shape
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Tell me how much I overspent

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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F2F3FA3B-37E8-4681-A830-5186B6B2E147.jpeg Brilliant Earth have some lovely gemstone but their prices are excessive.
Emeralds can be tricky to buy, you want good, vivid tone and such gems aren’t cheap.
But the Brilliant Earth one isn’t even 1 carat. And it’s Zambian. $4,000 is way too much in my opinion.
Here’s a similar one from Gem Select for comparison. It’s more than twice the size and also half the price, and it’s Columbian.
 

IcePhoenix

Shiny_Rock
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I'm not an emerald expert, but I feel it's overpriced, maybe just a bit, I hope not a lot. Zambia emeralds are sought after and of good quality (the origin doesn't automatically mean that, pretty sure Afghanistan, Colombia and Zambia also produce ugly stones :wink2:). That said yours looks fairly clean and with nice colour
Others here will be surely more useful than me, but you should tell us if it is a certified emerald whose origin is stated on said certificate and most of all absence/presence/level of treatment
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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I'm not an emerald expert, but I feel it's overpriced, maybe just a bit, I hope not a lot. Zambia emeralds are sought after and of good quality (the origin doesn't automatically mean that, pretty sure Afghanistan, Colombia and Zambia also produce ugly stones :wink2:). That said yours looks fairly clean and with nice colour
Others here will be surely more useful than me, but you should tell us if it is a certified emerald whose origin is stated on said certificate and most of all absence/presence/level of treatment

I reached out to them believing it had certification, but it does not. All I have to work with is them telling me it’s Zambian and their website stating all gems are cedar oil treated unless specified otherwise.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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Messages
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F2F3FA3B-37E8-4681-A830-5186B6B2E147.jpeg Brilliant Earth have some lovely gemstone but their prices are excessive.
Emeralds can be tricky to buy, you want good, vivid tone and such gems aren’t cheap.
But the Brilliant Earth one isn’t even 1 carat. And it’s Zambian. $4,000 is way too much in my opinion.
Here’s a similar one from Gem Select for comparison. It’s more than twice the size and also half the price, and it’s Columbian.

Hi and thanks for the reply. I figured as much. While that is a beautiful gemstone to my eyes, my girlfriend is very particular on the color she likes (dark slightly bluish green) as well as the length/width. I checked gemselect and they are quite light stones even if they are bigger. Not meaning to be difficult, I really appreciate the feedback!
 

IcePhoenix

Shiny_Rock
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Feb 15, 2019
Messages
242
Consider that untreated emeralds exist and for that price you could expect so it is crucial to know the level of treatment. It usually goes like this:
None
Insignificant clarity enhancement
Minor
Moderate
Significant

This could mean hundreds if not thousands of dollars of difference for the same stone (same weight, cut and origin, similar colour)

Also you want to stay away from coloured resin filled stones (usually very low quality gems are treated in such a way and it's not always disclosed)
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Gah, I can't believe it didn't come with a certificate for 4k!!! That's insane and makes me angry for you. I think you overpaid significantly regardless of level of treatment of the stone, but if it's heavily treated then the price is truly unfair.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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Messages
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Gah, I can't believe it didn't come with a certificate for 4k!!! That's insane and makes me angry for you. I think you overpaid significantly regardless of level of treatment of the stone, but if it's heavily treated then the price is truly unfair.

It is currently on layaway and not paid off. I can look into getting out of this.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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It is currently on layaway and not paid off. I can look into getting out of this.
Yes yes yes. Please look at what happens If you decide you don't want it anymore. DONT pay 4 k for this. Emeralds are expensive and hard to find, but this one is absolutely not worth it.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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Yes yes yes. Please look at what happens If you decide you don't want it anymore. DONT pay 4 k for this. Emeralds are expensive and hard to find, but this one is absolutely not worth it.

I will. In the mean time, what are some good websites to buy from? So far I have looked at gemselect and gemsny
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I will. In the mean time, what are some good websites to buy from? So far I have looked at gemselect and gemsny
The trusted vendors are listed at a sticky at the top of this forum scroll down for the current list. For an engagement ring I would only use one of them. Yvonne raley on Etsy (one of the vendors listed) has nice emeralds sometimes. What is your budget and desired size? And what color do you want? Do you have any examples of what your desired color is?
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
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9011F260-9C99-4975-924F-A62FE1D6EFAC.jpeg 5C679B12-5799-4CB8-89BF-63A46FE2E101.jpeg B93CFF3C-E210-4761-B8CC-B688438ABD72.jpeg E5A250E6-B274-49D7-9C96-D8FC57E819E3.jpeg B785CA5D-160C-4164-92F9-0E949225E1E0.jpeg
QUOTE="kruler2113, post: 4605475, member: 111545"]Hi and thanks for the reply. I figured as much. While that is a beautiful gemstone to my eyes, my girlfriend is very particular on the color she likes (dark slightly bluish green) as well as the length/width. I checked gemselect and they are quite light stones even if they are bigger. Not meaning to be difficult, I really appreciate the feedback![/QUOTE]
If your girlfriend is loving it on the basis of the online photo / video, please be aware that how it looks there and how it looks “set in a ring being worn inside an office / at home/ outside/ winter/ summer is ALL different.
This is my emerald ring with an iPhone but different lighting conditions. The colour changes a lot depending on the light source and intensity.
 

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T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I think this video is a decent breakdown/overview of what to look for in an emerald. My only issue with the video I s that they fail to mention that there are two main mining areas in Columbia, Chivor and Muzo. The most prized emeralds in the world come from the Muzo mines. They are a very intense green with an almost metallic sheen that cannot be seen in most photos or videos, The Chivor ones are lighter in color, typically less included, and tend to be more bluish green. Some Ethiopian and Afghanistan emeralds look like Chivor stones.


Muzo with sheen
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zhwhHltxY/?igshid=174cs270qyhvh

Chivor
https://www.instagram.com/p/BukZLBIAOXP/?igshid=1ll57bt6jlw04

Zambian emeralds tend to be dark like Muzo stones but lack the intense metallic sheen and “drop of oil” characteristics seen in the finest Muzo stones.

The above all being said, you do not have to have a fine Muzo stone to have a beautiful emerald. Many people prefer lighter stones. However, if you do purchase an emerald, it is a good idea to view many high quality stones in person at a gem show or antique jewelry store/show to get an idea of quality. Emeralds rarely photograph accurately in person, and even the video I posted cannot show the true beauty of the stones he demonstrated.

I would also disagree that the trade ideal is traffic light green. That’s more of a light bright minty color. While some emeralds can look like that, especially Chivir in the sun, the finest stones look look like this color and have a similar sheen.

7DBD3B64-B378-480E-BD71-64BA0D0CC436.jpeg
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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Sep 4, 2019
Messages
103
You can get something a billion times better and bigger that's certified from a highly respected vendor. Check these out;
https://www.mastercutgems.com/Products/254-Aquamarine_Emerald_and_Beryl-Gems.php

Dana (owner of mastercut) is one of the most trusted and honest vendors around. And these emdralds are gorgeous!

Aren’t those a little light by emerald standards? I found this one that I like, I reached out for a quote. What do you think? https://palagems.myshopify.com/collections/emerald/products/20516
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
103
I think this video is a decent breakdown/overview of what to look for in an emerald. My only issue with the video I s that they fail to mention that there are two main mining areas in Columbia, Chivor and Muzo. The most prized emeralds in the world come from the Muzo mines. They are a very intense green with an almost metallic sheen that cannot be seen in most photos or videos, The Chivor ones are lighter in color, typically less included, and tend to be more bluish green. Some Ethiopian and Afghanistan emeralds look like Chivor stones.


Muzo with sheen
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zhwhHltxY/?igshid=174cs270qyhvh

Chivor
https://www.instagram.com/p/BukZLBIAOXP/?igshid=1ll57bt6jlw04

Zambian emeralds tend to be dark like Muzo stones but lack the intense metallic sheen and “drop of oil” characteristics seen in the finest Muzo stones.

The above all being said, you do not have to have a fine Muzo stone to have a beautiful emerald. Many people prefer lighter stones. However, if you do purchase an emerald, it is a good idea to view many high quality stones in person at a gem show or antique jewelry store/show to get an idea of quality. Emeralds rarely photograph accurately in person, and even the video I posted cannot show the true beauty of the stones he demonstrated.

I would also disagree that the trade ideal is traffic light green. That’s more of a light bright minty color. While some emeralds can look like that, especially Chivir in the sun, the finest stones look look like this color and have a similar sheen.

7DBD3B64-B378-480E-BD71-64BA0D0CC436.jpeg
Wow great information. I checked through every site in the directory and am having trouble finding any stones that are dark in color like that.
 
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T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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FED04D0C-15BB-4CCD-9E2D-A913C9D7BA63.jpeg
Wow great information. I checked through every site in the directory and am having trouble finding any stones that are dark in color like that.
You typically have to go through a dealer that specializes in high end gems and/or Columbian emeralds to get a fine Muzo gem. Here’s a photo of an old world Muzo from a Columbian emerald dealer. The stone is probably a million times more intense in person, and more the color of that paint sample I showed above. I think this stone had moderate treatment which reduced the cost by thousands upon thousands, but it is quite something.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
Joined
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Messages
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The trusted vendors are listed at a sticky at the top of this forum scroll down for the current list. For an engagement ring I would only use one of them. Yvonne raley on Etsy (one of the vendors listed) has nice emeralds sometimes. What is your budget and desired size? And what color do you want? Do you have any examples of what your desired color is?
I guess anything $4,000 or less. I think anything larger than 2.5 ct would be too much. She only likes darker stones, many of the stones I am seeing are incredibly light.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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Sep 4, 2019
Messages
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FED04D0C-15BB-4CCD-9E2D-A913C9D7BA63.jpeg
You typically have to go through a dealer that specializes in high end gems and/or Columbian emeralds to get a fine Muzo gem. Here’s a photo of an old world Muzo from a Columbian emerald dealer. The stone is probably a million times more intense in person, and more the color of that paint sample I showed above. I think this stone had moderate treatment which reduced the cost by thousands upon thousands, but it is quite something.
Ok thank you. That gem is beautiful. Just having trouble finding a vendor that has what I’m looking for.
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I guess anything $4,000 or less. I think anything larger than 2.5 ct would be too much. She only likes darker stones, many of the stones I am seeing are incredibly light.
I don't consider this light, but of course everyone's preferences are different
https://www.mastercutgems.com/Produ...-GemMedia.php?FromPage=1&ProductMediaID=35280

Also remember that once set, stones will look darker. So if you buy one that looks dark unset then it will look even darker upon setting.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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53FA33B2-8B2D-4AFE-9325-530B546C8462.jpeg
I guess anything $4,000 or less. I think anything larger than 2.5 ct would be too much. She only likes darker stones, many of the stones I am seeing are incredibly light.
For $4k, to get a beautiful darker stone, you may have to go with a subcarat gem that is more included and/or more heavily treated. This particular gem is slightly under one carat, and a Muzo gem. It was quoted in Columbia by a Columbian dealer (less middlemen) to an educated pricescoper for around $8k. The photo again does not do it justice.
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I think these dealers are respected. Just make sure that any stone you consider comes with a certificate.

https://instagram.com/muzoemeralds?igshid=1tzg6tjzjqjoj

https://instagram.com/colombianemeralds?igshid=xtojh61vy1xt

The second company touted this as a top quality stone (look at the surface fractures in the table). Be very careful about surface reaching table fractures, and a lab report from one of the four major labs, with treatment type and amount, is essential. They do have a wide variety of emeralds, but this is dubious information about this stone.
F5A9EC11-6164-4E01-912A-2BAC7F713AB2.jpeg
 

kruler2113

Shiny_Rock
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53FA33B2-8B2D-4AFE-9325-530B546C8462.jpeg
For $4k, to get a beautiful darker stone, you may have to go with a subcarat gem that is more included and/or more heavily treated. This particular gem is slightly under one carat, and a Muzo gem. It was quoted in Columbia by a Columbian dealer (less middlemen) to an educated pricescoper for around $8k. The photo again does not do it justice.

Isn’t the gem I currently have a moderately treated dark subcarat gem? Albeit, not from Muzo. 8k would be out of my price range. Is this all a pipe dream for me?
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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