Emerald Appraised Jewelry Part Two
The final part of a two part series on Emerald Appraised Jewelry
Knowing something about what emeralds are and how they look is important when seeking to buy an emerald. You want to be sure you are getting what you paid for and if you are seeking a genuine emerald, for example, you don’t want to be buying a synthetic one.
Important firstly is to establish what your budget is. Then spend at the top of your budget to ensure you get the best possible emerald for your money. Buying cheap is not going to get you a good quality emerald although there might seem to be many ‘cheap’ emeralds out there. For the most part ‘cheap’ emeralds are of low quality with many inclusions and often are synthetic emeralds.
So your first step is to seek a reputable dealer, preferably one who specializes in emeralds or gemstones.
If buying online ensure the dealer has a returns policy so that you can return the stone if you are not satisfied without any penalty such as the lost of a deposit. Also that the dealer has a proper postal address and contact phone numbers. Ring and check they do exist!
Do not be afraid to dicker or bargain with the dealer for a better price. The prices of gemstones is very well inflated so you can get a good deal if you show genuine interest but haggle a bit.
When browsing emeralds, check each stone, preferably in natural light and not just in the high intense light of the shop or jewelers. Ask to use the jewelers loupe (special eye glass) to inspect the emerald. If he or she refuses or professes not to have one then leave.
You are looking for inclusions within the stone. If there seem to be rather a lot then try to pick the one with the least number of inclusions unless all the stones presented to you have just as many each.
Importantly the stone should come with a independent certificate of appraisal. If the jeweler will not give one or will only give his bit of paper saying it is a genuine emerald of a specific weight then walk away. A proper certificate gives not just the weight, but also the color and clarity and amount of inclusions and if it is a genuine emerald or a ‘created’ one.
Finally, check the setting and ensure that the back of the stone is visible. This is part of ensuring you are buying a genuine stone and not just something that has been pasted on top of something else. Is the setting secure and the claws rigid? A glued in setting is insufficient. The glue can deteriorate over time and the emerald be lost.
By keeping the above in mind you will go a long way to ensuring that you get the emerald you like at the best price!
This is the last of a series of two articles on Emerald Appraised Jewelry.