Tips on Buying Emeralds
There are a lot of emeralds around so here are some tips you can use when you set out to buy emerald.
Firstly you should have an idea of your budget. Emeralds are considered to be more precious than diamonds and so can be more expensive. They are certainly more rare than diamonds. So establishing your budget first will help you to select an emerald or emeralds that you can afford. Work to spend at the top of your budget so you get the best possible as well.
Almost all emeralds will have flaws in them such as inclusions, bubbles and cracks and even foreign bodies in them., These are not actually considered flaws and can even go a long way to indentifying that particular emerald. It gives them a personal touch in a way. It also indicates the genuiness of the emerald. I don’t think a completely flawless emerald has ever been found and if you are offered one, be wary, it is likely to be artificial and or fake. Actually, all emeralds are created with very distinct identifiable, what is called, “jardin” inclusions. These are specific to emeralds and are one of the best ways to identify a genuine emerald from a fake.
When buying emeralds, buy from an established dealer. Preferably in your own city but if you cannot do that then online of course. You might have to do some research to find a good emerald dealer and when you find someone, really establish that it is a genuine dealer. Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau? Do they have a fix address and are they contactable? Just common sense things really but very important if you want to ensure you are getting a genuine emerald.
When you inspect an emerald you are thinking of buying, inspect it for cracks and scratches. Look to see if it is a symmetrical cut. Look at several emeralds at the same time and do some comparisons. Do not listen to the sales person talking. Look at the emerald yourself.
Check the setting if the emerald is set in jewelery. And not loose. What sort of setting is it. It should be a prong or claw setting and you should be able to see the back of the emerald. A paste or glue setting should not be considered as there is no way you can check that the emerald is not flawed with cracks underneath or in the setting. With a claw or prong setting check for cracks around the setting that would indicate the claws are too tight. Emeralds can be shattered and cracked you know.
To really see the beauty of an emerald it should be at least one carat. Anything smaller and you will not get the full benefit of an emerald. If you are buying loose stones make sure you take then to a really good jeweler to have them mounted.
It is a good idea to have the emerald or emeralds checked by a gemological laboratory and a certificate of authentic issued. That will show all the characteristics that make that emerald unique. It has happened that a person has taken an emerald to a jewelery to have it mounted and not realized that the jeweler has mounted an inferior emerald instead of the original. Does not happen very often and if you have a certificate that shows the characteristics of an emerald will not happen of course.