"Nothing Greens Greener," the beauty of emerald gem, is best described by the Roman author, Pliny, the Elder in these three words. The lush green (Panna stone) hue of the gemstone is so soothing that the lapidaries in ancient times used to comfort their eyes by looking at this stone. The beauty of emeralds has won the hearts and minds of onlookers since early civilization. It was believed that these green-colored stones were among the four precious stones and were given by God to King Solomon. Emeralds were considered the gemstone of power. Not only is the amazing hue that fascinates humans but the health benefits and spiritual powers are also associated with this stone. In ancient times this stone was believed to cure diseases like malaria and cholera. The wearer of this stone was believed to anticipate the future. The finest Emerald stone is found in Colombia, of which three famous mines are Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez. Of these three mines, the emeralds from Muzo are the finest and exhibit a pure green hue. Other than these, these green stones are also found in Brazil, Africa and more.
The beautiful green color of emerald is what makes this gemstone so popular. Let's check out the chemistry behind this amazing color.
Emerald Stone is one of the beautiful member of the Beryl family. The stone's color varies from vibrant green to bluish-green or yellowish green. The enticing green color of the gemstone is due to the presence of vanadium or chromium in trace amounts. A tint of blue or yellow between the green hue is due to iron in small amounts. Other than the color, the durability factor makes any gemstone perfect for buying. Emeralds rank 7.5 to 8 on Moh's hardness scale. This means that the gemstone has fair durability and is good for jewelry use. There are, in fact, stones with inclusions and fractures that need to be fixed to give an appealing and smooth look. To improve the appearance of emerald stones, these are treated or enhanced with oils or resins. Let us know why these are done before going forward with the enhancement processes.
Gemstone enhancements are done to improve the appearance and wearability of the stone. These enhancements are done based on the gem type. Heat treatment, radiation, lead glass filling, oiling, dyeing and sealing are a few. In this blog, however, we will talk about emerald enhancement specifically.
Unlike other gemstones, emeralds feature internal fractures. These fractures impact the stone's clarity and brilliance. Thus, enhancements are done to improve these factors, which are the prime factors for buying any stone. For emeralds, there are three important reasons why enhancement is done.
Natural emerald doesn't come with any enhancement. Thus, this is an artificial process that upgrades the stone's clarity. Common enhancements in emeralds include oiling, resin, gluing and colored oil. Here are few of these discussed.
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Oiling: Amongst the most common treatment or enhancement for emeralds is oiling. This process involves filling small fractures in emerald stone with oil like cedar oil. The fillers chosen have a similar refractive index as that of the emerald. The reason is that light passes with the same intensity as the stone.
Use of Resin: Enhancement by oiling comes with a disadvantage in that it gets dry up quickly with time. This problem can be fixed with re-oiling, fracture filling with resins is a better alternative. Natural or synthetic resins are used for emerald enhancement.
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Gluing emeralds: Unlike other treatments or enhancements, this process involves initially applying glue to the rough stone and then giving the desired cut.
Colored oil: This type of treatment is usually done to enhance the color of emeralds.
After a brief overview of a few popular treatments helping conceal inclusions, one could wonder how these processes impact the prices of emerald gemstones.
As mentioned above, enhancements help improve the stone's color, clarity and stability; emerald stone prices vary significantly. At Navratan, emeralds are quantified according to the grades the gem laboratories give. The range for clarity enhancement varies from 'none,' 'insignificant,' 'minor,' and 'moderate' to 'prominent/significant.' Natural Emerald Stone with no treatment (not even oiling) comes with a high price tag. However, finding such natural stones is difficult; thus, they come under a rare category. The prices of emerald gemstones are decided based on the quantification chart/ clarity enhancement chart. For instance, green emerald stone price with insignificant treatment have a higher price than emerald gems with a natural oiling process. Though, amongst the stones with the natural oiling process, the prices vary as other factors come into play. The origin, carat weight, cut and color are some of these factors.
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Emeralds (also known as Panna stone in Hindi) are a popular gemstone known for its beautiful hue. The Emerald Green Color is due to the presence of elements like chromium or vanadium in small amounts. Original Emerald Stones with no enhancement are not readily available. The gemstone market today showcases a wide range of enhanced emeralds. Buying Emerald Online at Navratan, the online gem bazar, allows one to get stones of premium quality. Each emerald gemstone comes with an authenticated certification featuring the desirable color and type of treatment (whether insignificant, significant or minor).
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December 25th, 2024