EMERALD
By GEMWORLD, May 2019
Emerald is the most prized variety of Beryl. The use of emeralds in jewelry
and objects of personal adornment date back for millennia. It is the
birthstone of May and has been a growing trend recently in the commercial
market.
Emeralds occur in a range of colors. Pure green is the rarest, while
emeralds with a slightyellow modifier are often less desirable.
There is typically a strict tone description required of emerald in the trade.
If it is not medium or darker many dealers do not consider the stone
emerald. Instead they classify it as green beryl. While this might seem
reasonable for practical purposes, scientifically the variety is defined by its
coloring agent. AGL New York recognizes any green beryl colored by
chromium and/or vanadium as emerald regardless of the tone. Almost all
emeralds contain iron as a trace element, though the amount may change from
one formation to another. A beryl variety that owes its green color to iron only is named green beryl.
4
Colombian Emerald
Today, gem grade
emerald deposits exist
in a number of locations
around the world.
These include
Columbia, Brazil,
Zambia, Mozambique,
Nigeria, Zimbabwe,
Tanzania, China,
Afghanistan, India,
Pakistan, Russia,
Australia and the USA
(North Carolina). New
findings coming from
Ethiopia and emphasis
on traditional sources
such as Colombia and
Zambia have been
attracting more
attention to this green
beauty.
Group of emeralds