Everything you need to know about emeralds: Our advice for making the right choice
THE EMERALD: STONE OF WISDOM AND HOPE
The emerald is a precious stone of intense green color that has always aroused an irresistible fascination. Its shades of green, ranging from light green to dark green, symbolize balance, harmony, renewal, as well as growth, reflecting the lush beauty of nature. This stone has been known and respected for millennia, its charm being perpetuated through generations.
Going back 5,000 years, the Egyptians were among the first to recognize the value of the emerald, using this gem to create jewelry reserved for the aristocracy. This precious stone held a particular fascination for Cleopatra, the last active queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, who had a marked predilection for emeralds. Legends tell that she regularly wore jewelry inlaid with emeralds and that she offered them to foreign dignitaries.
Over the years, the emerald has become the symbol of the month of May, reinforcing its ties with spring, renewal, and hope. It is often worn as a pendant on a necklace, although rings and bracelets are also commonly made with this stone.
In terms of benefits, the emerald is frequently associated with wisdom, hope, and spontaneity. It is credited with soothing virtues, promoting clarity of mind, discernment, and truth. Moreover, in some cultures, it is believed that the emerald has the power to heal certain diseases and stimulate intuition.
However, despite its robustness, the emerald is a stone that requires special care. It is particularly sensitive to shocks and chemicals, which requires handling it with caution. To clean it, soapy warm water and a soft brush are recommended, while exposure to heat and temperature variations should be avoided.
The beauty of the emerald, combined with its symbolic and historical richness, makes it a highly appreciated precious stone worldwide. Whether it is worn as jewelry or used for therapeutic purposes, the emerald remains a gem of invaluable value, a treasure of the earth, which continues to fascinate and inspire.
VIRTUES AND TRADITIONS
The emerald is said to have therapeutic properties to relieve eye fatigue and pain. Elle is also associated with a birth month: the month of May. It is called the birthstone or birthday stone. This is used as a talisman to amplify its healing and protective properties and often used to add even more value to an engagement ring, or even as a gift.
Emeralds are also used to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary. A marriage that lasts 40 years is a symbol of fidelity and eternal love - and emeralds symbolize each of these precious qualities.
3 IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT EMERALD:
All emeralds are green but their depth and shade vary. To choose a good quality emerald, you must take into account the color, clarity, and its size.
1. Choose the right shade of green.
The color of an emerald is the most important factor influencing its overall value. The color of an emerald is evaluated using three specific characteristics: hue, tone, and saturation.
● Hue - The hue of an emerald refers to its overall color. The hue includes the shade of green and any other shades that it may possess. The most beautiful emeralds have an intense green color. If they have shades, it is preferable that they are blue rather than yellow. Good quality emeralds also have uniform coloring with little or no color zoning. Zoning occurs within the gem where spots or "zones" are unevenly distributed that have a lighter or darker shade of green than the rest of the stone.
● Tone – Tone refers to the depth of an emerald's color. An emerald can have a light, medium, or dark tone, which means it will be a light shade of green, a moderate green, or a dark green. The most valuable and attractive emeralds have a medium to moderately dark tone.
● Saturation – Saturation is a term used to describe the purity of an emerald's color. An emerald that has an intense green color with little or no shade has good saturation. An emerald with low saturation will have strong shades and a dull green color. Emeralds that have good saturation are favored in jewelry because they reflect light well and have more brilliance.
2. Check the visible inclusions
Emeralds almost all have inclusions. These inclusions can be mineral fibers, tiny droplets of a liquid, particles of other crystals, and even tiny cracks. Most of these inclusions were in the environment where the emerald was formed and were captured inside the gem. They are also called "garden" in gemology.
It is almost impossible to find an emerald without any inclusions, which is why it is preferable to find a gem that has few but with good clarity.
The clarity of an emerald refers to the number of inclusions in the gem, the type of inclusions, and where they are located inside the gem. An emerald with good clarity will have a limited number of small inclusions that do not detract from the overall beauty of the gem.
Emeralds that have a strong depth in their color have the ability to naturally hide their inclusions.
3. Size matters
The size of the emerald is the third important factor in determining the beauty and quality of the gem. Raw emeralds are six-sided hexagons.
Depending on the inclusions and color shades of the stone, lapidaries will cut the emerald in a way to optimize its beauty and yield. They can therefore be cut into cushion, round, princess or even pear shape, but many emeralds are cut into emerald. An emerald cut gives the gem a rectangular step or "degree" shape with linear facets along each side.
The size of the emerald greatly affects its final beauty. A good quality cut helps to hide the inclusions of the emerald and increases the reflection of light.
WHAT IS A GOOD QUALITY EMERALD?
A good quality emerald has an intense green color with a medium to medium-dark tone. Elle has a limited number of inclusions that are well hidden by its color and size.
HOW TO MAINTAIN AN EMERALD?
Emeralds require special care: Avoid exposure to heat, changes in air pressure (such as in an airplane cabin) and chemicals. Never put an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the vibrations and heat can alter the stone. Emeralds treated by filling can also be damaged by exposure to hot water. The safest way to clean emeralds is to gently rub them with a soft brush and lukewarm soapy water.
WHERE TO BUY AN EMERALD AT THE BEST PRICE?
Close to the production sites, our partners are located across Asia, Africa and South America to ensure the best possible traceability.
After selecting your emerald with the help of our diamond dealers/gemologists, you will have the opportunity to mount it on a piece of jewelry made in our Parisian workshops in accordance with the great French jewelry tradition.
We have showrooms in Paris, Nice, Lille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lausanne, and Casablanca open all year round. We welcome you by appointment and we meet all your expectations in terms of high quality jewelry. The only limit is your imagination! Make an appointment
