Emeralds Four Cs
As well as diamonds, emeralds also have the 4Cs. However the important of them is a little different to diamonds, In emeralds, in order of importance, the 4Cs are Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat weight. Whereas with diamonds, you are primarily concerned with the clarity, with emeralds you are more interested in the color.
Color
Color is more important when considering emeralds than diamonds. For the most part the darker or richer the color the better looking and more valuable the emerald is considered to be. This does not mean that all dark emeralds are valuable. It has to be a fine green color and all other qualities being equal it should be worth more. There are some emeralds that are dark but not fine at all, instead rather opaque and these would be worth much less.
Clarity
Natural Inclusions in emeralds are often called ‘gardens’, possibly due to the green nature of the inclusions. These are what create the emerald green color. Since emeralds have so many inclusions a high percentage of emerald rough (normally 80 to 95%) must be cut away to create a gemstone. This high weight loss is one of the main reasons emeralds are so expensive. There is no set scale as with diamonds that describe the clarity (F, VVS, VS, etc) of an emerald.
Cut
The faceting, shape, width and depth of the emerald make up the cut. The ideal cut emerald should be symmetrical in shape and the facets should be uniform to give the maximum color and brilliance. A cut that is too shallow will lose light from the bottom of the stone and brilliance will therefore be lost. Similarly if the cut is too deep then light is lost out the sides and the emerald will appear darker than it should. If the cut is too shallow, light will be lost at the bottom of the stone and the emerald will not have maximum brilliance. If the cut is too deep, the light will escape out of the sides and the emerald will appear dark. This can happen if the cutter is more concerned with saving weight than in producing an excellently cut emerald.
Carat Weight
The actual carat weight is the least important factor in the value of an emerald. Although it does have a bearing on the price of course. Apples for apples, or in this case emeralds for emeralds and provided all the other factors are the same, then a larger gemstone will be worth more than a smaller one of course. But the weight does not take precedence over the qualities such as color, clarity and cut.<
Most gem stones are appraised using the above criteria as a base guide. As with any gemstone purchase always ensure you know what you are buying. Understanding something about the emeralds 4cs will help you do that.