Precious emerald and its magical properties. Emerald stone properties What is the emerald made of

Emerald is a gemstone that is a variety of green. Natural precious stones can also be called a poetic word - smaragd, which in the language of the ancient Russians means - precious. The color is usually dark, dark green. Blue and yellow shades are allowed. There is also black emerald, but this mineral is a type of tourmaline, and has little in common with beryl. Find out what a genuine gem looks like, what is its history and whether you can independently distinguish a fake from the original.

History of the modern emerald

The description of the emerald is found not only in the Slavic chronicles, but also in the writings of Ancient Egypt and Rome.

Cleopatra had her own large deposit of gems. The Egyptians believed that the gods gave them the stone. It symbolized spring and eternal youth.

The emerald was highly prized in Babylon, India. The crystal was presented as a gift to high-ranking officials, wealthy people.

To have jewelry with a mineral meant to have magical powers. It was often given to beloved women. It was believed that a jewel decorated with this stone will protect from the evil eye and damage.

Mankind knows many types of emeralds. But it wasn't until the 19th century that people discovered the chemical composition of emeralds. Chromium or vanadium oxide imparts a rich color to green beryl. Allowed in the composition of iron impurities.

Where is emerald found in nature?

Emeralds are mined in the rock. The largest natural stone deposit is located in Colombia. It is there that 50-95% of all minerals are obtained at the moment. The Colombian emerald stone is considered one of the finest in the world.

Of course, pure green emerald is an excellent raw material for jewelry making. It is framed in gold, silver and platinum. But rough, uncut crystals can be used to heal a person.

Their cost is lower, but lithotherapists believe that such gems:

• normalize blood pressure;
• relieve headaches;
• improve visual acuity;
• help in the treatment of diabetes;
• normalize metabolism.

Artificial stones

The simple formula of emerald allows crystal growth in the laboratory. For this, emerald powder, water and special blanks are used. The technique is called hydrothermal technology. Experienced specialists control the entire process (size of the stone, its color).

Synthetic gems are no different in appearance from natural ones. Their color can be different, green-white with milky blotches to green-blue, but the main tone is green.

The density of this type of mineral is less, but the color is richer. There are examples of unique shades.

Artificial gems are produced in Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Belarus, and the USA.

How to distinguish an artificial stone from a natural one

The chemical formulas are synthetic and are very similar.

But even with the naked eye, the stones can be distinguished:

1. Pay attention to the appearance of the gem. Too light emerald (almost light green) is the result of laboratory cultivation. In nature, stone has darker shades, and dark greens predominate. The brighter the gem that is offered to you, the more likely it is a synthetic analogue.
2. You need to pay attention not only to the color. Emerald of natural origin has inclusions, small defects, cracks. They are perfectly acceptable. An artificial analogue grown in a laboratory will not have such defects.
3. With a Chelsea filter. If you look at an artificial emerald through it, the stone will be much redder than natural.
4. Expose to filtered UV (ultraviolet) radiation with a wavelength of 340-360 nm. Natural emeralds do not react to it, while synthetic ones acquire a characteristic brown luminescence. But the technique is not perfect, as some natural minerals also react.

Price

Artificial gems are richer in color palette, but their cost, of course, is lower than natural ones.

An important factor affecting the price is cut. A gleaming faceted stone set in precious metal will cost much more than an untreated one. The most common cut is "emerald", much less often - "cabochon".

Scientists have been trying to find out everything about the emerald for many years. Many try to recreate a natural jewel - some succeed. Interest in it is caused by the unusual properties of the mineral, which will be discussed in the article. You will learn how it appeared in nature, where it got its name from, why it is so loved by jewelers and how it differs from its brethren. A little history, facts and ambiguous data will come across you along the way and will help you understand why the stone has not lost its relevance over so many centuries.

A look into the past

For the first time, an emerald gem was found in Egypt. The deposit of an ancient mineral was located in the Arabian Desert - the watershed between the Nile and the Red Sea. According to some reports, development there was carried out in 1300 BC. NS.

In South America, this stone was first discovered in 1525-1526. Today, Colombia is the leading emerald catcher. But in the old days the mineral was little known to Europeans and was not considered as valuable as in our time. However, they were a bargaining chip for the Indian tribes of that time.

In the 16th century, the Colombian green fever began. The stones were mined in difficult conditions, since in parallel they had to wage a war with the Indians. In Russia, the mineral was discovered 200 years later, and the field began to actively develop a century later.

The hidden meanings of ancient languages

To determine why the emerald received such a name, it is necessary to turn to ancient languages. For the first time, it acquired its well-known name from the Turkish word "zumrud". Its literal interpretation is a green gem.

The Greeks used to call the emerald "smaragdos", which in the Old Slavonic language sounds like emeralds - green stones. In Sanskrit, the word was pronounced zamorod, and in Persian, zumundi. All these names are associated with the unusual color of the mineral.

Scientific and generally accepted definition

The meaning of the word emerald is interpreted as green. Scientific description of the stone: a mineral belonging to the beryl group. It is popularly known as a status adornment, a jewel of the first order. In terms of value, it is comparable to diamonds, rubies, alexandrites, sapphires.

The main thing is what an emerald looks like, because this is the main criterion for evaluating it. The highest degree of mineral value: uniform tone and clarity. True, such specimens do not come across often.

Emerald is the same beryl. The only difference between them is saturation. The former have a wide green gamut, the latter are almost colorless. Crystal is a type of mineral of the hexagonal system.

Physical indicators as quality criteria

The physical properties of the emerald stone, dispersion, hardness and density, help to assess the quality of mined minerals. Both its structure and fragility depend on them. It is resistant to acids and various reagents, but cracks easily due to natural cracks.

Refractive indices of light are low, only 1.57-1.58. Dichroism (absorption) in the emerald is weak. Dispersion is low, in the B-G interval (0.014). But density is an ambiguous indicator. It varies greatly, depending on the place where the emeralds are mined.

The table clearly shows that the popularity of Colombian minerals is not entirely justified. The densest stones are mined in southern Africa.

The hardness of minerals is determined using the Mohs scale. For an emerald, it is 7.5-8. This is only two units less than that of a diamond - the hardest stone.

Chemical nature and its influence on external signs

The chemical formula of the mineral is Be 3 Al 2 (Si 6 O 18). Its structure is proportionally divided into 14.1% beryllium oxide, 19% aluminum oxide and 66.9% silicon dioxide.

The crystal lattice has a lot to say about a mineral. For example, if you change aluminum oxide to Fe2, the stone will take on a bluish tint, and Fe3 will give it a yellow tint.

The crystallographic formula of emeralds is hexagonal. For those who did not like chemistry at school, let us explain: this is one of the strongest crystal lattices. It has the shape of a regular prism on a hexagonal base.

The chemical composition of emeralds affects the appearance. The light color of the stone is due to the presence of 0.15% chromium. But, if its ratio increases to 0.6%, dark green minerals are found in the deposits.

Smaragd is able to withstand sun exposure. Its color will change only if the stone is heated to 700-800 degrees Celsius.

The magical value and healing abilities of the amulet

Many are convinced that the emerald stone is endowed with useful, medicinal properties. The mineral is antimicrobial when placed in a container of plain water. Lithotherapists speak about these qualities. According to them, the crystal helps:

• restore pressure;
• eliminate headache;
• remove breakage in the joints;
• cope with gastrointestinal diseases;
• recover from diseases of the urinary system.

In the sense of esotericism, emeralds are excellent talismans and amulets. He protects young people from evil inclinations. It brings inspiration to creative people, and helps a business person to achieve success.

Types of mined minerals

The mining location affects what color the emeralds get. Colombian stones have rich herbal hues, but low transparency. Trapiche minerals are interesting in blotches. They resemble flowers or snowflakes.

Zambian minerals are dark in color. Their tone fades a little into blue. Stones from Zimbabwe are small in size and the presence of yellowish inlays. These species are of high quality, despite their low weight.

Brazilian emeralds are not clouded than stones from Colombia. They have a yellow-green hue. South Africa's minerals are cloudy but not dark. Russian crystals are opaque, with a rich color. Interestingly, a nondescript-looking specimen turns out to be more valuable than a bright gem.

Truth and myths about colored minerals

Mineral shades may vary. But one thing remains unchanged: the main tone of an emerald is always green. It can have a dark malachite or light green-transparent hue. Almost everything that jewelers present as color variations is fake or synthetics.

Red emeralds can indeed be found in nature. This is a specific type of beryl - bixbit. But the mineral is so rare that all existing samples are in private collections and are not used in the jewelry industry.

There is an opinion that black emeralds are found in nature. This is a myth, but it is possible to grow a very dark colored artificial crystal.

Samples of synthetic origin

Dairy or ornamental samples grown in the laboratory are the lowest variety of synthetic stones. They do not have shine, their strength characteristics do not coincide with the original, and their price is not higher than the cost of a simple rhinestone.

Sometimes, jewelers replace the emerald with beryl, tinted in a green tone. It is a semi-precious stone with similar characteristics. But its external qualities are not as attractive as those of the original.

Royal insignia in green frame

The green emerald is a royal decoration, using which the crowned persons emphasized their status. One of these samples was seen in 1937 at the coronation of Edward VIII. The stone was central to the imperial crown.

The royal jewelry of the British Crown deserves special attention. The emerald brooch, presented to Princess Alexandra for her wedding in 1863, is a true masterpiece of jewelry. 36 emeralds of the highest quality were used in the decoration.

Royal emeralds are large, rich colored stones weighing more than two carats. Sometimes their surface is veined and cracked, but this only adds to their uniqueness. This texture is due to the natural conditions of formation and distinguishes it from synthetic samples.

Price policy

Let's talk about the system that jewelers adhere to when establishing the cost of emeralds. Valuation takes place in US dollars per one carat (mass unit) and is set on stones without a cut. You have to pay extra for the work of a jeweler.

The price range for crystals depends on their quality. Here are some approximate data on their cost:

• low quality breed - $ 350-375;
• medium quality stones - $ 650-2700;
• high quality samples - 2300-5500 dollars;
• rare specimens - $ 5000-8500.

A characteristic sign of quality is the saturation of the tone. The brighter the mineral, the higher its cost. The price increases with the weight of the minerals. For a sample of excellent quality in 8-15 carats, you will have to pay $ 7500-12000. Details on prices in the article "How much are emeralds"

Emerald is one of the most famous gemstones in human society. He was repeatedly sung and mentioned in various cultures; a large number of myths and tales are associated with him.

Geologically, natural emerald is a type of beryl that has green hues that are occasionally combined with blue. It is the color scheme of the stone that contributes to its high value, which often leaves diamonds behind. Since ancient times, this gem was considered a symbol of wisdom and hope. And in ancient Greece it was called the stone of radiance.

Description of the stone

The very name "emerald" refers to a specific type of beryl - aquamarine, which has a green tint. From here comes the second name of the stone - "green ice". The greenness in the structure is due to the presence of a small amount of chromium.

The characteristics and properties of emeralds are largely determined by this proportion of chromium. Scientists have long established that some types of emeralds contain vanadium, which plays the role of chromium. Since this discovery, vanadium has been found in many deposits. The parameters of the stone depend on the location.

The density of emeralds in Colombia and Siberia is about 2.712 on average. The stones lying on the Brazilian expanses have a reduced density (2,670). And in southern Africa, on the contrary, this figure is overestimated - up to 2.770. The high density is due to the presence of metals such as cesium and rubidium in the structure. These alkaline compounds have a positive effect on the parameter under consideration.

It is easy to distinguish an emerald from a mass of various similar stones - its peculiarity lies in its purity and transparency. According to its strength indicators, it is among the leaders. Moreover, geologists believe that the hardness of the stone continues to increase. And the transparency of the structure attracts the attention of connoisseurs of natural beauty and serves as the main criterion that raises the value of the stone.

Together with the diamond, the emerald (also the ruby) is one of the most expensive stones. Stones that are clean, faceted and have no visible defects in structure and shape are especially highly valued. The optimal weight for connoisseurs is 6 carats. The cost of such copies sometimes goes beyond imaginable limits!

Emerald is a type of green beryl. This gem has been known to mankind since the time of the Sumerian civilization. One of the earliest names for this mineral - the Sanskrit "marakata" - is mentioned in the ancient Indian book Bhagavatapurana, dated about 3100 BC. NS.

In Latin and ancient Greek, the emerald was called "smaragdos" (Latin smaragdus, Greek oiyraubos), which literally means "green stone".

Pliny the Elder wrote in Volume XXXVII of Natural History: “There are twelve types of emerald, but the noblest of them are Scythian, named after the tribe from which they are found. No other emeralds have a more intense color, and they also have the least flaws. As far as emeralds are more expensive than any precious stones, the Scythian ones are more expensive than other emeralds. The closest to the Scythian in fame are the Bactrian. However, they say that they are smaller than the Scythian size ... "

Initially, in Russian, an unprecedented green gem appears under the name "Izmaragd" in the manuscript "On the Situation of Jerusalem" of the 11th century. Only one document of the 16th century has survived, in which the following is written: "... on the friends of the country, hanging stones ... on the right and sardia, topaz, izmaragd".

However, there is no evidence that anyone in Russia before the beginning of the 15th century. saw an emerald or held it in my hands. The first evidence that this gem found its owner in Russia appears only in the middle of the 15th century. For the first time this stone is mentioned under the name "Emerald": "An icon of gold on an emerald." The document is about the cut gems brought from abroad.

There is evidence that the first emerald of Russian origin was found in 1669 by M.I. Pyliaev in his book "Precious stones" refers to an article published in the "Bulletin of the Geographical Society" in 1860, which says: "In the aforementioned year [meaning 1669] Dmitry Tumashev arranged above the Murzinskaya settlement on the river. Neiva blast furnace and gave an announcement to the Verkhotursk voivode Fyodor Khrushchev that he had found an emery stone on the Neiva, which is suitable for any diamond business, and at the same time announced; two emeralds, three stones with purple sparks and three topaz, and that he found those stones over the river. Neiva to the proximity of the Murzinsk prison ”.

At the end of the 18th century. academician V.M. Severgin in his work "The Kingdom of Fossils" wrote: "... emeralds are found in the Verkhoturye Urals, along the Vagran River."

However, if you follow the official version, the first emerald in Russia was found in 1839 by Maxim Kozhevnikov, a peasant from the Beloyarsk Volost. The find took place in the Yekaterinburg district, on the coast of the Tokovaya river. The aforementioned Peasant was examining the roots of a tree upturned by a storm, and accidentally found green gems in a hole under them.

Since the XIX century. nothing changed. Until now, emeralds in Russia are mined at the only Malyshevsky emerald deposit, which is located near Yekaterinburg.

During the Soviet era, this deposit was of interest mainly as a source of materials for the military industry. Beryllium, tantalum and uranium were mined there, and emeralds were a by-product that was sold abroad. This brought the Soviet Union up to four hundred million dollars a year.

After the collapse of the USSR, in the "troubled 90s", beryllium ceased to interest anyone and the mine changed many owners. Foreigners and criminal circles tried to take over the production, as a result, the work of "Malyshevsky" completely stopped. Activities resumed only after the personal intervention of the President of Russia V.V. Putin.

Although Russian emeralds are not considered high quality and expensive on the world market, there is now hope that jewelry with natural Russian stones will appear in jewelry stores.

The first known emerald deposit was in Egypt. The extraction of green stone has been going on since the 300s. BC. up to the 17th century. Before the conquest of America by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Egypt remained the only country supplying emeralds to Europe.

The quality of Egyptian emeralds, the only one known until the 16th century, was extremely low. But even the weakly saturated color and many cracks did not affect the value of these stones. Good, high-quality emeralds appeared in Europe only when the Spaniards found and took away ceremonial jewelry from the Indians of South America. The country where the Indians mined emeralds is now called Colombia. The stones from there are considered the best and most expensive in the world. According to various estimates, from 75 to 90% of all modern emeralds are mined there.

In addition, large deposits of emeralds are located in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil. In small quantities, this gem is found in Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Egypt, India, Spain, Italy, China, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Somalia, USA, Tanzania, France, Switzerland and Ethiopia.

Astrological and medicinal properties of emerald

The Jewelry Industry Council of America and the British National Association of Jewelers have designated emerald as the birthstone for the month of May.

Emerald is a talisman for people born under the sign of Taurus. For a long time, there is a belief that this stone bestows the loyalty of a loved one to its owner. There is also an opinion that green allows its owner to see the future, sharpens intuition.

Another medieval misconception from the same source says the following:

“To heal a person stung by a snake or scorpion, you should mix the emerald with rose water, speak and apply to the wound. The wearer of this stone is also freed from melancholy and hypochondria. "

If with a cure for melancholy and hypochondria - you can somehow agree. Indeed, if someone is given a piece of jewelry with an emerald, then the mood will improve in any case. But it is not worth experimenting with a cure for a snake or scorpion bite with the help of rose water and emerald. Practice says that the faster you apply a modern antidote that is not based on medieval recipes, the higher the likelihood of staying alive.

Bishop Marbod of Rennes (1035-1123), wrote in the "Book of Stones" (XII century) that emerald cures fever and relieves epileptic seizures, endows its owner with supernatural clairvoyance, and also develops many useful properties such as eloquence and exceptional memory.

Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus in the IV century. in the book "Twelve. Gems from Aaron's vestments ”described the emerald as a gem that resists any magic and any witchcraft. He argued that no magic and witchcraft are possible if this stone is somewhere nearby.

The green gem has been considered at all times as a healing stone that promotes relaxation and tranquility. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that emerald can protect against malaria, cholera, dysentery, help newborns survive, prevent epileptic seizures and insomnia.

It is widely believed that emerald has a positive effect on vision. One of the medieval recipes says: "... to strengthen the vision (the light of the eyes), rub the emerald well on the porphyry and, after mixing it with saffron, apply it to the eyes." Leaving this statement on the conscience of the author, it should nevertheless be noted that the positive effect of the emerald on vision was noted by many ancient scientists.

Pliny the Elder mentions XXXVII in Natural History. 16 that the emperor Nero watched the battles of the gladiators through a huge emerald. This emerald has haunted historians for many centuries. There is a version that this stone is because this stone is still kept in the storerooms of the Vatican Museum. Other scientists insist that it was not an emerald, but a huge chrysolite or even simple green glass.

Emerald color and price

The influence of shades and the smallest nuances of color on the price of an emerald is very significant. Color is so important that all other characteristics are often neglected, even purity. Blue-green and green stones are considered high quality emeralds. Any deviation in hue from this range translates this gem into a cheaper variety - green beryl.

Russia has its own standard for assessing the quality of emeralds: TU 95 335-88. The definitions used in this standard are not used anywhere else in the world.

The color of the emerald according to TU 95 335-88 belongs to one of five groups:

• Group 1 - dark green.
• Group 2 - medium dark green.
• Group 3 - medium green.
• Group 4 - medium light green.
• Group 5 - light green.

The color is determined by comparing the test sample with a reference stone. The most expensive are the colors belonging to groups 1 to 3.

The clarity of an emerald is determined by how the gem is cut. Emeralds cut with cabochons are divided into two categories - K1 and K2, where K1 is the best clarity and K2 is the worst.

Emeralds with facets are divided into categories G1, G2, G3. Where G1 is the best purity and G3 is the worst.

The first group is emeralds with facets:

Г1 - transparent, inclusions and cracks are rare, barely visible to the naked eye;
G2 - transparent, forming condensations and a network in separate zones of the stone, visible to the naked eye;
G3 - partially lost transparency in the peripheral zone of the stone, forming condensations and a network in the volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye.

The second group includes cabochon-cut emeralds:

K1 - partially lost transparency in the peripheral zone of the stone, forming condensations and a network in the volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye;
K2 - those that have lost transparency in the central zone or in the volume of the stone, forming a dense network in the entire volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye.

If the characteristics of the emerald are not indicated on the jewelry tag, this means that the stone does not reach the gem quality in terms of its characteristics and, most likely, does not have the right to be called an emerald. In this case, green beryl is in front of you.

The characteristics of an emerald on the tag of Russian jewelry are indicated as follows.

1. The inscription "emerald" must be present. If there is no such inscription, it means that cheaper green beryl is fixed in the decoration.
2. Further, the word "emerald" should be followed by an entry in the form of a fraction C / H, where "C" is one of the five color groups, and "H" is one of the five purity groups.

For example, on the jewelry tag it is written: "Emerald 2 / G3". This suggests that:

• firstly, the jewelry contains a gem-quality cut emerald (since the characteristics are indicated);
• secondly, this stone has a good color - 2;
• thirdly, the emerald is partially transparent only in the center due to numerous cracks or inclusions (category "G3");

In general, these are the characteristics of a fairly good, expensive stone.

Emeralds 1 / G1-2 / G1 are very expensive. just expensive 1 / G2-3 / G2 and 1 / G3-3 / G3. Until recently, the document "Pricelist: Sale prices for natural emeralds of perfect cut from 02.1997 in dollars excluding VAT" was used as a price reference in Russia. The information provided there is hopelessly outdated and has nothing to do with real prices. For example, the highest price for emeralds of quality 1 / G1 weighing 4.00-4.99 carats is indicated at $ 2835 per carat. If we translate the characteristics of a stone from TU 95 335-88 into the GIA system, then today an emerald of this quality and with such a weight costs about $ 8500 per carat. The whole world (except Russia) uses the GIA system for evaluating gems. It defines the quality of stones clearly, down to which specific price categories these or those shades of color belong to. Below are the GIA guidelines for evaluating emeralds.

Commercial grade emeralds

According to the GIA system, the group of commercial quality emeralds includes stones with the following characteristics.

Purity groups:

• very strongly noticeable inclusions (English Severely Included);
• highly visible (English Heavily Included);

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation / tone 4/3, 8/3, 7/4;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation / tone 4/3, 7/3;
• very faint blue-green (vslbG) with 7/3 saturation / tone;
• green (G) with saturation / tone 4/3, 7/3;

Either very light or very dark, weakly saturated stones with highly visible inclusions fall into this category. The price of commercial emeralds depends on the weight of the stone, the higher the weight, the higher the price:

• 0.01 to 1.99 carats $ 10 to 120 per carat;
• 2.00 to 3.99 carats $ 30 to 600 per carat;
• 4.00 to 5.99 carats $ 50 to 800 per carat;
• 6.00 to 15.00 ct. from $ 75 to 1200 per carat.

You can see that the price range is very large and, therefore, a big difference in the quality of the stones is to be expected. The main feature of the commercial category is that it includes stones that are almost always refined by fracture filling.

Premium quality emeralds

According to the GIA system, the group of premium quality emeralds includes stones with the following characteristics.

Purity groups:

• moderately noticeable inclusions (English Moderately Included);
• subtle inclusions (English Slightly Included).

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with 6/4 saturation / tone;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation / hue 674;
• very faint blue-green (vslbG) with 4/4 saturation / tone;
• green (G) with saturation / hue 6/4.

Premium stones include stones of medium-dark and medium-light tones and medium-strong saturation. Emeralds of this category, weighing from 1 carat, are almost always sold with a certificate from a gemological laboratory.

The price of premium emeralds is roughly in the following ranges:

• from 0.01 to 0.09 carats from $ 90 to 600 per carat;
• from 0.10 to 0.99 carats from $ 200 to 1000 per carat;
• from 1.00 to 2.99 carats from $ 500 to 4500 per carat;
• from 3.00 to 4.99 carats from $ 1000 to 5500 per carat;
• from 5.00 to 15.00 ct. from $ 1500 to 7500 per carat.

Emeralds of the highest quality

According to the GIA system, the group of emeralds of the highest quality includes stones with the following characteristics.

Purity group

• inclusions not visible to the naked eye (eng. Eye-clean).

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation / hue 5/5;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation / hue 5/5;
• very faint blue-green (vslbG) with saturation / tone 6/4, 5/5;
• green (G) with saturation / hue 5/5.

Emeralds of the highest quality category are extremely rare on the market. These are stones of medium tones with strong or bright color saturation, without inclusions visible to the naked eye. The complete absence of refinement makes the stone 10-50% more expensive, depending on the weight of the stone. The larger the emerald, the more you will have to pay for the lack of refinement. Emeralds of the highest quality, weighing from 0.5 carats, are always sold with a certificate from a gemological laboratory.

Below are the price ranges for the highest quality stones:

• from 0.01 to 0.09 carats from $ 700 to 1000 per carat;
• from 0.10 to 0.49 carats from $ 1100 to 2000 per carat;
• from 0.50 to 0.99 carats from $ 2000 to 3500 per carat.

Untreated emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 0.01 to 0.99 carats are estimated at 10-20% more expensive:

• 1.00 to 2.99 carats $ 4000 to 7000 per carat.

Untreated emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 1.00 to 2.99 carats are estimated at 20-30% more expensive:

• from 3.00 to 5.99 carats from $ 6,000 to 9,500 per carat;
• from 6.00 to 15.00 carats from $ 8,000 to 13,000 per carat;

Unrefined emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 3.00 to 15.00 carats are estimated at 30-60% more expensive.

To understand how important the nuances of color are for an emerald, let's take two stones with the same weight of one carat. Let the color of these emeralds according to the certificate be the same "very weak blue-green" (vslbG), but the saturation and tone are different. Suppose the first gem is vslbG 7/3, its description looks like: "Dark very slightly greyish very slightly bluish Green" ... If the first will cost the buyer no more than $ 300, then he will have to pay about $ 4000-6000 for the second, depending on how he can agree with the seller.

Sometimes the color is named after the stone deposit. From emerald sellers, you can hear about colors such as Colombian, Zambian, Zimbabwean and Brazilian. The Colombian color is considered the best. Most often it means the vslbG color group, 5-6 tones and 5-6 saturations. When talking about the Zambian color, they mean bluish green (bG), darker 6-7 tones. It should be noted that compared to Colombian Zambian emeralds contain significantly fewer inclusions.

Zimbabwean emeralds are distinguished by their spectrally pure, intense green color (G). As a rule, these stones are rarely found larger than 1 carat.

All less saturated emeralds are called Brazilian.

Verbal descriptions should be followed with great care when assessing the value of an emerald. The name of the area of ​​origin does not say anything about the exact color characteristics of the stone and its value. Moreover, in the same deposit you can find emeralds of completely different colors. For example, Afghan emeralds are very similar in color to Colombian ones, and Ural emeralds are very similar to Zambian ones.

Emerald- This is a kind of beryl mineral with a rich velvety green color, sometimes even with a slight bluish tint. Pure beryl is colorless, and acquires color when there are elements in its structure that are responsible for a particular color. The green color of the emerald is due to the presence of chromium Cr in it. Typical emeralds contain 0.14% chromium Cr, 0.12% iron Fe and 0.05% vanadium V.

Origin of the name: The word "emerald" (English emerald) comes from the Persian word, which, through such modified forms of the Latin smaragdus, as esmeraude, emeraude and esmeralde, has come down to our times. Smaragd is the old Russian name for the emerald mineral. The main deposits of Emerald: Columbia (deposit in Muzo), East Africa, Transvaal, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe (Sandwana).

Physical and chemical properties of emerald

• Chemical formula - Be3Al2Si6O18.
• The crystals are elongated-prismatic.
• The color of the mineral is green with varying intensity.
• Crystals are transparent, translucent.
• Is the mineral fragile ?: Yes.
• The shine is glassy.
• Mohs hardness - 7.5-8.0.
• Density - 2.8 g / cm3.
• Cleavage: absent.
• Refraction or refraction period - 1.576-1.582.
• Fracture: conical, uneven.

Emerald color

Emerald - Like sapphire and ruby, it is priced based on where it was mined. If for the ruby ​​the "password" is Burma, and for the sapphire - Kashmir, then for the emerald it is Colombia, more precisely, the mine in Muzo, not far from Bogota, where stones of the most beautiful grassy green color are mined.

The bright glow of its green color makes the emerald a unique and one-of-a-kind gem. Really good quality samples are quite rare, color evenness often interferes with inclusion. Small inclusions do not in any way reduce the value of the stone. On the contrary, an emerald with a bright deep green color, even with inclusions, is valued more than the purest emerald of a pale green color.

Emerald is a relatively soft mineral (its hardness is more than 7 on the Mohs scale), its surface is easily abraded and scratches remain on the edges. If an emerald has been stored for a long time in the same container with diamonds, sapphires and rubies, it can look almost matte, devoid of luster due to constant damage from harder materials. One of these stones was offered for only £ 500, but after he re-polished it, the price increased tenfold.

Emerald is a fairly durable stone, although it is inferior in hardness to diamond and ruby. The market is made up of concepts such as color, weight, emerald clarity and cut. The price range per carat is enormous. I will take into account stones with a purity from Si2 to IF. Price from $ 200 to $ 5000 per carat. As the mass of the emerald increases, the price per carat increases in progression.

Emerald evaluation criteria

The ideal emerald is a transparent stone of evenly distributed saturated color. The main criterion for the quality of an emerald is its color, followed by transparency. Natural emeralds almost always have cracks and splits, most often cedar, as it has the same refractive index as emerald and helps to slightly reduce the glare of some particularly bright colored stones. To fill the cracks of some emeralds, thermal and vacuum installations using epoxy resins are used. Almost all stones mined in Brazil and Colombia are processed in this way, but emeralds from Zambia are traditionally treated with oil.

The immense value of the emerald and also its inclusion require a great deal of responsibility from the cutter. For this stone, a special cut was developed - emerald. This rectangular or square design with blunt corners lends a special beauty to this gem by showing off its stunning color and protecting it from mechanical damage. But other classic cuts are also acceptable for emeralds. Crystals rich in inclusions and cracks are usually made into cabochons or emerald pearls.

When evaluating the value of an emerald, its color is at the fore. The brighter the green color of the stone, the higher the cost. There are also interesting emeralds of less vivid colors, which sparkle and shine when they are set, while stones of a deep green hue, although they have a deeper color, lose their brightness in the setting. Generally speaking, both lighter and darker stones are valued slightly less. Unlike diamond, a beautifully colored emerald does not lose much in value if it contains inclusions.

The fewer cracks, the more expensive the emerald. Natural emeralds of the highest quality weighing more than 2 carats are very rare and very expensive. A large emerald of deep green color with shades of blue or yellow, practically devoid of inclusions, can cost tens of hundreds of dollars per carat.

Emerald and its magical properties

The main task of the emerald is the fight against the bad inclinations of its owner: deceit, a tendency to scam, infidelity in love. If the owner of the stone does not have bad inclinations, the emerald brings him health and good luck, otherwise he can send disasters to the person. This gem is able to dissipate any negative energy, cleanse the human biofield and his home from the negative. The emerald protects the family hearth: it preserves marital ties, preserves peace and harmony in the family, and promotes procreation.

For people with developed intuition, this stone helps to get in touch with the souls of the dead, with beings from the subtle world, and grants the ability to decipher the signals sent to the Earth by the forces of the Universe. Emerald is a very delicate stone. He does not tolerate aggression and rudeness. If you wear the stone constantly for 2-3 months, a person can correct these negative character traits.

Astrologers claim that nervous, sensitive people expose deceptions and intrigues. It is very suitable for Leo, Libra and Aquarius. Emerald is categorically contraindicated for Pisces, Capricorns and Scorpions. The rest of the signs can be worn.

The healing properties of Emerald

It is believed that emerald stabilizes blood pressure, relieves headaches and joint pains, treats stomach diseases, inflammation of the bladder, and has antibacterial properties (if you put it in a glass of raw water, you can drink it without boiling). In ancient times, it was believed that the stone helps to get rid of night blindness, eyesore, epilepsy. Modern lithotherapists claim that the owner of the emerald is not in danger of nightmares, insomnia, unreasonable fears and increased fatigue.

Talismans and amulets

Emerald is the talisman of nursing mothers, sailors and travelers. As an amulet, he protects young boys and girls from vicious inclinations and a tendency to debauchery. The stone gives inspiration and uplift to creative people, success and good luck attracts to business people.