Thoughts on this emerald?

[kdvln]

Hi everyone!

I just bought this emerald for $1250. I loved the color and thought it had nice light return despite the inclusions. After doing more research on emeralds, I am concerned it is not good quality. I plan to have it set in a halo, which should protect it from bumps, and it will be a right hand ring that is only worn occasionally. All opinions welcome, though I know it's hard to judge a stone online. Thank you!

2.00 Carat Cushion Green Emerald

This 2.00 Cushion Green Emerald is sold exclusively by James Allen

www.jamesallen.com

 

[T L]

I think it’s very clean for an emerald. What is the origin? That tends to be a big determination of price.

$1250 is a good price, but make sure you can return it if you don’t care for it.

 

[T L]

I found out that JA does not provide origin on their emeralds. If you love the stone, I would have a well qualified lab look at it to determine origin, type of enhancement and how much enhancement is used.

I suspect the origins are not Colombian, which commands the highest prices, but that does not mean your emerald won’t be beautiful in person.

Normally, I don’t like buying an emerald without knowing the above factors, but it is a good price, and you can return it I assume.

 

[kdvln]

I found out that JA does not provide origin on their emeralds. If you love the stone, I would have a well qualified lab look at it to determine origin, type of enhancement and how much enhancement is used.

I suspect the origins are not Colombian, which commands the highest prices, but that does not mean your emerald won’t be beautiful in person.

Normally, I don’t like buying an emerald without knowing the above factors, but it is a good price, and you can return it I assume.

Ahh ok this is super helpful, thank you! I have 30 days to return if I change my mind.

 

[T L]

Please post your review if you can, when you get it.

 

[kdvln]

Please post your review if you can, when you get it.

Absolutely

 

[lilmosun]

If you love the stone, I would have a well qualified lab look at it to determine origin, type of enhancement and how much enhancement is used.

This

My two cents as a lot of it is personal preference on what is important:

There are different opinions on what types of clarity enhancements are acceptable. This stones says oil only, which as stated is common (and accepted in the industry). Many will only accept oil because it is a "natural" type of filler. On the other hand, modern resin treatments, such as Opticon, are acceptable to some (including myself) as long as they are colorless, permanent and stable. (In my mind, I don't have to worry about re-oiling or special care -and- clarity enhancement in itself isn't something nature does)

For me, what is really important is the degree of enhancements and that it is limited to the above for clarity only. Degree of clarity enhancement is rarely disclosed/typically unknown unless there is a lab report. I've seen a people buy expensive emeralds that look like complete crap years later without re-oiling. Personally, significant enhancement is unacceptable and given the price, anything better than moderate is a bonus.

Personally, I wouldn't get a certificate of origin unless your are truly curious, you paid a premium for it or it makes a difference to you, as it adds to the cost of the report. As TL said, given the price, I would expect Colombian - it would be more of a bonus.

Color is a matter of personal preference - especially at this price. I think its a very pretty emerald and a great price given the size assuming the degree of clarity enhancement is not significant. Please keep us posted on what you learn and decide!

One last thing - it can take a few weeks to get a lab report from GIA/AGL so the 30 day return period is tight. I would be sure to send it right away and see if the vendor will extend the return period if the stone does not come back as what is stated or discussed (so far the vendor has only committed to type of treatment).

 

[T L]

Based on how it looks, I don't see it having too much treatment. Typically those with moderate to significant treatment are far more included looking up close, and it's probably eye clean. I don't see surface fractures like I do on other emeralds, but I could be wrong. Personally, I like that it's traditional oil only, as that can easily be reversed if necessary. Some purists will only buy emeralds with oil only.

Honestly, I think you did good, especially for the price, and if it's Colombian, that's a huge bonus like @lilmosun said. However, if it were truly Colombian, they would probably be advertising that, and it would have a huge premium. I suspect it's Zambian.

I just took a chance on an emerald myself, but I didn't even know if it was synthetic, and there were no returns. I was kind of stupid, but lucky (it ended up minor treatment and Colombian). You are at least purchasing from a company that offers a 30 day refund, and it is guaranteed to be natural. It is very clean for an emerald in that color range IMHO. Typically, lighter ones are cleaner.

I'm dying to hear what you think when you get it. Good luck!!

 

[lilmosun]

...and I would definitely defer to @TL on degree of treatment as I have no real expertise when it comes to looking at pictures.

I bought an emerald ring at a good price and got lucky that it was minor treatment only. I was slightly disappointed that treatment was modern resin, as I assumed it was a bad thing. But AGL assured me it was permanent/stable and they considered it completely acceptable - a matter of preference. The more I read, I was okay with it but know others are not.

Edit to add: I just realized that if you click on the picture, it's a video ..agreed it's a very nice looking stone with a very clean surface for an emerald. Worth a shot and excited to see what you decide and think!

 

[T L]

...and I would definitely defer to @TL on degree of treatment as I have no real expertise when it comes to looking at pictures.

I bought an emerald ring at a good price and got lucky that it was minor treatment only. I was slightly disappointed that treatment was modern resin, as I assumed it was a bad thing. But AGL assured me it was permanent/stable and they considered it completely acceptable - a matter of preference. The more I read, I was okay with it but know others are not.

You could probably have the resin removed and reoiled by a professional, especially if it's minor, but that's up to you. If it's minor treatment, it probably isn't a big deal.

I have an emerald with minor treatment with resin, old old resin, before the newer formulations that are far more stable, and it popped out of the side when it was set. It was very little though. The resin was only a bit on one side of the gem along one crown facet. The rest of the gem was untreated.

In any case, the newer resins, like opticon and Excel, are stable and totally fine.

 

[lilmosun]

You could probably have the resin removed and reoiled by a professional, especially if it's minor, but that's up to you. If it's minor treatment, it probably isn't a big deal.

I have an emerald with minor treatment with resin, old old resin, before the newer formulations that are far more stable, and it popped out of the side when it was set. It was very little though. The resin was only a bit on one side of the gem along one crown facet. The rest of the gem was untreated.

In any case, the newer resins, like opticon and Excel, are stable and totally fine.

Thanks - but after speaking to AGL and doing some research, modern resin is fine with me because I am definitely a "no maintenance" type of person

 

[T L]

Thanks - but after speaking to AGL and doing some research, modern resin is fine with me because I am definitely a "no maintenance" type of person

Yes, ,the oil will dry up, as it needs to be redone every few years, so at least the resin will maintain the look of your stone.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hello there! So here are my thoughts... for the price, it looks to be a very good quality stone. If I had to guess, I'd say the origin was Zambia, because of the deeper tone, blue modifier, and good clarity. I'd be surprised if it were Colombian. Personally, I would want to know the degree of clarity enhancement. For me, any more than minor is something I try to avoid. The stone has a bit of windowing, but I don't think it will be too apparent in person because of the rich color. Just keep in mind that a top tier emerald from Colombia would likely be 5 figures in the 2ct. range. So we must keep that in perspective. That being said, this is a pretty gem!

 

[kdvln]

Okay, so what I'm gathering is:
- JA is reputable, and I shouldn't worry too much since I have the 30 day window.
- The stone is most likely Zambian, because Columbian emeralds cost a premium
- Though getting the stone evaluated by a lab would be the safest bet, it can be pricey
- Though oil treatment can be considered a good thing, I should try to figure out how much it was treated because that will affect the stone over time.

Thank you all for the advice!

Also, If I need to get a stone re-oiled, can any old jeweler do that? I messaged JA and they said that they don't re-oil emeralds because they don't need to be re-oiled (which is not true based on your comments).

 

[Neptune]

Also, If I need to get a stone re-oiled, can any old jeweler do that?

Sharing this with you.

Emerald Re-oiling Advice Please

Last week, in a consignment store, we found an emerald in a beautiful diamond setting. Apparently the piece was originally designed to hang from a diamond necklace, but could be detached and worn as a broach. My wife intends to add a bale and wear it as a pendant. The diamonds and platinum...

www.pricescope.com

 

[Autumn in New England]

Okay, so what I'm gathering is:
- JA is reputable, and I shouldn't worry too much since I have the 30 day window.
- The stone is most likely Zambian, because Columbian emeralds cost a premium
- Though getting the stone evaluated by a lab would be the safest bet, it can be pricey
- Though oil treatment can be considered a good thing, I should try to figure out how much it was treated because that will affect the stone over time.

Thank you all for the advice!

Also, If I need to get a stone re-oiled, can any old jeweler do that? I messaged JA and they said that they don't re-oil emeralds because they don't need to be re-oiled (which is not true based on your comments).

I think you have a really good grasp on everything! There's a lot to consider, even for veteran collectors, so it's always good to get others' opinions. The only thing I would say is that I wouldn't ever necessarily consider clarity enhancement to be a good thing, but it certainly improves the look of the stone (to varying degrees). Emerald is a Type III clarity stone, so, even in top grades, eye visible inclusions are acceptable. And some sources like Muzo, Colombia are known for producing top color, while also having a heavier "jardin" (more inclusions). So 99% of that material is oiled, some heavily. It's a very old and accepted practice in the trade, but you definitely want to shoot for minor oil. Some Russian emeralds aren't oiled at all, because their clarity is very high. But they don't have the intense coloration. It's a trade off, you know? Also, I personally felt the JA stone was Zambian because of the color, tone, and relatively high clarity. But, yes, Colombian material in the top grades will be $$$.

With regard to re-oiling, I just happen to know an expert! Boyd Fox in Texas specializes in re-oiling emeralds. This is not something any neighborhood jeweler can do, but certainly you may be able to find someone in your area who does it.

Good luck!

 

[T L]

Supposedly you can oil your own emeralds (if they’re loose) if you can obtain the proper cedar wood oil specifically made for emeralds.

I think this is the product they use for emeralds by Optima.

A&A Jewelry Supply - Cedarwood Oil

Online source for jewelry supplies. Loupes, tweezers, ultrasonic machines, tumblers, moissanite gold diamond testers, moissanite, jewelry watch repair tools.

www.aajewelry.com

As for lab reports being pricey, it’s subjective. I wouldn’t bother with a cloudy and low quality stone, but I think for yours, it’s worth it. JMO. Origin tends to be a slightly higher price, and you never know.

 

[kdvln]

It's here!!! Though it's beautiful, I'm not sure if it's what I want. The setting is beautiful, but the windowing in the stone's center bothers me. I also think I may prefer a darker green (but not sure if I could afford the $$ attached to the deeper color). I'll wear it for a few days and see how i feel afterwards. Thank you for your help!! Excuse the dry hands

 

[chrono]

It's beautiful though.

 

[pokerface]

I was worried about the cut as the left and right sides do not appear at all symmetrical in the original link, but the setting seems to hide it well, and the color is way nicer IRL.

 

[Avondale]

the windowing in the stone's center bothers me

Check this out: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...r-emerald-diamond-trilogy.273074/post-5152725

Similar situation to yours. Windowed stone, but adding a base behind it makes a world of difference. You can try to stick a bit of aluminum foil to the back of the emerald on your finger in order to get an idea of what it would look like.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

It's here!!! Though it's beautiful, I'm not sure if it's what I want. The setting is beautiful, but the windowing in the stone's center bothers me. I also think I may prefer a darker green (but not sure if I could afford the $$ attached to the deeper color). I'll wear it for a few days and see how i feel afterwards. Thank you for your help!! Excuse the dry hands

I think it is gorgeous, especially with your skin tone! This actually is my preference for shade of emeralds, though I know I probably am in a minority for liking the brighter green over deeper. That said, I would have expected it to be deeper green judging by the video as well and was surprised by the color too, even before reading what you wrote.

 

[T L]

It's here!!! Though it's beautiful, I'm not sure if it's what I want. The setting is beautiful, but the windowing in the stone's center bothers me. I also think I may prefer a darker green (but not sure if I could afford the $$ attached to the deeper color). I'll wear it for a few days and see how i feel afterwards. Thank you for your help!! Excuse the dry hands

Congratulations, it’s really beautiful. I think they let that one get away from them at the wrong price! You have a great eye!! For that price, I would probably keep it. The setting is luscious too!

 

[kdvln]

Just wanted to update you all!! I ended up returning the ring for a daintier, deeper colored emerald. I purchased this from Artemer, and am completely in love! Thanks again for the advice

 

[kdvln]

 

[Autumn in New England]

The color really pops with your beautiful skin tone, @kdvln! I'm a sucker for a chevron shape too. It's lovely... congrats and enjoy!!

 

[Nick_G]

It's here!!! Though it's beautiful, I'm not sure if it's what I want. The setting is beautiful, but the windowing in the stone's center bothers me. I also think I may prefer a darker green (but not sure if I could afford the $$ attached to the deeper color). I'll wear it for a few days and see how i feel afterwards. Thank you for your help!! Excuse the dry hands

Wow. I'm just catching up with this thread and when I saw the vendor's pic that you linked to I thought it had good clarity but the colour was a bit meh. However, it looks a lot better in your pics and it has that beautiful vibrant green that I love about emeralds. That was a bit of a bargain, I think!