What Should You Consider When Buying a Natural Emerald?

What You Need to Know to Choose the Right Emerald

Emerald is one of the most precious gemstones created by nature over millions of years. Owing to its vivid green colour, rarity and historic presence in royal jewellery, it is regarded as one of the world’s four most precious gemstones, alongside diamond, ruby and sapphire.

Today, however, the market includes laboratory-grown synthetic stones and imitation products made with other green gemstones as well as natural emeralds. When purchasing an emerald, it is therefore important to consider not only the stone’s appearance but also its origin and gemmological characteristics.

Colour Is One of the Most Important Criteria

Colour is the most important factor in determining an emerald’s value. Fine natural emeralds display vivid, balanced and deep green tones. Very pale green stones may appear insufficiently saturated, while excessively dark tones can reduce the stone’s brilliance.

An even distribution of colour throughout the stone is one of the key indicators of a high-quality emerald.

Natural Inclusions Are Part of an Emerald’s Identity

Most natural emeralds contain small mineral formations and natural fissures that can be seen under magnification. In gemmology, these natural features are described by the French term *jardin*, meaning “garden”.

These formations are often characteristic indications of the gemstone’s natural origin. For this reason, an emerald that appears completely flawless is not necessarily more valuable.

Cut and Craftsmanship

A fine cut reveals an emerald’s colour to its best advantage while allowing light to reflect evenly across the stone. The rectangular step cut known as the “emerald cut” is one of the most classic cuts developed specifically for this gemstone.

Certification and a Trustworthy Seller

Particularly for high-value emeralds, certificates issued by independent gemmological laboratories provide an important measure of assurance. These reports state the stone’s natural origin, any treatments applied and its essential gemmological characteristics.

Storks Diamond’s Approach to Natural Gemstones

Storks Diamond collections use only natural emeralds and other natural precious gemstones. Natural emeralds are carefully crafted together with natural diamonds and transformed into elegant designs across ring, necklace, earring and bracelet collections.