "no evidence of clarity enhancement". Does this include oiling then when stated like this? It's a bit "woolly" and I think I'd prefer something like "no evidence of any treatment or enhancement"! How picky am I?!

So, treatment is a generalized term and clarity enhancement is specific form of emerald treatment. Emeralds are limited in that they really only have one 'accepted' treatment, clarity enhancement, so there's typically nothing else mentioned. Dying is obvious and would be stated as a note in the report.

Oiling is a form of clarity enhancement, so that's why it doesn't have to be mentioned specifically. When someone states and emerald isn't treated, but may have a little oil, they are contradicting themselves. If it's been oiled, it's been treated, whether it was oiled pre-polish or not. When emeralds are treated, at moderate or better, there is a very very small amount of oil/polymer that is used. So little it cannot be measured. Oil enhances clarity just like a polymer, by filling the very small surface texture and fractures. Also, just because a stone looks clean, doesn't mean it hasn't been treated. An emerald, even super high quality ones, should have texture on the surface, and surface cracks. Treatments make the surface cracks less visible. You can clearly see the texture in this 'best of the best' emerald. It's that texture, or jardin, that gives an emerald personality.
--Joshua

 

[T L]

Was this also one of those "drop of oil" emeralds? If so, I can see that adding to the value signficantly, as that is very rare in fine emeralds.

 

[iLander]

I'm pretty sure Sarahbear bought it and put it into her bracelet . . . did you see that beauty?

You know, I'm with LD, it looks a little "meh" to me . . .

My little 1 carat emerald from Dana is all untreated, do I need a guard now?

 

[Lovinggems]

It looks like it has very fine crystal.

We need more photos, does this one glows?

 

[serenitydiamonds]

It's important to state that high quality emeralds do not photograph accurately. In fact, if a stone photographs well it's probably a little too glassy or not completely saturated. You have to see them in person to appreciate them.

Not sure if it has the 'drop of oil either'. I'd love to see the stone in person to check, I imagine it's quite remarkable.

--Joshua

 

[T L]

It's important to state that high quality emeralds do not photograph accurately. In fact, if a stone photographs well it's probably a little too glassy or not completely saturated. You have to see them in person to appreciate them.

Not sure if it has the 'drop of oil either'. I'd love to see the stone in person to check, I imagine it's quite remarkable.

--Joshua

I completely agree. The finest emeralds look like big black blobs in photographs. The color is too saturated, and the tone is too deep, and the way light travels inside and back is too velvety, aside from the fact that the color green is a nightmare to photograph properly. Lighter toned emeralds do seem to photograph better IMHO, but a deep toned stone of ideal saturation really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. Photos just never ever do them justice. I have never seen a photograph of an emerald with ideal tone and saturation that was photographed accurately, and of course, you can't capture the glow at all in a photo.

 

[LD]

Amen to the inability to photograph Emeralds. Mine seem to die and change colour immediately a camera is pointed them. I must have taken hundreds of photos and literally only one or two are even halfway decent or resemble what I see!

Joshua, thanks again for the clarification on the term "clarity enhancement". When you explained it, it became crystal clear and I think I was overthinking it!

 

[Imdanny]

Thanks for the links. As the disparity in the West between the rich and everyone else continues to grow, I think we're going to see one record setting jewelry auction after another. I could be wrong but that's my prediction.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Joshua, thanks again for the clarification on the term "clarity enhancement". When you explained it, it became crystal clear and I think I was overthinking it!

So, your understanding is now clarity enhanced?