What qualities should a good emerald possess?
COLOUR – Colour is everything. There has to be a perfect balance – darker than peridot and lighter than tourmaline. The purer and more brilliant the emerald, the more it costs. As emerald dealer Maurice Shire says, “The cardinal sin of any emerald is not being green.” CARAT WEIGHT – Carat weight considerations are somewhat similar to those for diamonds and other gems, but coloured stones take a smaller leap in price if they weigh precisely an even carat or more. Diamonds make big price jumps at one carat, at two carats etc. Large emeralds, which are rare, increase in price faster, but more proportionately. As emerald weights double, their prices often quadruple. Clean emeralds over three carats with good colour command premium prices, typically higher than comparable diamonds. CLARITY – Clarity in emeralds differs from other gems. Remember, emeralds are the only major gemstone expected to have visible inclusions; in fact, any specimen without them is immediately suspect as a synthetic
