As Asians adore jadeites, the western world revered emeralds as the king of all green gemstones for thousands of years.
Due to its crystal nature, fractures and liquid inclusions are emeralds' most common clarity characteristics. The trade uses “jardin”, garden in French, to describe these mossy or garden-like inclusions.
Emeralds with high clarity are extremely rare and valuable. Hence eye-visible inclusions in an emerald don’t necessarily have to be seen as a negative. Proper disclosure of its treatments thus is vital.
Inherently softer and brittle, emerald requires gentle care from wearers.
The international jewellery market touted Emerald as one of the four precious stones. Just as the Asians share a deep affection for jadeites, the Western world celebrates and reveres emeralds as the king of all green gemstones. Its name came from the Sanskrit word ‘smaragdus’ for ‘gemstone with a heart’, symbolising kindness, good faith and happiness for eternity. Emerald is also the commemorative stone for the 55th wedding anniversary.
Emerald belongs to the beryl family of minerals, alongside aquamarine and morganite. Emeralds typically contain many visible inclusions. Therefore specimens with high clarity are scarce and especially valuable. Internal inclusions are described with the French term ‘Jardin’ or garden, resembling plant foliage or moss.
Standard colour: Green or bluish-green
The most highly-valued emeralds are bluish-green to green in hue, with vivid colour saturation and even distribution of shades without visible colour zoning.
Due to many internal inclusions, emeralds are usually immersed in oil to make cracks and fractures less visible. However, if the cracks extend to the surface of the emerald, it will be soaked in palm oils, waxes, or resins - a standard treatment subjected to emeralds of lesser quality.
Most emeralds will have visible cracks, which make the stones susceptible to damage during cutting, polishing and setting. This is why emeralds are often cut in a rectangular shape with stepped facets known as the emerald cut.
Emeralds are inherently softer and more brittle than corundum gems, which makes emeralds less suitable for daily wear. Therefore, when choosing an emerald, pay attention to the level of oil filling (minor, moderate, significant) stated in the laboratory report.
Mohs hardness: 7.5
Origin: Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, Madagascar, Afghanistan, etc.