Spotting a good Colombian emerald has always been a crucial question for every buyer, whether he wants to purchase it for astrological purpose or is simply inquisitive about this exotic gem. And because the market doesn’t provide you with either a lot of good examples or even complete information, it is difficult to give a particular reference.
Understanding the jargon that describes the grade quality of an emerald becomes tedious if you have not dealt with gemstones before. While a gemstone expert actually sees 7 different features in it, for a buyer it is enough to know a few basic things.
You might need some idea on what to look for in a Colombian emerald in cases like you wish to buy an engagement ring for your lady love; or wish to gift someone who just loves gemstones. Well, then you can easily assess the quality of a natural gem on these four parameters, without the help of a gem expert:
– Color
– Clarity
– Brilliancy
– Size
Of these four, let us discuss the color part of it here. Color plays the most important role in determining the quality and value of a natural emerald. Now, there are three things that comprise color:
- Hue: This is regarding the type of green color the emerald displays. The color gets the name of its hue. Colombian emeralds most of the times have a bluish green hue.
- Tonal Grade: This is about the degree of the gem color’s darkness or lightness. Natural emeralds are found with myriad tones: very dark, medium dark, medium, medium light and light. Unlike popular belief, a good emerald is not always the one with the dark green tone. Most of the gem literature calls a gem with ‘medium to very dark’ tonal grade as the best. But color is just one factor which determines an emerald’s value.
- Saturation: This decides the power and vividness of the stone. Saturation means the color green’s intensity. Usually, you will see that dark green emeralds have a dull, boring look. Similarly, a light green Colombian emerald looks lively and irresistible, and instantly takes your attention. There is a kind of mysterious power in that hue that holds your eye. Light green color can therefore be equally good.
The final color of an emerald is a blend of tonal grade and saturation. An emerald with a medium-medium-dark tonal grade and high saturation makes for the most expensive emeralds in the gemstone market. But there is no harm if you like and enjoy a green with a different proportion of saturation and tonal grade. Though customers go shopping with the misconception of dark emeralds as “the good ones”, they mostly end up loving the medium light with a different degree of saturation and then they are in a fix.
Colombian emerald is a precious stone. Always look for an old and reputed supplier while you want to buy one, as such a supplier will have a wide collection with all tonal grades, saturation, and hues to offer. And if the emeralds are authentic, you will find all of them equally stunning.
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