Emeralds are the precious stones of aristocracy, love, and mystery. Emeralds come in a wide range of colors, from bluish green to greenish-blue, with a clear depth of color that few jewels can match. As opposed to diamonds, emerald clarity can be rated by the naked eye. Its hardness is rated at 8, but due to a variety of tiny and not-so-little internal characteristics, their sturdiness and durability are only rated as “fair” to “good.” It is so established that some emeralds are actually valued more highly if their internal fractures produce a beautiful pattern when viewed under a microscope. This is referred to as a jardin in French, and each emerald has its own.
“Oiling” the internal fractures in emeralds has become the industry standard for minimizing their internal fractures. It’s a semi-permanent method that entails soaking the emerald in cedar oil until the cracks are completely filled and covered. In order to prevent light entering the gem from being distorted or interrupted and to preserve the gem’s natural color, the material employed must have optical qualities similar to those of the emerald itself. Within the industry, this is standard procedure. Be careful when handling an emerald because of its fragility. Avoid cleaning it with chemicals or using high heat or steam because these methods could cause the gem to crack or the oil filler to evaporate. Because emeralds are so fragile, they should be handled with care when wearing jewelry containing emeralds. Unless otherwise noted, all of Elleroses’s emeralds have been oil treated.
Resins, glass, and plastic polymers that are fused into the gem are some of the more recent emerald treatment methods. Because they also act as binders, they are commonly utilized for emeralds with severe durability difficulties. A disclaimer must be provided at sale time since this is not considered industry standard practice. Green-tinted oils and polymers are also being used by some jewelers. Even in the business world, this is not considered acceptable. Gems coated with tinted oils or synthetic fillers are not available at Elleroses.