When it comes to gemstones with a distinctive color, there’s nothing like the rich green of a high-quality emerald. You might know that it’s the most precious of all the varieties of the mineral beryl. But did you realize wearing one might make you smarter? That’s what the lore surrounding May’s birthstone dictates, but they were also thought to heal malaria and cholera at one point. Given what we know now, the most brilliant thing about donning one just might be dazzling someone with your amazing taste in gemstones.
Among the other verified facts about emeralds is the origin of the most coveted examples: Colombia. Each mining location in this South American country produces stones that are a little different in color, with some having a bit of blue or yellow tint to the green. Other countries like Brazil, Africa, and Pakistan produce emeralds as well. Some are dyed to enhance the color, and the vast majority are known to have inclusions. That means they may contain fillers to minimize the appearance of those flaws and/or to stabilize fractures.
Because there are so many nuances, grading emeralds without professional help can be difficult. Especially with the best of the best, slight shades in color can make a big difference in the value. Nevertheless, they’re popular gemstones in all their many variations, and you can find them in all price ranges.
Emeralds in Older Jewelry
Revered for thousands of years, many upper-echelon rulers across the globe have owned and worn emeralds, including Cleopatra. One specific royal accoutrement adorned with emeralds is the Crown of the Andes, which holds a prime example reportedly belonging to Incan Emperor Atahualpa before Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro took it. Several noteworthy tiaras were set with amazing emeralds much later, too, including one worn by the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, now held in the Louvre.
What about antique jewelry you might actually run across at an estate sale? If you’re lucky, the oldest pieces will likely date to the Georgian era. Competition is fierce for girandole or pendeloque earrings and brooches with dangling elements containing emeralds. You may also run across Victorian jewelry with emeralds, but it’s more likely you’ll find filigree Edwardian pieces circa 1900 or even art deco styles dating to the 1920s and ‘30s. All of these usually contain emeralds from medium to small sizes with diamond accents. Fewer emeralds were used in Retro jewelry later in the 1930s and early ‘40s since oversized stones are often featured in those designs, and extra-large emeralds have never been easy to come by.
Emeralds in Other Fine Jewelry
Many fine jewelers have employed emeralds as accent stones, especially cabochons. Take Dave Webb as one example. Many of his fabulous figural pieces featuring everything from amphibians to big cats include mesmerizing emeralds for eyes. On other occasions, he celebrated the color and embraced the flaws of these captivating stones by making them the focal point of a jeweled brooch or ring.
Tiffany & Co. has also been known to use beautiful emeralds from mines around the world in rings ranging from art deco designs featuring high-domed cabochons to traditional faceted emerald cuts. The color of these emeralds is usually exquisite, and the overall designs enhance any inclusions present.
Van Cleef & Arpels is another brand known for incorporating emeralds into amazing jewelry. They’ve set them into tiaras, matched collections of emeralds into incredible necklaces, and even used carved examples in some of their designs. Lots of fun little figural animals dating to the 1960s feature emerald bodies, too, showing that this jewelry house can embrace a sense of whimsy beyond their usual eye-catching elegance.
Affordable Jewelry with Emeralds
Some mass marketers have made emerald jewelry available on a wider basis, and some of those items are very affordable. That means, of course, that the color and clarity of the stones aren’t going to be as good compared to a piece purchased from a well-known jeweler. Nevertheless, having that type of adornment available does make birthstone jewelry featuring genuine emeralds more accessible to a wider audience.
When learning to discern good emeralds from less desirable ones, you can start by looking at examples with small emeralds clustered into sterling silver settings. They’re usually light in color and may be almost opaque, which means they’re very low on the clarity scale. The quality goes up from there, of course, with the top examples having perfect emerald green tones and an eye-clean appearance for the most part.
Also, be aware that many lab-grown emeralds are being marketed now, and those are often set in karat gold. They mimic the color and clarity of the very best emeralds, but the price is much more reasonable. Chatham is one of the well-known brands marketing lab-grown emeralds.
Imitation Emeralds in Costume Jewelry
Believe it or not, some faux emeralds in costume jewelry cost quite a bit more than lower-quality genuine emeralds. For example, the pieces made by DeLizza & Elster feature glass stones with striations that emulate the inclusions in natural emeralds.
Many other costume jewelry makers have also used green-colored rhinestones or molded glass stones imitating emeralds. Sometimes, they stand on their own, but they can be combined with stones in other jewel-toned colors. Trifari’s “Fruit Salad” jewelry is embellished with molded glass stones shaped like tiny fruits, copying the emeralds, sapphires, and rubies used in fine jewelry crafted by Cartier, for instance.
Other brands are known for incorporating emerald-colored cabochons and other accent stones into “real look” jewelry designs. Ciner’s art deco pieces look remarkably like fine jewelry, as a matter of fact, offering the appearance of the best emeralds ever mined at a fraction of the cost.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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