Guest Post: How to Purchase Quality Emerald Jewelry

When most of us think about a glamorous piece of jewelry, we think of diamonds. But a nice diamond necklace or ring can cost a small fortune, and it doesn’t always command the attention we desire. The bold green color of emeralds, however, can draw the eye and add wonderful color to any office or evening outfit. What’s even better is that like diamonds, emeralds can be fitted with any type of metal, whether it be gold or titanium, and still look great, and are usually less expensive. When selecting an emerald always inquire about the following four characteristics to ensure quality:

Origin

The highest quality emeralds, like those found in fine emerald rings, necklaces, and bracelets, come from Colombia. However, high quality emeralds may also come from other parts of South America or from Africa. If an emerald isn’t from these areas, ask for a Certificate of Authenticity as these gemstones can and are frequently synthetically created.

Clarity

Emeralds are considered hard stones, but are delicate in nature and are prone to fissures and imperfections called jardins. Jewelers often fill jardins with resins or paraffin to prevent them from growing, but they are required to inform all buyers of this treatment. While imperfections in other types of gemstones are frowned upon, they aren’t in emeralds. The imperfections are generally seen as giving the emerald character. However, these imperfections should never be so great that they compromise the clarity of an emerald. Emeralds without or with few imperfections are extremely rare, and like untreated emeralds, are more expensive.

Color

The striking and vivid green color of emeralds is what draws people to these rare gemstones. An emerald should always have a deep green color, and although the green color may vary in depth, yellow and blue hues in the stones are signs of a lower quality stone.

Cut

As said before, emeralds are more delicate in nature and it takes a skilled jeweler to cut these stones appropriately. A well cut emerald will have symmetrical cuts, and will cost more than those which may not have exact cuts.

Emerald jewelry is a beautiful way to spice up any office or evening outfit without sticking to the typical diamonds. Generally, you can expect to spend anywhere from $300 – $3,000, and should never settle on an emerald with a rating of i4 or lower. Whether you choose to purchase emerald jewelry for an anniversary or because it’s your birthstone, you always want to look for quality so that you are able to get the most bang for your buck.