Emerald is a precious stone of the beryl family with an attractive green color.

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Its name comes from Greek smaragdos. In Europe, the emerald appeared in 1535, following the discovery of South America by the conquistadors.

The old emeralds probably came from the Indo-Iranian region now Afghanistan.

Although many people consider Colombia to be the source of the best emeralds, the country of origin is never a guarantee of quality. Brazil , Zambia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Russia are also producers of fine quality stones.

From a chemical-mineralogical point of view the emerald is a silicate of beryllium and aluminum. Its hardness reached a suitable level: 7.5 to 8. Like aquamarine, pale pink morganite, golden heliodor and the pale green beryl, emerald is also a member of the beryl family. Emerald is the most valuable type of beryl. It is colored by minute traces of chromium and vanadium.

The extreme rarity of transparent emerald is why inclusions in emeralds are tolerated.

These inclusions, also known as gardens, are like a fingerprint, giving each emerald a distinct personality. The emerald's green colour (its only colour) is due to the presence of chromium. This rare element is also responsible for the red colour of rubies. The largest and most beautiful emeralds come from South America, in particular Colombia, and more specifically from the Chivor and Muzo mines. Very fine emeralds can also be found in other countries such as Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Afghanistan with its Panjshir mines and emeralds as beautiful as the Colombian ones.

The beauty of emeralds lies in their size, of course, but above all in their colour, which must be a deep green.

Of course, as with other stones, it is important to ensure that the stone has no excessively deep fissures, which could make it fragile and break more easily on impact. The many inclusions and cracks that are typical of emerald are referred to as ‘gardens’. In fact, emerald is one of the most difficult stones to cut because of these numerous inclusions. It is most often cut in a rectangular shape (the famous emerald cut), with four corners cut to make it less sensitive to impact.

Some magnificent emeralds can be seen at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, including the largest in the world, which weighs 3 kg 26

The most important factor in choosing an emerald is its colour. The more intense the green, the more expensive the stone. Stones that are a little lighter in colour but very bright are currently in fashion. Darker greens can produce equally attractive pieces.

Because emeralds are fragile stones by nature, almost all of them are stabilised with an oil impregnation. This oil impregnation makes cracks less visible. This necessary and traditional treatment has long been accepted and considered the norm by the profession. However, emeralds with a moderate to low oil content are preferred.

Another common treatment for emeralds is resin impregnation. Unlike oiling, resin impregnation not only reduces the visibility of inclusions, but also artificially enhances the colour of the stones using colourants. This treatment, generally reserved for low-quality emeralds, is not recognised as traditional and must be specified.

And remember, all stones are fragile! even diamonds....

To determine the quality of a stone, colour is the most important criterion.

If you are interested in emeralds, don’t hesitate to discover what Les Pierres de Julie offer in our store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your emerald jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.