Emerald prices are usually dictated by the factors that determine the price of any gemstone: the 4cs: clarity, color, cut, and carat. Additional aspects that are considered before deciding on the price are: treatments or enhancements received by the stone, the origin of the stone, its setting, international customs and many more.
The 4Cs of Emerald
They decide the overall appearance of the stone. A concrete evaluation of the stone can be done after this.
Cut of Emerald Gemstone
A well cut emerald shows the work of a cutter. His skills will determine the carat retained from the rough crystals. if it is not properly cut, a high-quality crystal will be reduced to a low-quality gem. It will be a sheer waste of material. His work revolves around hiding and removing roughness and inclusions with his cutting.
Color Of Emerald Gemstone
Emeralds usually have a very vivid and unique green color that is three-dimensional. This is something that can be understood by seeing the gemstone in person. The most desired one is a bluish green, which is not too dark. Even though there is a narrow range of colors in emerald. Highly transparent emeralds are highly priced. Color has to have an even distribution without any visible color zoning.
Stones with too yellowish and bluish tones are a different variety of beryl and will be less expensive. Chromium, vanadium, and iron are the elements that causes the emerald’s color. Their absence or presence decides the exact color of the crystal.
The origin of the stone also determines the color of the stone. It is said that Colombian emeralds have a warmer and more intense green color whereas Zambian emeralds have a cooler and more bluish green color. But yes, sometimes their appearances do get overlapped between sources.
Clarity of Emerald Gemstone
Only very rarely do you find an emerald with no inclusions. Most of them contain imperfections. For that very reason, they receive oil treatment. It helps in fixing the fractures and improving the overall clarity of the stone. Heat treatments are avoided as they might make them lose their color.
It is fascinating to look at emerald inclusions under a microscope as they show different green plant patters. These inclusions are named "jardin," which means "garden" in French.
Emeralds aren’t accepted in the market, if their inclusions affect the appearance. But if they are of high quality and the inclusions do not diminish the clarity, they are bought at a high price.
Carat Weight of Emerald Gemstone
Emeralds come in a variety of sizes. You can see big-sized emeralds weighing hundreds of carats and tiny emeralds weighing just fractions of a carat. Zimbabwe is known for its vividly colored tiny emerald stones. The smallest emeralds come in an intensely green color. They rarely weigh more than 1.50 carats. The most common sizes of stone for jewelry are 1–5 carats. But in the case of prestigious jewelry, the stone can go above 20 carats. The larger and the rougher, the higher the price of the stone. But if it lacks these other factors and has low quality, then it can be sold at a lower price.
Emerald Gemstone : Treatment
Emeralds mostly come with inclusions, which makes it more difficult to take many treatments. As mentioned above, heat treatments are possible on them. They can make them lose their luster. They are mainly treated with oil and resin, which helps in filling up the fractures. Emeralds with fewer or no inclusions are rare and expensive.
Emerald Gemstone Origin
Emeralds have some origin specific characteristics that make them unique. Some lead to more demand and more price, while some factors lead to less price. Colombia has the highest percentage of emeralds in the market because it is the primary source. It produces fine quality, deep green emeralds. The color is intense and warm. Because Colombian emeralds are not rare, you will find them less expensive than in Zambia or Brazil.
Other Factors Affecting Emerald Jewelry Price
The factors that add to the price of emerald jewelry after the emerald stone are the metal of the ring, the diamonds being added to the setting and the labor who created the jewelry. The labor price can go higher than the price of the gemstone.
The above mentioned factors are definitely the main price-deciding factors for emerald. But you will find emerald jewelry prized than diamond jewelry because of its rarity. Colored diamonds are even more expensive than emeralds, but they have very muted and subtle colors and constitute a very small market. An emerald is one stone that gives the most vibrant color and is in very much demand.
