Emerald
COLOR RANGE
Bluish Green, Green, Yellowish Green
HARDNESS & TOUGHNESS
Hardness: 7.5 – 8 Toughness: Poor to Good
MAJOR SOURCES
Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Emeralds belong to the mineral family known as beryl: several different varieties of the mineral exist including aquamarine, morganite and heliodor, but the green emerald is the most prized and valuable.
Emeralds vary in color depending on their chromium, vanadium and iron content. In color they range from bright green with yellowish undertones, to vibrant green with bluish undertones.
Emeralds typically contain inclusions that are visible to the unaided eye. Eye-clean emeralds are especially valuable because they’re so rare. Emerald inclusions are often described as looking mossy or garden-like. They’re sometimes called “jar din,” which is French for garden. Emeralds have a vitreous (glass-like) luster when cut and polished. Although their clarity can occur from translucent to opaque, transparent specimens are most desirable and are much more valuable.
