Emerald is ranked among the world’s most beautiful gemstones. This mysterious gem fascinates with its beautiful green color. Its special charm and rarity make it one of the most sought-after and expensive stones on the market. This gem is probably the most difficult to estimate in terms of price. Planetys Jewellers can help you find out.
How to estimate an emerald?
Emerald is a rare gemstone with a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale and a density of between 2.7 and 2.9. For a long time, emeralds were more sought-after than diamonds. Emerald’s rarity has enabled a large number of jewellers to create beautiful pieces of jewelry such as those offered by Planetys, and some of the most expensive in the world.
Although emeralds are less sought-after than diamonds today, their price remains quite high. Prices vary according to the quality, brilliance, homogeneity and intensity of the stone. In small sizes, emeralds are the most expensive gem when they are of good quality. For the purest emeralds, prices soar rapidly and can reach thousands of euros per carat.
Why is emerald expensive?
Emerald belongs to the beryl family, along with morganite, aquamarine and goshenite. Unlike other gemstones, this green-colored gem commands a higher price depending on its carat count. Emerald’s rarity and popularity make it extremely precious. They have made it a symbol of wealth, but also of stature. This justifies its high price on the gem market.
How do you determine the price of emerald?
Like all other gems, emerald is no exception to the four C’s. They correspond to the stone’s color, cut, clarity and carat. These four criteria are used to determine the quality and price of emeralds.
Color
Emeralds come in a variety of hues. These range from blue-green to yellow-green. Emerald’s characteristic green color can vary from very light to very dark. The hue of the gemstone depends on where it was mined. The two best-known origins for this beautiful stone are Brazil (Socoto, Bahia, Nova-Era, etc.) and Colombia (Muzo, Coscuez, etc.). Brazilian gems are generally yellow-tinted green. Colombian stones, on the other hand, have a blue-tinted green.
The intensity of the mineral’s color can also increase its price. Indeed, the rarest and most sought-after stones are those with particularly intense color. The darker and deeper the green of the gem, the more valuable it is, and therefore the higher the price.
Beware of emeralds with too dark a hue, however, as they may be less pure. Although gems with a dark green hue are particularly prized, lighter tones should not be overlooked. When these gems have good clarity, they have sublime brilliance.
Clarity
Like color, the purity of a mineral can drive up its price. A very pure emerald will fetch a very high price without being a deep green. The green gemstone is naturally included. Inclusions, known as “emerald gardens”, are therefore quite common on emeralds, and are tolerated as long as they do not detract from their brilliance. To make the inclusions more discreet and thus enhance their brilliance, treatments are sometimes applied to the stones. This gives a false impression of the stone’s original quality.
To judge a stone’s purity, we look at its crystallization and the way it captures light. The more crystalline and brilliant the emerald, the higher the price. The most brilliant stones are highly sought-after by collectors. Very pure emeralds that require no treatment are quite rare and therefore more expensive.
The cut
Emeralds come in a variety of cuts. The most eye-catching, however, are the “emerald” and “oval” cuts. They are also the most frequently encountered cuts. However, impurities are much more visible on an emerald cut than on an oval-shaped gem.
The pear cut entails significant weight loss. This makes it the rarest shape and, consequently, the most expensive. Round emeralds are often found only in small sizes (less than 5 mm). Other shapes produced by cutters include navette, cushion and troidia.
Carat (carat)
The weight (mass) of an emerald is expressed in carats. This metric value is equivalent to 200 mg. A 10-carat emerald thus has a total weight of 2 grams. The stone’s weight is also a precise measure that will be used to determine its price. The greater the gem’s weight and the higher its quality, the higher its price will logically be. Quality emeralds that offer the possibility of a good cut are rare after 6 and 7 carats.
Diamonds and emeralds: which is more expensive?
Diamonds are the most coveted of all gemstones. Colored diamonds come in a wide variety of hues. Blue, green and pink diamonds are the rarest. This makes them the most expensive stones in the world.
Emerald is the second most precious stone. The gem’s peculiarities mean that it does not form easily, making it difficult to find. There are emerald deposits in Zambia, Russia, Pakistan, Brazil and Colombia.
Find emerald jewelry at a low price
Although emerald is quite rare and its price can quickly soar depending on its quality, it is possible to find low-cost jewelry made from this stone. In fact, the final price of emerald jewelry depends on several factors. The cost of the raw material used to make it must be taken into account. To this must be added the margin set for each intermediary, the brand price and, depending on circumstances, speculation on the rarity of the stone.
To find a beautiful piece of emerald jewelry, it’s best to turn to jewelers with few middlemen. At Planetys, you’ll find stunning emerald-set earrings and necklaces at low prices. Our emerald jewelry offers excellent value for money, and the beauty and finesse of these pieces are sure to win you over. Don’t hesitate to contact us to treat yourself to certified-quality emerald jewelry at an affordable price.
