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Input on Muzo emerald

VividRed

VividRed

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Dec 25, 2018
Messages
800
Hi All,

I would need your help on a round cut Muzo emerald of ca. 1.5 carat. Minor oil, cert is reliable.

Here the videos (google drive) provided by the vendor: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1--DYoeAb40uDcA1GXl0uZjlRWMl4Eg6D

I know emeralds are a bear to photograph but wonder what you think. Price is slightly north of 4k US per carat. I am looking for a vivid blueish green of medium tone.

Thank you all!
 
The clarity and cut are phenomenal! Some folks don't like rounds for colored gems, because the cut has a tendency to not hold the stone's color (which, incidentally, is why they're great for diamonds). But I disagree... if the proportions and symmetry are right, along with strong saturation, colored gems can be brilliant when cut into a round. I wanted a round blue sapphire so badly... in the years I searched, I just couldn't find one with all of my criteria. I settled on a cushion. Anyway! So the stone definitely has a blue modifier, which is what you want. Medium-dark is my preferred tone for emerald, and this is more of a medium, which is your preference. So that's good. And, of course, you want to see an almost indescribably vivid green in person. I don't think the quality of these vids is doing anything for the saturation. But, as you said, emeralds are notoriously difficult to photograph and film! Do you like it, @VividRed? Is it from George? Price seems very reasonable.
 
I also meant to ask the diameter? Since beryl's density is so low, and rounds are a more shallow cut, you're going to get a lot of real estate with a round emerald!
 
Autumn in New England said:
The clarity and cut are phenomenal! Some folks don't like rounds for colored gems, because the cut has a tendency to not hold the stone's color (which, incidentally, is why they're great for diamonds). But I disagree... if the proportions and symmetry are right, along with strong saturation, colored gems can be brilliant when cut into a round. I wanted a round blue sapphire so badly... in the years I searched, I just couldn't find one with all of my criteria. I settled on a cushion. Anyway! So the stone definitely has a blue modifier, which is what you want. Medium-dark is my preferred tone for emerald, and this is more of a medium, which is your preference. So that's good. And, of course, you want to see an almost indescribably vivid green in person. I don't think the quality of these vids is doing anything for the saturation. But, as you said, emeralds are notoriously difficult to photograph and film! Do you like it, @VividRed? Is it from George? Price seems very reasonable.
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Thank you! I am a little concerned about the saturation, it is hard to know how much is due to the camera but it does not look vivid to me, that’s the only concern I have. It is from George, yes. He offered to send it for inspection, which I greatly appreciate, but asked for more options, to see color variations first.

Diameter is 7mm
 
The videos are all under a spot light, so the stone looks nice and glowing. But ask him to provide you videos under different lighting, outdoor & indoor, then you can see how the stone look differently and determine if you still like it.
 
VividRed said:
but asked for more options, to see color variations first.
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This. I think you could do better.

VividRed said:
I know emeralds are a bear to photograph but wonder what you think.
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IMHO, it is vendor’s job to photograph their stones accurately. He’s been in the business for a while and I’m sure he knows what’s he is doing.
 
It is beautiful but doesn't blow my socks off deep glowy lush emerald. It is a contender to see in person for making the final decision.
 
For $4k/ct, you’re not going to get vivid top saturation. Yes, I know it’s expensive, but considering it’s a Muzo emerald, it would run $10k+/ct for trade ideal color in that size range. That being said, I would ask about surface fractures on the gem, in particular on the table. That’s extremely important to know with emerald.
 
T L said:
For $4k/ct, you’re not going to get vivid top saturation. Yes, I know it’s expensive, but considering it’s a Muzo emerald, it would run $10k+/ct for trade ideal color in that size range. That being said, I would ask about surface fractures on the gem, in particular on the table. That’s extremely important to know with emerald.
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10k+/ct for a 1ct even with minor oil? I thought that was no oil pricing :-o
 
I definitely is glowy. I say it’s a contender to see in person.
 
Yes, emeralds do not have to be “top color” to be beautiful, but if that’s what you’re looking for, be prepared for sticker shock.
 
One thing you could do is ask George to take a short video comparing it to what he considers top colour. That might give you a visual of the differential.

I personally prefer a slightly lighter stone than he does - I want my stone to look like his ideal once set, and I want my emerald in a bezel, so that means starting with a somewhat lighter body.

Re. Glow… George made clear that searching for a stone with true gota de aceite - forget colour :lol: - was a fool’s errand, and that I would be about a hundred people down the waitlist even if such material was found. The upside is that the sorts of inclusions that can yield a very compelling pseudo gota de aceite effect aren’t tied to crystal formation directionality and aren’t highlighted or diminished by certain faceting patterns - and so can be as present in a round stone as an EC, or even a cab ::)
 
This thread might be helpful to anyone looking for a higher quality emerald

Emerald Hunt: The Search for Butterflies

Hi! I recently got it into my head to create an emerald necklace, so I've been looking around some emeralds recently. I would prefer insignificant or minor oil, 2-3ct, a color that isn't too dark but also highly saturated, has a bit of a bluish tinge, and has the mariposa effect. I was recently...
www.pricescope.com
 
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T L said:
It’s top color pricing with minor oil. Emeralds can be uber expensive. Old mine material is even pricier.
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More than extra fine unheated Mogok ruby? :shock:
 
VividRed said:
More than extra fine unheated Mogok ruby? :shock:
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Hmmm, maybe tens of thousands per carat last I heard, and it depends on size. Gem quality emerald can grow to much larger sizes than ruby. A top untreated ruby above three carats can be seven figures in price. The giant Oppenheimer emerald, one of the largest and finest emeralds in existence was $5,000,000. A relative bargain next to some much smaller rubies. Outside of some fancy color diamonds, rubies are the most expensive colored stones on earth.
 
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T L said:
Hmmm, maybe tens of thousands per carat last I heard, and it depends on size. Gem quality emerald can grow to much larger sizes than ruby. A top untreated ruby above three carats can be seven figures in price. The giant Oppenheimer emerald, one of the largest and finest emeralds in existence was $5,000,000. A relative bargain next to some much smaller rubies. Outside of some fancy color diamonds, rubies are the most expensive colored stones on earth.
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I think that fine ruby increases in price much quicker than other gems once it goes above 5ct. What I didn’t realize was that at the 1-2 carat range, emerald can be just as expensive. I recon a top TOP 1ct ruby (AGL 2.5/75, LI2 and classic Burma) to cost 25k or more (which will outstrip anything other than fancy vivid colored diamond and maybe an uber fine Brazilian Paraiba or Alexandrite), but I admittedly never saw one like this :)
 
VividRed said:
I think that fine ruby increases in price much quicker than other gems once it goes above 5ct. What I didn’t realize was that at the 1-2 carat range, emerald can be just as expensive. I recon a top TOP 1ct ruby (AGL 2.5/75, LI2 and classic Burma) to cost 25k or more (which will outstrip anything other than fancy vivid colored diamond and maybe an uber fine Brazilian Paraiba or Alexandrite), but I admittedly never saw one like this :)
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A quick look at Sotheby's shows 1-1.5ct Brazilian paraiba can go for 30k/ct easily. Though they come in settings with diamonds which may have some impact. I didn't bother accounting for inflation, but the sales are from 2018 onwards.

1.57ct greenish blue sold for 67k or 42+k/ct

1.62 windex blue sold for 56k or 34+k/ct

1.39ct greenish blue failed to meet the 48k minimum estimate or 35k/ct

1.09ct sold for 19k, may have some issue with it, the image is poor.

Sorry for derailing the thread. We should continue talking about emerald! Though that mostly applies to me. :razz:
 
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VividRed said:
I think that fine ruby increases in price much quicker than other gems once it goes above 5ct. What I didn’t realize was that at the 1-2 carat range, emerald can be just as expensive. I recon a top TOP 1ct ruby (AGL 2.5/75, LI2 and classic Burma) to cost 25k or more (which will outstrip anything other than fancy vivid colored diamond and maybe an uber fine Brazilian Paraiba or Alexandrite), but I admittedly never saw one like this :)
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Fine ruby goes up exponentially after three carats in size, although anything above a carat is crazy expensive. I’m glad I don’t care much for red! Lol!

@demantoidz, some of those paraibas look like regular indicolite, especially the last one. That might account for the lower price. Also keep in mind that the mountings are very expensive, at least $10k per mount. Those are huge side diamonds.
 
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I need to make a correction. The famous fine emerald I was talking about was not the Oppenheimer, but the Rockefeller emerald. I always get those family names mixed up. Both families had famous jewels.

 
@T L thank you for posting the video. The gota de aceite is so apparent in that emerald! What a treasure.
 
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T L said:
Fine ruby goes up exponentially after three carats in size, although anything above a carat is crazy expensive. I’m glad I don’t care much for red! Lol!
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Lucky girl! Although you have an impressive collection of greens. :mrgreen: But not liking red means you don't have to deal with ruby OR red spinel. Two of my biggest downfalls (I love the entire rainbow... that's my problem). What is your favorite gem aside from demantoid, T L?
 
Why don't they have a fainting emoji on here? That EMERALD! o_O
 
Back to this one for one sec. ;)2 I agree with seeing it in person, if it is the cut and general hue that you are after. Discriminating between the high end, very high end, and ultra high end -- in terms of hue and saturation and light return -- is almost impossible in photos and videos, no matter how skillfully taken and honestly presented.

EDIT: I also a prefer a lighter-than-trade-ideal hue and a noticeable blue to the green. I am drawn to these in person and after joining this forum I now have to second-guess myself :cool2:. They are almost what I would imagine a greenish-blue Paraiba to be -- vivid but bright with all the inclusions.
 
Autumn in New England said:
Lucky girl! Although you have an impressive collection of greens. :mrgreen: But not liking red means you don't have to deal with ruby OR red spinel. Two of my biggest downfalls (I love the entire rainbow... that's my problem). What is your favorite gem aside from demantoid, T L?
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I have red spinels, but not rubies. I should appreciate them more. I love fine emerald, blue/violet/lilac spinels, and green FCD’s.

I don’t want to derail this thread though.
 
@VividRed did you end up getting a video comparing different qualities?
 
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