Description

The single greatest factor for an emerald's value is it's color. The emerald is examined and graded based on its hue, tone and saturation of color. These three elements will ultimately determine whether the emerald is AAA quality (highest) or C quality (lowest). While evaluating color is subjective and no standardization exists across the industry, color is graded AAA, AA, A, B, and C. Emeralds are green, but many may have undertones of yellow, blue and brown. The purer the green, the higher or better the color. Emerald color is evaluated by viewing the Gemstone face up, without magnification. It can be rocked and tilted to see the color from many angles. Ideally the hue will be green, without additional color undertones. The tone will be vivid and deep, not too dark or light. The saturation will be even and fluid throughout.

Emeralds are some of the most heavily included gemstones available. All emeralds will have tiny imperfections, known as inclusions, that may be visible without magnification. Emerald inclusions include clouds, needles, crystals, feathers, pinpoints and cavities. The inclusions occur naturally during the emerald growth process. There is no standardized grading scale for clarity in emeralds. They simply blend with color in the AAA rating scale.

Because inclusions are found in all emeralds, it is recommended not to worry too much about their visibility in higher qualities. The color is the dominant factor in determining the emerald quality. However, very large, heavily included emeralds will have color reduction as the color will be washed out by the inclusions. If this is the case, the quality grade of the emerald will be reduced.

Emerald clarity, like its color, is evaluated face up without magnification. The key is to see the clarity as a whole rather than concentrating on an individual inclusion. The most common inclusions are fissures or tiny fractures that look like wavy or random whitish lines inside the emerald.

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