Emerald

Historically its use in jewellery can be dated back to Egyptian times, where apparently this stone was a favourite of Pharaohs and the famous Cleopatra.

The most highly sought after shade of emerald is the strong saturated green with as few visible flaws as possible. However, these emeralds are very rare.

Unlike most gemstones flaws in emeralds are tolerated much more, as long as they don’t overpower the true beauty of the stone. Flaws, affectionately called ‘Jardin’ (French for garden) are tolerated only because they are a common feature.

So colour is king! Not clarity!!

A small emerald with good saturated colour but fine inclusions would be more valuable than a larger flawless but pale emerald.

Emeralds belong to a large group of gemstones called Beryls. This group includes the pastel pink Morganite, the baby blue Aquamarine, the colourless Goshenite and the sunny yellow Heliodor, similar in colour to Citrine.