EMERALDS.
Beryl is a mineral that gives rise to gems such as emerald or aquamarine.
Beryl is hexagonal in shape and can come in many colors: yellow, pink, blue, and green. Depending on the tonality it has, it will be given its name.
A green beryl is an emerald. Blue beryl refers to aquamarine. A pink hue would be called morganite and a yellow beryl is called heliodor.
This is a very hard mineral, at level 8 on the Mosh scale (The Mohs scale is a graduation from 1 to 10 that it is used to classify and measure the hardness of minerals.) and, although many have the shades we have referred to, pure beryl is completely colorless and translucent.
Where are beryls found?
There are many types of beryl so its place of origin will depend on the variety. Some beryl deposits are found in Brazil, Madagascar, Australia and some parts of Africa.
The earliest known emerald mines were in Egypt, dating to at least 330 BC. C. to 1700. Cleopatra was known to have a passion for emerald and used it in her royal adornments.
Emeralds can be found in many places around the world. Today the most valuable ones come from Colombia.
Colombian emeralds have a brilliant deep green color due to their chromium content. This color makes emeralds from Colombia highly sought after and emeralds found in other parts of the world are often traded as Colombian in an attempt to fetch a higher price
What is a synthetic emerald?
Synthetic crystals and gems have been made since the late 19th century.
A synthetic emerald is one that is made in a laboratory, but shares virtually all chemical, optical, and physical characteristics.
Because of this it is possible to confuse them with natural emeralds and that is why there are strict guidelines regarding how they are marketed and sold.
What are the differences between natural and synthetic emeralds?
Although synthetic emeralds are often called "genuine emeralds" they should never be called "natural emeralds".
Natural and synthetic emeralds have the same chemical composition. This makes it difficult to tell the difference between them. In fact, it is almost impossible for anyone other than a gemologist to determine which is which.
These are some of the main differences that experts can use to determine if an emerald is natural or synthetic:
- The specific gravity of natural emeralds is higher than that of synthetic emeralds.
- The refractive indices of natural emeralds are higher than synthetic emeralds (A refractometer is used to calculate the speed of light rays from the emerald.
The 4cs
Emeralds, like other gemstones, determine their value based on the 4Cs.
Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat weight (weight in carats in Spanish)
Color: The most valuable emeralds usually have a pure green color that is better than bluish green. The green color should be very intense, and its saturation vivid.
Cut: Most emeralds are cut in a rectangular shape, called an emerald cut.Although this cut is the most common, emeralds can be cut in the cut of your choice
Clarity: Natural emeralds often have inclusions or blemishes within them due to the way they are created in nature. Synthetic emeralds often lack these natural inclusions. An emerald should be clear and not cloudy or lacking in transparency.
Weight in carats: Emeralds are lighter than diamonds so a one carat emerald will be larger than a diamond of the same carat.