Zambian Emerald Stone

Origin of Zambian Emerald

Zambian emeralds, as the name suggests, originate from the African country of Zambia. Emerald mining in Zambia dates back to the 1920s when the first emerald deposits were discovered in the Ndola Rural Emerald Restricted Area. However, in the 1970s, commercial mining operations began in the Kafubu River area, which is now recognized as one of the world's major sources of emeralds.

Zambia's emerald mines are predominantly located in the Copperbelt region in the northern part of the country. The most significant mining areas include Kagem, which is one of the world's largest emerald mines, and the neighboring mines of Grizzly and Kamakanga. The emeralds are found in a geological formation known as the "Mafinga Hills Belt," which consists of schist, quartzite, and amphibolite rocks.

Zambia has implemented strict mining regulations and environmental standards to ensure responsible mining practices and sustainable development. The government of Zambia, through the Emerald Development Foundation (EMDEF), also aims to promote transparency, fair trade, and community development within the emerald mining industry.

Natural Zambian emeralds are amongst the superior variation of emerald stones all over the world. Emeralds, aka Panna, of Zambia origin, usually arise in a cool to deep green hue with a slight bluish overtone in mixed grades. Though, together with their gorgeous green color, Zambian emeralds are renowned for their remarkable clarity, superior transparency, and high saturation. In a very small span of time, these emeralds grabbed a noted position in the international gemstone market owing to their distinctive qualities and traits.

In general, cut, color, clarity, and carat weight are the 4 key parameters to analyze the quality of any gemstone, the same happens individually with Zambian Emeralds too. Underneath are the four factors discussed in detail.

Color – Color is by far the most crucial criterion for evaluating the quality and price of any emerald stone. The value largely depends on the beauty of the color. Generally, emeralds of Zambia come in deep green color with a slight overtone of blue. Although certain high-quality Zambian emeralds can be located in a pure green hue as well. These top qualities always fetch more value. Per carat price for Zambian emeralds reduces for too light or too pale colors.

Clarity – Most of the Natural Zambian emeralds are included and henceforth, the relatively cleaner pieces usually demand a higher cost. They fall in the category of Type III crystals with 2 phase inclusion pattern that denotes that the gem will never be loupe clean, minor inclusions will always be there to reduce the clarity. Though some of the Zambian emeralds come with relatively good transparency and fewer inclusions, most of the Zambian emeralds generally contain inclusions like tiny fractures, specks, black dots, and cube-shaped crystals, which serve as identification marks and are fairly acceptable in the respective category of gemstones. Highly included Zambian Panna gemstone containing dots, clouds, and feather inclusions are comparatively cheaper.

Cut – Fine cuts add more value to the aesthetic of any precious gemstone. Typically, lapidaries prefer gemstones that save maximum carat weight with their cut without disturbing the beauty of the gem. Emerald cut, oval cut, square octagonal cut, and rectangular cut are some of the highly preferred cutting styles in Emeralds. Since fancy cuts like trillion cut and princess cut involve more wastage of the stone, hence are more expensive but less common. The oval cut is regarded as an economical choice in the emerald clan as it retains maximum carat weight and emerges equally beautiful.

Carat Weight – Owing to the moderate hardness, Zambian Panna breaks off quite easily during its mining process. In such a scenario, large sizes are rarer in excellent quality. The cost of per carat Zambian emerald rises substantially with an increase in its carat weight (assuming the same quality).

Price of Zambian Emeralds

Zambian Emerald Value is primarily determined on the basis of its quality and quality is further set on the famous four C’s that includes cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. The price of a loose real Zambian emerald stone generally begins from $20 per carat approx. and can reach as high as $5,000 for per carat depending upon the quality and rarity.

We, at Navratan, offer our customers premium quality colored gemstones along with an authenticity certificate at the best price segment. Explore the widest collection to buy Zambian Panna stones online at the most budget-friendly prices.

Benefits of Zambian Emeralds

Zambian emeralds offer a range of exceptional benefits that set them apart from other gemstones. Some unique benefits of Zambian emeralds are:

Color Intense: - Zambian emeralds are renowned for their captivating and intense green color. The color is often described as vibrant, lush, and saturated, creating a visually stunning appearance. This distinct green shade makes Zambian emeralds stand out.

Incredible Clarity: - These emeralds are known for their impressive clarity. This high level of clarity allows more light to pass through the gemstone, resulting in enhanced brilliance and sparkle.

The Versatility of Design: - Zambia’s emeralds offer versatility in jewelry design due to their intense green color and remarkable clarity. Zambian emeralds add a touch of sophistication and luxury to any jewelry collection.

Stone Durability: - These emeralds are known for their durability, which is an important factor in gemstone selection. With a hardness rating of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, Zambian emeralds possess excellent toughness and can withstand everyday wear.

Symbolic and Spiritual Significance: - Emeralds, including Zambian emeralds, have been associated with various symbolic and spiritual meanings throughout history. Wearing a Zambian panna is considered to bring harmony, balance, and positive energy into one's life.

Navratan, the online gem Bazar comes up with the widest inventory of 100% natural Zambian emerald stones for sale on its online platform. In order to buy the best quality gemstone, always ask for a certificate of authenticity from the seller. Navratan provides you with a genuine lab certificate issued by international gem labs such as SSEF, GRS, GIA, IGI, and Gubelin to ensure the authenticity of the stone you are buying. Have a look at some of the certifications here.

Is my Zambian Emerald real or fake?

The wearing and purchasing of natural Zambian Panna gemstones are fraught with controversy. An emerald or panna stone benefits the wearer on one hand, but its effectiveness is disputed on the other. Even the most expensive gemstones are frequently the subject of imitations, forgeries, and scams. Customers are unable to tell the difference between synthetic and natural emeralds because so many sellers sell them as the same thing. This can occasionally lead to issues and dissatisfaction.

Since most gemstones are just imitations, the average individual is unable to tell the difference and people bring fake emerald gemstones home because of their numerous internal faults, low quality, and deceptive color.

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