Emerald Stone Buying Guide: Things You Must Know

For centuries, emeralds have captivated everyone's attention with their rich green beauty. These lovely gemstones symbolize renewal, wisdom, and eternal youth. This gemstone is part of the “Big Three” group of gems, which also consists of Ruby and sapphire. Emerald is a favourite gemstone among collectors and jewellery wearers. It is widely used for its amazing healing and benefits, too.

But purchasing a genuine emerald stone is not as easy as you might think it is. Like their value, emerald prices are influenced by a handful of factors such as color, clarity, cut, carat weight, origin, and treatments. Without proper knowledge, one might easily choose a lower-quality stone or overpay for the gem. In this Emerald Buying Guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make an informed and confident purchase, whether you're investing, gifting, or selecting a stone for astrological purposes.

Basic information about Emeralds

Emeralds are green colored gemstones that belong to the beryl mineral family. Emeralds get their green color from trace amounts of chromium, vanadium, or both present in their chemical structure. Emeralds are found in numerous parts of the world, such as Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Africa, Russia, and Afghanistan. But the best quality emeralds are generally found in the countries of Colombia and Zambia.

Emeralds are a very tough gemstone with a Mohs hardness of 7.5-8, which makes them useful for making all kinds of ornaments and decorative pieces. In the case of diamond’s clarity is often a prime consideration, because they are generally very clean and flawless. But, emeralds generally have visible inclusions (tiny imperfections). But these flaws are not discouraged; in fact, they are embraced and admired because they tend to enhance the emeralds’ natural beauty. But too many imperfections or flaws might decrease its clarity and durability.

According to Vedic astrology, it is associated with the planet Mercury and helps to strengthen the position of Mercury in the horoscope of the wearer. It is believed that wearing this gemstone helps to enhance the wisdom, communication skills, and financial stability of the wearer.

Origin of Emeralds

The geographical origin is the biggest and most important which should be checked before buying any gemstone. The same is the case with emerald; the origin of emerald can significantly impact its value:

Major sources of emeralds include:

• Colombia: Colombia is famous worldwide for producing the finest emeralds. These emeralds are commonly found and mined in the regions of Muzo, Chivor, and Cosquez. The Colombian emeralds possess a vivid, pure green hue.
• Zambia: The zambian emeralds have a unique, slightly bluish-green color combined with excellent clarity and saturation.
• Brazil: The emeralds found in the regions of Brazil are commonly a light green color. The quality that separates them from other emeralds is their unique yellowish tint.
• Afghanistan: The emerald found in this part of the world is known for high-quality emeralds, but the supply is limited. The Panjshir emeralds are renowned throughout the world for their exceptional quality and clarity.

The Four Cs of Emeralds: Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat

The quality and prices of an emerald gemstone are evaluated based on the 4Cs, which are color, cut, clarity, and carat weight of the emerald. We have discussed these factors in detail below:

Color of Emeralds:

Color is the most critical factor in determining the overall quality and the price of the gemstone in the market. The color of an emerald has primarily three major qualities, which are its Hue, Tone, and Saturation. An ideal emerald exhibits:

• Hue: Normally, the best quality emeralds display a Pure green or bluish-green hue.
• Tone: The most expensive and highly demanded emeralds generally have a Medium to medium-dark tone, which means they are neither too light nor too dark.
• Saturation: The saturation of the best quality emeralds is characterized by a vivid, pure green color. This gemstone generally has very few to no overtones. This means their green color is intense and is not muted by other colors like gray or yellow.

When it comes to the quality of emeralds generally, the Light-colored emeralds are considered less valuable, even if they're eye-clean. On the other hand it is believed a rich, deep green can dramatically increase the price of the gem, even if the stone has visible inclusions. Therefore, you should always examine emeralds under natural light. Artificial lighting can exaggerate or mute the true color of the emeralds.

Clarity of Emeralds

Clarity of an emerald is also an important factor to consider before buying a genuine gemstone. Emeralds are known to contain few visible inclusions inside their structure, which is called "jardin," which is the French word for garden. A completely clear emerald is difficult to find, and they command heavy prices in the market.

When buying, look for emeralds that are:

• Eye-clean and have no major inclusions visible to the naked eye.
• Free from inclusions that affect durability, like deep surface cracks.

Minor inclusions that don’t interfere with beauty are generally acceptable and even desirable for authenticity. Be wary of emeralds that look suspiciously clean and flawless. They might be synthetic or heavily treated.

Cut of Emeralds

While selecting a high-quality emerald, the cut of the gemstone is also a factor that should be considered. The cut of an emerald helps to enhance its overall color and beauty and minimize its visible inclusions and flaws. The most common shape of the emeralds is the emerald cut. In addition to this, sometimes it is also cut into a rectangular step cut, because this cuts flatter the stone’s color and brilliance while protecting it from damage. Oval, pear, and cushion are other popular cuts. A good cut on an emerald will have the light reflecting evenly across, and you should not see dark or dull spots.

Carat weight of Emeralds

Normally, emeralds are denser than diamonds, so a 1-carat emerald may appear smaller in size than a 1-carat diamond. It must be noted that finding and mind big-sized and high-quality emeralds is very difficult. This makes them rare and also increases their size significantly in the market. While selecting emerald, you should not only focus on the size but also on the quality of the gem. Because sometimes a large stone with too many inclusions may be cheap, but a small gem with great clarity and color may be expensive

Natural vs Treated Emeralds

Most emeralds available in the market nowadays are treated, which helps to enhance their overall appearance and beauty. The most common treatment performed on the surface of emeralds is oil filling, where tiny fissures are filled with colorless oils (usually cedarwood oil) to improve clarity. In addition to this, various other treatments might also be used on emeralds; some of them are being enumerated below:

Other treatments include:

• Resin filling: In this process, synthetic resin is used to fill the cracks or emerald in the place of natural oils.
• Dyeing: This process involves the injection of color dye to mask paleness or discoloration (less desirable).

Before buying an emerald, you should always ask for disclosure about treatments performed on it. Reputable sellers will provide this information and even certification if necessary.

Treated emeralds are perfectly acceptable, but they should be priced accordingly. Untreated, vivid green emeralds are extremely rare and command premium prices in the market.

How to Read an Emerald Certificate

A good-quality emerald generally comes with a gemstone certificate acquired from a recognized gemstone laboratory such as IGI, IIGJ, IGITL, or GSI. The certificate of an emerald should clearly mention the following information correctly in it:

• Whether the emerald is natural or synthetic.
• Degree and type of treatments (if any).
• Color, clarity, cut, carat weight.
• Origin (if determinable).

Common terms you’ll see regarding treatments:

• None: No enhancements detected (very rare).
• Minor: Minor oil/resin treatment.
• Moderate/Significant: Moderate to heavy oiling/resin filling, which should lower the price.

Emerald Pricing

Emerald prices vary based on their color, clarity, carat weight, and origin.High-quality emeralds are expensive, and deep discounts often signal heavy treatments or synthetics. The colombian emeralds generally cost between Rs 5000 to 100000 per carat. On the other hand the zambian emeralds might cost between Rs 2500 to 70000 per carat or more depending on its quality.

Buying Tips: Dos and Don’ts

Do:

• Buy from a reputable dealer who specializes in colored gemstones.
• Always ask for a certificate verifying authenticity and treatments.
• Set a budget, but be flexible if you find a stone you love.
• Inspect in natural daylight to assess true color.

Don’t:

• Assume bigger is better. A smaller, high-quality emerald is far more valuable than a larger, dull stone.
• Skip insurance, especially for valuable emerald jewelry.
• Neglect to ask about return or exchange policies.

Conclusion

Buying an original and certified emerald gemstone is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time, patience, knowledge, and skill to select the best quality gem, so that you get complete value for your money.

While buying an original emerald gemstone, you should prioritize its color above all, accept minor inclusions, and always ask about treatments and certificates. An emerald chosen wisely can be a timeless treasure, whether as a piece of jewelry, a personal talisman, or an heirloom to pass down generations.

If you are looking for the best gemstone company to buy a genuine emerald, then RashiRatanBhayga is the best option. It is India’s leading gemstone and rudraksha selling company. They only sell certified and natural precious and semi-precious gemstones at affordable prices. In addition to this, they also provide astrological services so that you can get your horoscope checked and get the necessary advice for wearing the gemstone according to your planetary position.