Emerald Gemstone Guide

Emerald Gemstones - The Complete Guide

Emerald is one of the world's most famous colored gemstones. Its distinctive green color has made it a symbol of luxury and elegance for centuries.

What Is Emerald?

Emerald is the green variety of beryl. Its color is typically caused by trace amounts of chromium, vanadium or a combination of both.

Emerald Color

Color is one of the most important characteristics of an emerald.

Fine emeralds can display vivid green with attractive saturation and tone. The exact appearance varies considerably between stones.

Emerald Clarity

Unlike many other transparent gemstones, emeralds commonly contain inclusions.

These internal characteristics are often called the “jardin”, or garden, because of their appearance.

A relatively clean emerald can be exceptionally rare, but inclusions are not automatically undesirable.

Emerald Treatments

Many emeralds are treated with oils or other substances to improve apparent clarity.

Treatment disclosure is important because it can influence both value and care requirements.

Emerald Origins

Important emerald-producing regions include Colombia, Zambia and Brazil, among others.

Origin can be significant for exceptional emeralds when it is established by a reputable laboratory.

Emerald Care

Emerald requires more careful handling than sapphire.

For many emeralds, warm soapy water is the safest cleaning method. Ultrasonic and steam cleaning should generally be avoided, particularly for treated stones.

Explore our collection of natural emerald gemstones to discover individual stones with unique character.