Zambian Emerald prices

[Crimson]

This is pretty. But moderate. One wonders how bad is moderate.

Green Colombian Emerald 6.83ct - 12x10mm #EM0085

Natural Loose Green Colombian Emerald weighing 6.83ct & measuring 11.96 x 9.84 x 8.14 mm from Columbia. The Colombian Emerald is cut in an ideal shape which compliments the gemstone very well. Certificate also available. Colombian Emerald gemstones are beautiful for all occasions and can be...

www.starlanka.com

Yes, looks pretty! Bright and open colour. It may be high maintenance if moderate. Prob more gaps that need filling.. One jeweller told me that some ppl (after deciding to keep their moderate oil emerald) went to get resin filling (sounds like dental work
I have also observed fr auctions that some moderate oil emeralds sold for quite good prices.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Yes, looks pretty! Bright and open colour. It may be high maintenance if moderate. Prob more gaps that need filling.. One jeweller told me that some ppl (after deciding to keep their moderate oil emerald) went to get resin filling (sounds like dental work
I have also observed fr auctions that some moderate oil emeralds sold for quite good prices.

It's bright......and very colourful but....seems to lack intensity maybe?

Haha I keep thinking of the colour of the spectacular pear!

Arrrgghhh no to dental work on a gem!!! I appreciate the info! I am skittish about anything that could visibly change after a few years. Do you know if Minor will pretty much stay the same? They give us the grades but no one really talks about it in practical terms. They should include a category that says: Will look dried in 3 years, will look dried in 5 years and so on!

 

[Crimson]

It's bright......and very colourful but....seems to lack intensity maybe?

Haha I keep thinking of the colour of the spectacular pear!

Arrrgghhh no to dental work on a gem!!! I appreciate the info! I am skittish about anything that could visibly change after a few years. Do you know if Minor will pretty much stay the same? They give us the grades but no one really talks about it in practical terms. They should include a category that says: Will look dried in 3 years, will look dried in 5 years and so on!

Like car maintenance - needs oil change twice a year
No dental work on gems, for sure,
Yes, that green pear is luscious. Sorry no more info about Zambian emeralds to share for now, but here is a jadeite to distract you from the pear. I posted more pics to the Muzo Minerva thread.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Is that the jadeite ring that I picked out of the line up a few weeks ago @Crimson? Did your friend end up buying it???

Tell me..... is Minerva your favourite? I'm trying to ponder who my favourite is and shockingly I think it's the Spess!!!!!!

Not Zambian but Ig threw up this vendor for me. I had a good old perve!!!!!

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[Crimson]

Is that the jadeite ring that I picked out of the line up a few weeks ago @Crimson? Did your friend end up buying it???

Tell me..... is Minerva your favourite? I'm trying to ponder who my favourite is and shockingly I think it's the Spess!!!!!!

Not Zambian but Ig threw up this vendor for me. I had a good old perve!!!!!

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@mellowyellowgirl i don’t just one favourite but Minerva is definitely up there! She has this deep liquid quality I find mesmerizing.
The jadeite is a not the same as the one posted earlier, My friends did buy the jadeite, heart earrings, the saddle ring, and another oval jadeite ring. This is a larger, highly translucent jadeite oval.
Thanks for remembering my jadeite posts!
Btw that Instagram site looks a little strange. I think the colors are a bit off.
I am away for a work conference p. Very intense. As soon as the day was over, I headed to the nearest jewellery store!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@Avondale hoping you can help since you posted that awesome oiling video. Or anyone else!

Are emeralds supposed to have ZERO surface reaching inclusions or are a few ok?

I am planning to head out to view some and am wondering what I should be expecting. I keep hearing things like "surface reaching inclusions means it's likely highly treated" but in my mind I find surface reaching inclusions in anything unacceptable. So are they supposed to be more acceptable in emeralds? Cuz surface reaching sounds like a crack to me.

 

[Avondale]

Well, one thing’s for certain - the oil most definitely cannot penetrate through the crystal itself. It can only do so through an open fissure. If there are zero surface reaching fractures, it would be basically impossible to oil the emerald.

Usually anything surface reaching is a big no no in other gems. The thing is, with emeralds the world collectively decided that the big no no isn’t such a big problem after all. And where a surface reaching fracture on a sapphire, for example, might dissuade your from buying it altogether, with emeralds we go “oh, it only has three, minor oil is perfect”.

Besides, look at it from a different angle. There’s a difference between a small fissure and, say, a cavity. The surface reaching part of the equation is of less importance.

 

[toomuchB]

Are emeralds supposed to have ZERO surface reaching inclusions or are a few ok?

Are you asking about eye clean, or better? Keep in mind oil can make inclusions harder to spot with a loupe, not just the naked eye.

An emerald with no surface reaching features - even no really really tiny fissures - are very, very rare. Those emeralds are literally un-oilable, as there is no where for the oil to go. Here is an example of such a stone - the screenshot is from the AGL's report comments.

https://rauantiques.com/products/russian-emerald-ring-7-16-carats-1#product-desc

Poster above beat me to it

 

[toomuchB]

Worth mentioning there will be other inclusions you will see. Like veils or fingerprints which are partially naturally healed cracks. Here's a veil in one of my stones which doesn't breach the surface. Pic 2 is without the extra light from behind/side.

https://imgur.com/a/QHAKV54

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@toomuchB this is where I'm completely confused.

I've looked at lots of emeralds and even other stones where you can see the fissures inside. So you see stuff inside the stone. But if you hold the stone up to the light, should the emerald be completely smooth on the surface?

I've just checked out my two rubellites and some sapphires. I can see stuff inside on one of the rubellites but the surface of all the stones is dead smooth. Like a very very very polished smooth rock.

Should emeralds be this smooth too or will they have little fissures and gaps on the surface?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Arrgghh sorry everyone I just reread. Haha I was half asleep.

So outside fissures are acceptable on emeralds. That's where the oil gets in. I'll keep my eyes peeled when I go out and about to try on some rings.

That's so weird. I expect my stones to be smooth outside!!!! Completely polished with no cracks in the light.

 

[HockeyMama]

Arrgghh sorry everyone I just reread. Haha I was half asleep.

So outside fissures are acceptable on emeralds. That's where the oil gets in. I'll keep my eyes peeled when I go out and about to try on some rings.

That's so weird. I expect my stones to be smooth outside!!!! Completely polished with no cracks in the light.

For what it’s worth, I also find this issue confusing. I thought surface reaching things make the stone vulnerable to cracking. However, it makes sense there must be some and that’s how the oil gets in. I guess this is why the least oil the better?

 

[toomuchB]

For what it’s worth, I also find this issue confusing. I thought surface reaching things make the stone vulnerable to cracking. However, it makes sense there must be some and that’s how the oil gets in. I guess this is why the least oil the better?

I feel like I am misunderstanding your confusion. The less oil the better because oil masks inclusions. So the higher the degree of treatment, the more serious the inclusions are. If the oil was cleaned out of a minor oil and a moderate oil, the moderate oil would be expected to have more significant inclusions. I don't think oil affects durability. There are resins like Opticon which may also act like stabilizers (I have no idea)

Arrgghh sorry everyone I just reread. Haha I was half asleep.

So outside fissures are acceptable on emeralds. That's where the oil gets in. I'll keep my eyes peeled when I go out and about to try on some rings.

That's so weird. I expect my stones to be smooth outside!!!! Completely polished with no cracks in the light.

I'm not an expert either so I am learning with you all.

I think we need to consider the scale we are talking about. Look at the closeup 360 degree videos of emeralds with various clarity degrees and treatments here. These videos are good because they really shine a light on every facet, allowing you to see that they are mostly smooth.

Emerald Gemstone: all Natural Loose Emeralds | Leibish

Over 400 Loose Emeralds for sale. LEIBISH is a premier destination for exquisite Natural Loose Emerald gemstone.<br> Explore our stunning collection of high-quality and original Emeralds and find the perfect piece.

www.leibish.com

Even the more included ones have overall smooth surfaces. You might spot an area here or there that is likely an entry point for oil (but these will be made to appear less severe than they actually are thanks to oil). Finer emeralds are cut such that there will not be huge cavities and cracks.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

That link is great @toomuchB

I was about to see surfaces and also the tiny lines or lack of lines in some of them.

 

[toomuchB]

That link is great @toomuchB

I was about to see surfaces and also the tiny lines or lack of lines in some of them.

I'm glad you found it helpful, I was writing out some examples from my POV just because I think this is an interesting topic.

This is a no oil emerald:

Emerald Gemstone: all Natural Loose Emeralds | Leibish

Over 400 Loose Emeralds for sale. LEIBISH is a premier destination for exquisite Natural Loose Emerald gemstone.<br> Explore our stunning collection of high-quality and original Emeralds and find the perfect piece.

www.leibish.com

The AGL report specifically states it contains unfilled fissures:

If I had to guess from the video, this area looks suspicious and like if it underwent oiling, it could improve the percieved clarity of this area and get an insignificant or minor grading.




This is a minor oil stone

Emerald Gemstone: all Natural Loose Emeralds | Leibish

Over 400 Loose Emeralds for sale. LEIBISH is a premier destination for exquisite Natural Loose Emerald gemstone.<br> Explore our stunning collection of high-quality and original Emeralds and find the perfect piece.

www.leibish.com

Looks almost totally smooth. I did spot this area which looks like a surface reaching fracture based on how it reflects light differently, so potentially an entry point for oil.



This is a moderate oil stone.

0.97 carat, Green, ZAMBIAN Emerald, Emerald Shape, SKU 200234

0.97 carat, Green, Emerald shape Gemstone. A superb Green Gemstone that has a lovely shape. For more information about this item please contact our customer service department.

www.leibish.com

From the video, I can clearly see this crack, which could maybe be felt if you ran your fingernail over it. It has multiple tiny pits especially near the girdle. Remove the oil, it could be a whole lot worse looking.




I think with a loupe you could tell a lot more about the fractures where oil was used, and how smooth or not smooth the facets are. Still would be tricky because oil's point is to hide the severity, and it works.

 

[icy_jade]

mellow have you seen Ethiopian emeralds? I find them quite pretty. just putting them out as an option to Zambians

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

mellow have you seen Ethiopian emeralds? I find them quite pretty. just putting them out as an option to Zambians

They don't seem to be as widely available as Zambian Icy? I haven't seen much online.

I'm going out in person (hopefully soon next week, real life shopping in Sydney is a bit of an ordeal but @Crimson has inspired me with all her trips to various places in real life) but IG keeps throwing up a lot of Zambian and Colombian. I figure best to go out and look at lots of things. Even if they're sketchy on oil etc, at least I'll see what's out there and what stuff looks like.

Did you have an Ethiopian one? Does it glow? If it does, does it glow a lot less than the Colombian?

 

[icy_jade]

Did you have an Ethiopian one? Does it glow? If it does, does it glow a lot less than the Colombian?

It’s the oval halo on top. Glows less than Columbian and more than the Zambians I’ve seen. I see less Ethopians than Zambians but to be very honest most of the Zambians I’ve seen are not very attractive as they lack that glow. That’s kinda why I fell for this emerald when I saw it. Just a small one to complete the collection as I’m too chicken to wear fragile gems.

 

[HockeyMama]

I feel like I am misunderstanding your confusion. The less oil the better because oil masks inclusions. So the higher the degree of treatment, the more serious the inclusions are. If the oil was cleaned out of a minor oil and a moderate oil, the moderate oil would be expected to have more significant inclusions. I don't think oil affects durability. There are resins like Opticon which may also act like stabilizers (I have no idea)

I may be confused about my confusion, or expressing it poorly.

I think the less a stone has to be filled with oil and still look good, then the less problems it has.

I also think that stones with less surface reaching cracks are a little sturdier?

So in my head, the less oil it needs, the less surface problems is has, the sturdier it is?

If it still doesn't make sense, I'm sorry, ignore me.

It seems the less/no oil the stone has, the more desireable and pretty it is. I do know it still has internal inclusions, or jardin, and the type of placement of those is still improtant in assessing a no/minor oil stone.

I've also learned that the glow is separate from the inclusions, and is akin to the green foil Christmas wrapping.

 

[icy_jade]

I'm going out in person (hopefully soon next week, real life shopping in Sydney

Mellow, we need pics ok

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Mellow, we need pics ok

They don't allow pics!!!! I've never managed a pic in any of the stores here! They're really nasty about it!!!! I'll see if I can do some window shots if they have them on the display outside before I go in!

Your Ethiopian is beautiful Icy!

***

Re hardness, I've always wondered about this! The moh for Emeralds is 8 which means they should fare better than tourmaline! You do wonder if one wack will activate a crack and that will be the end of things though.

 

[icy_jade]

They don't allow pics!!!! I've never managed a pic in any of the stores here! They're really nasty about it!!!! I'll see if I can do some window shots if they have them on the display outside before I go in!

Your Ethiopian is beautiful Icy!

***

Re hardness, I've always wondered about this! The moh for Emeralds is 8 which means they should fare better than tourmaline! You do wonder if one wack will activate a crack and that will be the end of things though.

Ah, ok if you can. Hmm seems like the Singapore jewellers are more easy going than those in Australia.

Durability is not just about the hardness. Emeralds are brittle, so they chip or crack easily. That’s why I got my ring cos it was already set as a ringdant. Figured that maybe I can wear as a pendant instead. That said I still hardly wear the emerald cos I’ve heard too many horror stories of emeralds chipping or cracking.

Ive seen far more beautiful emeralds! But ok am happy with what I have. Thanks and hope you find yours soon!

 

[toomuchB]

I think the less a stone has to be filled with oil and still look good, then the less problems it has.

I also think that stones with less surface reaching cracks are a little sturdier?

So in my head, the less oil it needs, the less surface problems is has, the sturdier it is?

I understand what you mean now.
Again I am no expert.

I would say generally, yes to the first two points (there are always exceptions), and its complicated for the third.
I would assume its a case by case basis type deal. Its much more likely in the context of two stones with a large difference of treatment degree (no oil and eye clean vs moderate oil and visibly included) that the no oil will be sturdier. But when you get closer in gradings, say two minor oils, stone 1 might have a large fracture at a particularly sensitive area (e.g. pointy end of a pear cut) and intakes some amount of oil, while stone 2 might have multiple tiny fissures which intake more oil than stone 1's fracture. But since there is no major sensitive spot, it is sturdier. By sturdier, I assume you refer to the chance it gets damaged with an accidental knock or something of that nature.

There is also a range within each clarity grading... lab gradings are not the end all and be all.
There are minor oils which are on the cusp of insignificant oil, and there are minor oils which are on the cusp of being moderate oil. Likely, the former would be sturdier.
Much like the range of colors within a single grading of fancy colored diamonds. A fancy vivid pink can be near-red or just above a fancy intense pink.

 

[voce]

I don't think there's anything in emerald any particular origin has that is absolutely unique. There are fine emeralds from any origin. I think the particular Zambian stone you were shown might be yellowish, but I don't think it's true for most Zambian.

Zambian baguettes:


Panjshr (Afghani) cushions:


Ethiopian cab and Muzo emerald cut:


When I was looking for the perfect emerald side stones for my perfect emerald cut spess, I initially bought from this lot of finest quality Brazilian emeralds. Unfortunately, GIA damaged them, so I got a refund. All of the melee pairs I've shown here are duck neck green irl whether or not they actually come across as such on camera.

The only origin for emerald for which you could not find the finest saturation is Russian, but I would not think that would be on your radar anyway.

Good luck on your emerald hunt

 

[HockeyMama]

I understand what you mean now.
Again I am no expert.

I would say generally, yes to the first two points (there are always exceptions), and its complicated for the third.
I would assume its a case by case basis type deal. Its much more likely in the context of two stones with a large difference of treatment degree (no oil and eye clean vs moderate oil and visibly included) that the no oil will be sturdier. But when you get closer in gradings, say two minor oils, stone 1 might have a large fracture at a particularly sensitive area (e.g. pointy end of a pear cut) and intakes some amount of oil, while stone 2 might have multiple tiny fissures which intake more oil than stone 1's fracture. But since there is no major sensitive spot, it is sturdier. By sturdier, I assume you refer to the chance it gets damaged with an accidental knock or something of that nature.

There is also a range within each clarity grading... lab gradings are not the end all and be all.
There are minor oils which are on the cusp of insignificant oil, and there are minor oils which are on the cusp of being moderate oil. Likely, the former would be sturdier.
Much like the range of colors within a single grading of fancy colored diamonds. A fancy vivid pink can be near-red or just above a fancy intense pink.

Thank you @toomuchB , this confirms what I was thinking. I wish there was less ambiguity with emeralds but I suppose that is part of their charm. I really want an emerald I can wear everyday (or many days), and I am not a gentle person. My current thought is to get a vintage piece instead of a super expensive perfect stone, so that inevitable chips and scratches hurt my heart less. I don't want a pendant or earrings.

@mellowyellowgirl, sorry to derail your thread. I am happy to be learning alonside you! Have fun shopping! I hope we get to see some treasures.

 

[Crimson]

They don't seem to be as widely available as Zambian Icy? I haven't seen much online.

I'm going out in person (hopefully soon next week, real life shopping in Sydney is a bit of an ordeal but @Crimson has inspired me with all her trips to various places in real life) but IG keeps throwing up a lot of Zambian and Colombian. I figure best to go out and look at lots of things. Even if they're sketchy on oil etc, at least I'll see what's out there and what stuff looks like.

Did you have an Ethiopian one? Does it glow? If it does, does it glow a lot less than the Colombian?

@mellowyellowgirl Yay for seeing emeralds in person! Here is an Ethiopian emerald fr Caratell. I think I posted it earlier in another thread.

 

[Crimson]

Off topic but here are some vintage emeralds, some over 100 years old, at Berganza, London. Didn’t go in, just walked around Hatton Garden, which is full of jewellery stores. I shall return for a more in-depth look next week.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Oh you beauty! Was hoping you’d post pics. If you have afternoon tea take a pic for me!

 

[Neptune]

I thought of you when I saw this upcoming auction. There are multiple emeralds available for viewing.

Bonhams : Australia Jewels

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars

www.bonhams.com

 

[Crimson]

Oh you beauty! Was hoping you’d post pics. If you have afternoon tea take a pic for me!

I had tea at the new Fortnum’s bar at the Royal Exchange. Perfect location - with Boodles to my right and Tiffany’s straight ahead!