Guide to emeralds

What they symbolise

“Nothing greens greener.” This is how Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder chose to describe emeralds in his encyclopedia, Natural History, written in the first century AD. He was right: the intense green of emeralds is rarely matched, and it’s what has made the stone widely popular throughout the centuries.

Emeralds possess strong symbolic power, as they are thought to bring the wearer peace, hope and the prospect of renewal. For millennia, members of the elite have worn emeralds to achieve greater wisdom and protect themselves from disease. It is said Cleopatra was particularly fond of this precious gem as a royal adornment.

Emeralds are the birthstone for May and are given to celebrate 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Timeless designs

Many famous creations feature emeralds of exquisite quality and finish, but perhaps the most sublime example of early jewellery design is the 16th-century Crown of the Andes. It features 450 emeralds, including an impressive 24-carat pure green gem that is said to have belonged to the last Inca emperor.

Among more recent examples, we find Elizabeth Taylor’s famous Bulgari jewellery collection, which features a 7.4-carat emerald ring, matched with a superb necklace and earrings set with Colombian emeralds and diamonds.

What to remember

Cost and carat
The final price of your emerald will be determined by many factors, including colour, carat, clarity, cut, treatment and origin. A right combination of these will ensure your gem’s long-term value remains steady and perhaps even increases over time.

Large emeralds are extremely rare, and so carat weight exponentially increases the value of your gem. The price of a 10-carat emerald is usually 50 times that of a one-carat stone.

Colour intensity
The colour of an emerald is by far the most important aspect to consider when making a purchase, as this will significantly impact the stone’s value.

Unlike diamonds, there is no internationally accepted colour grading system for emeralds. Dazzle Diamonds have adopted the ICL’s five levels of colour intensity that range from Deep to Light. The most sought-after intensity is Vivid for its balanced tone and saturation.

We also classify emeralds in three shades: pure, bluish and yellowish green. Pure green with intense saturation commands higher prices; strong yellow or blue overtones can reduce long-term value.

Clarity
The interior inclusions of emeralds are known as the ‘jardin’ (“garden” in French). Inclusions are appreciated for the way they diffuse colour. Three clarity levels:

• “Eye Clean” (EC1–EC2) — inclusions invisible to the unaided eye; rarer and more valuable.
• “Visible inclusions” (VI1–VI2) — inclusions slightly visible to the unaided eye.
• “Included” (I1–I2) — inclusions obvious to the unaided eye.

Cut and shape
Emeralds are mostly step cut into an octagonal shape to intensify fire and strengthen structure. This classic look is now known as the “emerald cut”. Oval or pear shapes are also found. Cut quality will influence the final price.

Treatment
Only the finest, rarest emeralds are unearthed perfect; most are treated and this is broadly accepted. To enhance clarity, emeralds often undergo oil treatment (O), where oil is introduced into fissures in a vacuum. This is temporarily stable and can be repeated after years.

Other methods include artificial resin (R) to enhance clarity and stabilise the stone (less accepted, typically seen in lower-quality gems), or a combination O+R. Each has levels from minor to significant. Treatments affect price — for example, a 1-carat emerald moderately treated with oil can be ~4× more expensive than a similar gem treated with resin.

Origin
Although some emeralds look similar, origin influences value. Colombia produces many of the world’s finest emeralds (the Muzo mine is famed for exceptional quality). Today, mining conditions are sustainable and meet accepted standards.

Next most prized origins are Zambia and Ethiopia, followed by Brazil and Afghanistan. Stones from Pakistan and Madagascar are typically lower in value for origin.