You can buy emerald jewelery pretty much anywhere but what sort of quality is on offer these days?

If you go to one of the chain jewelery stores you are likely to get the average mass produced emerald jewelery, pendants, rings etc.
But if you are after quality emerald jewelery then it is probably better to go to a individual professional jewelers, one that tends to specialize in emeralds or gemstones rather than the mass produced jewelery available these days.

Emeralds are one of the most valuable gemstones in the world, some even more valuable than diamonds.

Many emeralds have cracks and fissures in them which are filled with a microscopic oil to help them keep their hardness. The hardness on the Moh hardness scale is 7.5. To give you an idea of where emeralds sit, diamonds are at 10 on the scale and talc 1.

Emeralds are not just green. You can get them in many shades from brilliant green to an almost blue. The brilliant green is the most popular of course. If you find an emerald that is almost perfect with no inclusions (cracks and holes inside) and a perfect clarity, well that would be extremely valuable and worth more than a diamond of the same weight and clarity would be. As emeralds are quite rare, many of them, especially the cheaper variety, are simply synthetic stones. They are still emeralds but are made in a laboratory rather than naturally. These are made with high pressure and temperature and are sometimes referred to as ‘created’.
The emerald is the birthstone for both April and May and the gemstone for the astrological sign of Taurus the bull.

When you pick out a stone you like, see if you can check it in natural light, not just the bright lights of the jewelers. These lights are set to make the gemstone look perfect but to see what it would look like in normal light you will need to take it outside. You will also need the permission of the jeweler to do that of course!
If possible try and get a certificate of appraisal or at least something in writing that will outline the qualities of the emerald. This is useful not just for insurance purposes but also as a proper valuable of of the emerald and as an establishment that the stone is genuine and has a value.

When you buy emerald jewelery it is a good idea to know before you buy. That includes knowing what you want, a ring, a pendant, necklace or perhaps a pair of earrings. Also what you budget is. How much do you want to spend. It is better to spend at the top of your budget to get the best emerald you can for the price. Do not be afraid to bargain also. In these economic times, dealers are keen to sell and will bargain. You can often get up to 20 percent or more discount this way , especially if you are paying cash.

A little bit of work when you buy emerald jewelery can make a big difference to how satisfied you are with your purchase.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 4th, 2009 at 11:16 am and is filed under Buying Emeralds.