Up to 4,000 times more valuable than gold, and far rarer than diamonds, Emerald's history is more turbulent than that of any other gemstone.  Greeks, Romans and Turks conquered Egypt and plundered Cleopatra's mines for it...Spaniards raided and destroyed civilizations in its pursuit.  The best quality Emeralds in the world can sell for $20,000 per carat, and are more sought after than any other gemstone.

Emerald is the green variety of the mineral Beryl and is one of the most highly prized of the gemstones.  It is the birthstone for May, and was historically believed to bestow on its wearer faithfulness and unchanging love, plus the ability to forecast events.

The highest quality Emerald has the color of fresh young green grass - an almost pure spectral green.  The world's finest Emeralds are generally considered to come from Colombia, with other major world sources including Brazil, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and India.

ALL Emeralds have flaws, and each Emerald is as unique as its owner; no two are exactly alike.  The French have a term for the particular set of inclusions in Emeralds: they call it "Le Jardin", which is French for "the garden".  The value of an Emerald is influenced by color much more so than by inclusions.

When buying any colored gemstone, 90% of the value is determined by the color.  A very slight difference in the depth of green can double the price of two otherwise comparable stones.  A deeper colored stone with more inclusions is a better buy than a lighter colored stone with less inclusions.

Virtually all Emeralds are treated with an oil, usually Cedar Wood Oil, to fill in the microscopic fissures on the surface which can appear whitish and can make the stone look lighter than it actually is.  Emeralds can and should be re-oiled every 5 or 6 years to keep them looking their best.

NEVER subject your Emerald to an Ultrasonic cleaner.  The detergents and cleaning action will remove the oil and drastically effect the appearance of your stone requiring it to be re-oiled.

Emeralds are rated as 7 or 7.5 on the Moh's hardness scale which ranges from 1 to 10 (diamonds being a 10 on the scale).  While certainly a very wearable gemstone, they are not as durable as some harder stones and should be treated with care and respect.  Your other Diamond jewelry will scratch your Emeralds if kept loose in the same jewelry box.

Things to look for:

·   Every Emerald has inclusions....glass imitations will not have inclusions.
·   Make sure the color is consistent through the stone, especially from the top to the bottom
·   Beware of stones that are in settings where you can't see the back of the stone.