The AJC Guide to Emeralds

Typically, emeralds are from Columbia, India and Zimbabwe. Columbia accounts for 70-90% of the world’s emeralds.

It has long been a tradition to give emeralds on 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries. They are also the birthstone for May. Emeralds are a popular alternative to diamonds in engagement rings.

Emeralds have a good hardness – around 7.5/10 – but their structure can be more prone to inclusions (internal fissures) than other popular gemstones. If these cracks reach the surface, the stones become vulnerable to damage, so they need to be treated with care.

While it’s best to leave your emeralds at home if you’re going in for vigorous activities such as gardening or sports, jewellers have devised ways to protect these beautiful gemstones. The Emerald Cut – a rectangular step cut with its corners cut off – was created to protect the stones. For added protection, emeralds are often surrounded by diamonds, which act like little miniature bodyguards with their extremely hard structure.

Unlike diamonds which are graded using a loupe, the clarity of an emerald is assessed by the naked eye. The fewer inclusions, the greater the clarity and the more valuable the stone.

It is always worth looking at an emerald in person as they appear more vibrant to the naked eye than in a photograph.

As a general rule, the more intense the green, the more valuable the emerald. But here’s the technical stuff:

• Alongside the necessary green, yellow and blue are the typical secondary hues found in emeralds
• By definition, an emerald has to be medium to dark in tone
• Paler emeralds are known by the species name: ‘green beryl’
• On a scale where 0% is colourless and 100% is black opaque, the finest emeralds are considered to be around 75%

The sum of all this is that eye-clean stones of a vivid primary green hue, with up to 15% of any secondary hue or combination (either blue or yellow) of a medium-dark tone, command the highest prices.

Emeralds need a bit of extra TLC when it comes to cleaning them. Never ever put them in jewellery cleaner liquid or any solvents (avoid wearing emeralds while doing household cleaning, for the same reason)! Many emeralds are treated with oil and solvents will strip this away. Soak in mild, soapy water then polish with a soft toothbrush. Dry the clean stone with a soft cotton cloth.

Elizabeth Taylor acquired some legendary emeralds from Richard Burton.

First lady, Jackie Kennedy, and King Edward VIII’s famous American wife, Wallis Simpson, all had emerald and diamond engagement rings.

Today, Victoria Beckham, Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana, Irina Shayk and Olivia Wilde have emerald engagement rings.

The jardin and treatments

Almost every natural emerald contains inclusions, tiny crystals, fissures and veils that the French poetically call the jardin, or garden. They are a sign of a natural stone and give each emerald its individuality. For centuries emeralds have also been treated with oils to make these fissures less visible, a traditional practice that is widely accepted. Good dealers will always tell you about treatment, and an emerald should be kept away from heat and ultrasonic cleaners so the treatment is not disturbed.

Emeralds through the eras

Georgian jewellers set emeralds in closed backs, often with foil to deepen their colour, in clusters and rivières. Victorian emeralds appear in half hoops, gypsy rings and brooches. Edwardian jewellers set them in platinum with diamonds in delicate clusters, and the Art Deco period loved step-cut emeralds and tiny calibré emeralds in geometric designs. Browse emerald jewellery across the periods in our collection.

The May birthstone

All blossom, Maypole dancing and warmth, May in England is full of optimistic joy, and it is fitting that its birthstone is one of our most vivid natural gemstones. The emerald’s vibrant green is perfectly in tune with late spring, and makes a lovely gift for a May birthday, as well as for 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Choosing an emerald engagement ring

If you are thinking of an emerald for an engagement ring, our buyer’s guide to antique emerald engagement rings covers colour, durability, settings and care, and you can browse our emerald engagement rings online or in person at the Townhouse.

Explore the collection

• Emerald jewellery
• Emerald engagement rings
• Georgian jewellery
• Art Deco jewellery

Further reading

• Antique emerald engagement rings: a buyer's guide
• The A-Z of gemstones
• The meaning behind coloured engagement rings
• Art Deco engagement rings: a buyer's guide