Emerald

Emerald Ring For your loved ones born in May, why not give a gift they can treasure, a scintillating Emerald set into the perfect piece of jewellery. Here at Hester Clarke we have a range of Emeralds to suit all budgets.

Emerald belongs to the Beryl family of gemstones, along with Aquamarine, amongst others. Trace amounts of Chromium and sometimes Vanadium give Emerald its vivid colour.

Unlike other Beryl, Emeralds often contain inclusions and tiny fractures. These are commonly called "jardin," from the French word for "garden," because of their resemblance to foliage. For Emeralds, jardin is not looked on as a negative aspect as it would be for some other gem varieties, but instead is considered part of Emerald's character and can be used to assure the purchaser of a natural gemstone. However, large Emeralds that are relatively free of inclusions can fetch very high prices, higher even than a Diamond of similar size and quality.

Although Emerald is relatively hard and durable, it must be protected from harsh blows because the jardin found within make it susceptible to breaking. The famous "Emerald Cut", with its cut away corners, was developed specifically for this gem to reduce the amount of pressure exerted during the cutting and setting of the stone.

Emerald Earrings When buying Emeralds the most important consideration is always colour, with clarity and quality of cut playing second fiddle. Nevertheless, the brightness of the gemstone (which is somewhat determined by the cutting and clarity) is also an important factor.

Traditionally, deep green is the most desired colour in Emeralds. Paler Emeralds are sometimes called "Green Beryl."