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All About Emeralds

Emeralds are such a wonderful and fascinating gemstone that some can be even more valuable that diamonds. They come in hues from a light almost transparent green to a deep rich intense and radiant green. They have been used since ancient times, in fact the early scriptures of India mentions the healing properties of emeralds in the Vedas. The Incas of Central America also regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone.

The name emerald comes from the Greek ' smaragdos ' via the Old French ' esmeralde ', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were made near the Red Sea in Egypt many thousands of years ago.

Famous emeralds can be found in various museums and collections, such as The New York Museum of Natural History, for example, which has an exhibit of a cup made of pure emerald which belonged to the Emperor Jehangir. This is shown next to one of the largest Colombian emerald crystals, called the 'Patricia' and which weighs 632 carats. The Iranian Treasury is reputed to have in its collection the collection known as the Bank of Bogota including five gigantic emerald crystals weighting 220 and 1796 carats respectively.

Although it is a relatively hard gemstone it does suffer from being a mite brittle and can have fissures that result in making cutting and setting a difficult chore. Despite this the best cut for an emerald is the "Emerald Cut" and this is the one you would look for when in the market to buy a emerald gemstone. The cut should be rectangular or square with beveled corners to bring out the natural rings out the beauty and light reflecting qualities of this wonderful gemstone. Sometimes, however, it is better to cut the emerald into a round cabochon shape if there are many inclusions on the stone.

Many emeralds can have a colorless resin coating also. This is done to protect the emeralds and also seal the pores of the stone. Without this coating many emeralds seem dull and have a matt finish. However this does have the disadvantage of reacting to certain chemicals and cleaning agents. If one has an emerald ring one should always remove it before immersing ones hands into detergent or soap and you also cannot clean them ultrasonically. A regular cleaning by a professional is usually the most prudent action and, provided your emerald is well looked after, it can be expected to give many years of enjoyment.

Emeralds are a member of the beryllium family of minerals with a hardness on the Mohs scale of 7 to 8. Pure beryl has no color and it is by the addition of traces of chromium and vanadium that the green effect so prized in emeralds comes about. They are actually considered by some to be more precious than diamonds, pssobly because they are more rare as the mineral, beryllium, used to form emeralds is quite rare.

Virtually all emeralds will have inclusions, bubbles or cracks, carbon fleck and possibly foreign crystals inside. They are not considered faults but more an indication of the emeralds genuineness. A completely flawless emerald has never yet been found!

Emeralds are found all around the world in South American, South Africa Russia and other countries. The oldest emeralds come from Zimbabwe and have been around for at least 2,600 million years. Emeralds from Pakistan however are only around 9 million years old. Some of the finest emeralds are found in Colombia although fine emeralds are also found in, Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Russia., Zambia and Zimbabwe. Particularly fine emeralds are often found in Brazil and Zimbabwe with emeralds of a darker hue. These are considered more valuable as are a much rarer find.

All emeralds are created with distinct identifiable "jardin" inclusions. These are specific to emeralds and one of the best ways of identifying a genuine emerald from a fake.

Gemology:
Mohs' Hardness: 7 1/2 - 8
Specific Gravity: 2.67- 2.78
Chemical Composition: Al2Be3 (Si6O18) aluminum beryllium silicate
Refractive Index: 1.576-1.582
Crystal System: Hexagonal (trigonal); hexagonal prisms, columnar

Buying Cheaper Emerald Jewelry

There are a number of things that you need to remember if you want to buy cheape remerald jewelry. All over the world, people love buying emeralds as it is prized for its enchanting effect on both its buyer as well as on other people who gaze at it. So if you have been waiting to pick up some emerald jewelry for yourself but need to keep the shopping budget in the comfort zone, check a number of options before you actually finalize on any emerald jewelry.

If you have tried to buy emerald cheap jewelry but not been very successful my advice to you would be don't give up so easily. It's not difficult to get emerald cheap jewelry if you look for it in the right places. I'm sure you have checked all the local jewelry shops in your area and found them to be above your shopping budget. Avoid visiting these shops because you will always find their prices to be on the higher side. Even if they give a discount, they will first hike the price tremendously and then give a discount on that shocking isn't it as you are still being cheated by them even after the discount has been given to you.

To buy emerald cheap jewelry just explore the internet a bit. The internet is one of the best places where you can pick up emerald cheap jewelry. And you will be amazed to get a wide variety in designs as well as prices. Prices tend to be cheaper on the internet as the overheads are lower, no expensive stores to maintain and less employees to pay for. Also there is a great deal of competition going on the internet so you can make the most of such a situation. Even if you pay for shipping, the total cost of your jewelry will likely be much cheaper than what you would have spent in your local jewelry shop.

Your aim should not just be to buy cheap emerald jewelry but buy good quality emeralds. This can be done by buying emerald jewelry from online dealers who will offer you a guarantee or some form of authenticity certificate. Don't forget to check the feedback given by previous buyers on the websites that are selling emerald jewelry. Finally look for all the important things that enhance the worth of an emerald clarity, size, lack of flaws, etc. Once you have zoomed on a decent option on the internet, you can easily manage to buy cheaper emerald jewelry for yourself.

Buy Raw Emeralds

If you're looking to buy raw emeralds, you probably already know what you're looking for. Raw emeralds are emerald stones that have not been cut into shapes and come to you just as they existed in nature. They range in color from turquoise to dark green. Raw emeralds come straight from the earth and are not altered in any way. They come to you just as they are in nature. They have not been cut or altered in any way. Most people buy emeralds to wear, but some buy them simply for their beauty.

If you're looking to by raw emeralds, it is important to know what to look for in terms of quality. Raw emeralds can be small or large. They can be jagged and rocky, or in the form of small jagged stones. They can be purchased at your local jewelers or online. Packages of raw emeralds can be purchased online for as little as $25.00. The quality of the stone most often determines the price. If you're a jeweler, you may purchase raw emeralds to make jewelry. This gives you the opportunity to cut stones and tailor them to your specific needs.

As a precious stone, an emerald is part of the beryllium family of gemstones. Finding a raw emerald can open up a world of possibilities for a jewelery lover. You can buy a large rock of raw emeralds and have countless stones cut out of it. Because emerald rocks can be sold at low prices, the average consumer can save themselves hundreds of dollars, if they have the jewelry especially-made. This also gives you the option of adding less expensive stones, such as cubic zirconia.

If you'e planning to buy raw emeralds, it is important to know the stone's worth. You can find this information online by comparing prices found on online auction sites.

If you're planning to buy emerald jewelery for a loved one, keep his or her personality in mind. Buying raw emeralds gives you the opportunity to customize a piece, so it matches her personality. Buying for yourself? Pick a setting you like of course.

Selling Emeralds

When selling emeralds there are a number of factors to keep in mind. Firstly that, unless you are selling an antique emerald, such as an antique ring for example, you are unlikely to get what you paid for the emerald originally.

First you need to know how much the emerald is worth. Doing some study and browsing the online dealers will give you an idea of the value of your emerald. Then once you have an idea of the value of your emerald you will nowm what you can ask for it.

Unlike some precious metals, gemstones do not range in price very much and do not have dramatic increases in value. In addition when one buys an emerald, such as in a ring or broach, then there is the jewelers mark up or premium and that can be as much as 30 percent if not more so when it comes to sell you have lost that part of your original payment already. How much you get then can depend largely on how you sell the emerald. You can sell to a dealer or back to the jeweler you got the emerald from but this will result in you getting perhaps 20 percent of the value. A Pawn broker will give a bit more perhaps. Selling privately or by auction will most likely net you the best price. Auction houses such as eBay and Bidz.com are two well know auction houses where one can sell one's emerald. To ensure you get what you ask for you can set a reserve price. Obviously if you try to sell for more than the emerald is worth it is unlikely you will get any buyers. But with some work, study and due diligence you should get a satisfasctory price for your emerald.