Help! Calling emerald experts

[lc8924]

My boyfriend and I are very far along in the process of purchasing an emerald engagement ring from a reputable jeweler in New York. We looked at a lot of very high quality diamonds but ultimately went with a 4 carat emerald which cost $19,000 for just the stone. To the eye the stone looks very lightly included and has a beautiful blue-green color and glow. At the time, the jeweler did not know the origin off the top of his head and did not have any certification documents to show us. He usually works with diamonds but has trusted vendors that he works with for gems. Given how thorough he had been with the diamonds, and how reputable he is, we just assumed that this information would be forthcoming.

Fast forward to today -- the ring is already being set, the deposit has already been paid and we are expecting the ring to be delivered to us by the end of the week. I e-mailed the jeweler to see if he could forward the certification documents and any other information as I was just curious and getting excited for the ring's arrival.

Turns out he says there is no lab report and that this is very common for emeralds. However, this is not what I have been reading online and given the cost of the stone this makes me very uncomfortable.

I am certain that the jeweler will send it to a lab if we request it now, but we are both extremely excited to be getting engaged in time for Valentine's day. Perhaps we could agree to have the jeweler deduct the amount for a lab report from the payment and send it in ourselves in a few weeks after we have enjoyed our 'engagement moment'? I was not planning on wearing the ring every day anyway because of the delicateness of emeralds so I don't think it would bother me too much to part with it for a couple of weeks. Is there any reason that would be a bad idea?

Thanks!!

 

[T L]

Turns out he says there is no lab report and that this is very common for emeralds. However, this is not what I have been reading online and given the cost of the stone this makes me very uncomfortable.

I agree with this statement, and if I were you, I would get an AGL prestige report since you paid a substantial sum for the stone.

 

[lc8924]

Turns out he says there is no lab report and that this is very common for emeralds. However, this is not what I have been reading online and given the cost of the stone this makes me very uncomfortable.

I agree with this statement, and if I were you, I would get an AGL prestige report since you paid a substantial sum for the stone.

Great, thank you! Would you advise against waiting to do this until after we have paid and the ring is in our possession?

 

[T L]

Turns out he says there is no lab report and that this is very common for emeralds. However, this is not what I have been reading online and given the cost of the stone this makes me very uncomfortable.

I agree with this statement, and if I were you, I would get an AGL prestige report since you paid a substantial sum for the stone.

Great, thank you! Would you advise against waiting to do this until after we have paid and the ring is in our possession?

I wouldn't pay for it without an AGL report, and the sale would have to be contingent on the report findings. It should be as advertised with regards to the amount of treatment, the quality of color, and the origin (if he said it was Colombian for example). I would also wait to set the stone, as it's easier for AGL to provide a comprehensive report on a loose gem. I know you want it for V-day, but with such an expensive purchase, it's better to wait and be patient, so that you have peace of mind, as this will be a very significant sentimental purchase.

 

[lc8924]

Turns out he says there is no lab report and that this is very common for emeralds. However, this is not what I have been reading online and given the cost of the stone this makes me very uncomfortable.

I agree with this statement, and if I were you, I would get an AGL prestige report since you paid a substantial sum for the stone.

Great, thank you! Would you advise against waiting to do this until after we have paid and the ring is in our possession?

I wouldn't pay for it without an AGL report, and the sale would have to be contingent on the report findings. It should be as advertised with regards to the amount of treatment, the quality of color, and the origin (if he said it was Colombian for example). I would also wait to set the stone, as it's easier for AGL to provide a comprehensive report on a loose gem. I know you want it for V-day, but with such an expensive purchase, it's better to wait and be patient, so that you have peace of mind, as this will be a very significant sentimental purchase.

Ok thank you. Provided the stone hasn't already been set that is what I will do. What if they have already set it?

 

[lc8924]

Ok so update:

The jeweler e-mailed us saying that he was wrong and there is in fact a lab report for the stone. It is not AGL, however. I have attached it. What are your thoughts?

 

[T L]

Ok so update:

The jeweler e-mailed us saying that he was wrong and there is in fact a lab report for the stone. It is not AGL, however. I have attached it. What are your thoughts?

The problem is that it is not as comprehensive as the AGL prestige report, and you don't 100% know the amount, or type of clarity enhancement. I also never heard of that lab. Did you look it up to see if it was a legit lab? If so, it's not as reputable as AGL for colored gems. They say it has "moderate" clarity enhancement, but their version of "moderate" may be very generous to the vendor.

According to AGL, "moderate" is one step away from strong or significant enhancement, so you have to be careful.

If they already set the stone, I would ask AGL what they would advise. Setting and resetting a stone can cause stress on it, in particular emeralds. AGL is an excellent lab, very communicative and easy to work with, and you can ask your questions by phone or email.

You can also ask AGL about that lab, but if the report is not verifiable, I would be concerned.

I found this tidbit of information on that lab. The gemologist is a former member of Gueblin, but I can't vouch for his credentials.

"*** Christian Dunaigre leaves Gubelin to become independent consultant:
After 10 years with the Gubelin Gem Lab, Christian Dunaigre is moving on. He joined us as a
gemmologist in 1997, coming from the AIGS in Bangkok, and later took over the position of Head of Client
Services. He applied his excellent gemmological skills to all areas of the speciality, and made a
tremendous contribution to the development of the Gubelin Gem Lab and its services. Beginning April,
Christian starts a career as an independent consultant to the gemstone industry, using his extensive
knowledge on gemstones, pearls and diamonds to offer advisory services to this industry. We are deeply
indebted to Christian for his outstanding work at the Gubelin Gem Lab, and wish him all the best for his
future career. "

http://www.gubelingemlab.ch/PDF/Newsletters/2008/Gubelin_Newsletter_21_Wednesday_January_30_2008.pdf

 

[lc8924]

Ok so update:

The jeweler e-mailed us saying that he was wrong and there is in fact a lab report for the stone. It is not AGL, however. I have attached it. What are your thoughts?

The problem is that it is not as comprehensive as the AGL prestige report, and you don't 100% know the amount, or type of clarity enhancement. I also never heard of that lab. Did you look it up to see if it was a legit lab? If so, it's not as reputable as AGL for colored gems. They say it has "moderate" clarity enhancement, but their version of "moderate" may be very generous to the vendor.

According to AGL, "moderate" is one step away from strong or significant enhancement, so you have to be careful.

If they already set the stone, I would ask AGL what they would advise. Setting and resetting a stone can cause stress on it, in particular emeralds. AGL is an excellent lab, very communicative and easy to work with, and you can ask your questions by phone or email.

Right, I understand. I will call them about it tomorrow as their offices are currently closed.

I looked up the lab and it seems that they are legit, but what do I know.

Assuming that the level of enhancement listed is accurate, does the price of the stone seem fair in your opinion?

 

[T L]

Ok so update:

The jeweler e-mailed us saying that he was wrong and there is in fact a lab report for the stone. It is not AGL, however. I have attached it. What are your thoughts?

The problem is that it is not as comprehensive as the AGL prestige report, and you don't 100% know the amount, or type of clarity enhancement. I also never heard of that lab. Did you look it up to see if it was a legit lab? If so, it's not as reputable as AGL for colored gems. They say it has "moderate" clarity enhancement, but their version of "moderate" may be very generous to the vendor.

According to AGL, "moderate" is one step away from strong or significant enhancement, so you have to be careful.

If they already set the stone, I would ask AGL what they would advise. Setting and resetting a stone can cause stress on it, in particular emeralds. AGL is an excellent lab, very communicative and easy to work with, and you can ask your questions by phone or email.

Right, I understand. I will call them about it tomorrow as their offices are currently closed.

I looked up the lab and it seems that they are legit, but what do I know.

Assuming that the level of enhancement listed is accurate, does the price of the stone seem fair in your opinion?

It's hard to say without a decent photo of it. I know nothing of the saturation, and as you say the clarity is very good, but if moderately enhanced without a stable filler, you would be surprised how clarity challenged it could possibly look without it. If the filler is not stable, it will have to be redone in a few years as some resins/oil tend to dry up, and setting/resetting can be an issue.

You also don't know if the filler is colored as well. Are there table fissures?

The color quality prestige report gives very scientific data and a breakdown on the hue, tone, saturation, clarity, cutting, treatment (enhancement type and how much), origin, etc . . . For a pricey emerald, I can't think of a better report. Without it, you don't know if you are paying a fair price IMO.

 

[ElleK]

http://aglgemlab.com/pricelist/

72 hour rush on an AGL Grading Report for a 3.91ct stone with origin, ID and enhancement would cost you $1,000, if they could do it.

http://aglgemlab.com/the-prestige-report/

 

[lc8924]

Thank you so much for your replies.

I will be speaking with AGL and the jeweler in the morning to decide what to do about this.

If in fact the enhancement is using unstable methods but we still decide to go with this stone, is it possible to have the enhancement redone while still in the mounting? Or is resetting always necessary?

 

[T L]

Thank you so much for your replies.

I will be speaking with AGL and the jeweler in the morning to decide what to do about this.

If in fact the enhancement is using unstable methods but we still decide to go with this stone, is it possible to have the enhancement redone while still in the mounting? Or is resetting always necessary?

Enhancement can only be done with a loose stone, both for removing existing enhancement or performing new enhancement. I would also be leary of emeralds with table fissures, which is why I asked. For that price, I would not want an emerald with table fissues. You can see fissures with glare on the table, such as in this picture.

https://emeraldsandjewelry.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/blog-016.jpg?w=300&h=300

 

[lc8924]

Thank you so much for your replies.

I will be speaking with AGL and the jeweler in the morning to decide what to do about this.

If in fact the enhancement is using unstable methods but we still decide to go with this stone, is it possible to have the enhancement redone while still in the mounting? Or is resetting always necessary?

Enhancement can only be done with a loose stone, both for removing existing enhancement or performing new enhancement. I would also be leary of emeralds with table fissures, which is why I asked. For that price, I would not want an emerald with table fissues. You can see fissures with glare on the table, such as in this picture.

https://emeraldsandjewelry.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/blog-016.jpg?w=300&h=300

There were no table fissures that I can recall. I attached the only photo I have of the gem on me at the moment. It was taken on my iphone. This was taken by a window to get the color in daylight. The color was more vibrant in person.

 

[T L]

Table fissures are difficult to detect unless you look very carefully for them. They're very small.

Emeralds are notoriously difficult to photograph, and never look the same in a photo as they do IRL, so I can't say much about the stone in regards to color quality, or the clarity.

 

[GliderPoss]

I'd definitely hold off on payment & setting until you have an AGL report as that could change things vastly! $19K is a lot of money to spend without knowing the treatment, origin and stability of the stone...

 

[lc8924]

Thanks all, you have been enormously helpful!

 

[T L]

Good luck to you, keep us posted.

 

[pregcurious]

Yes, let us know how it works out.