Colombian Emeralds: Critical Facts Determining Value

COLOMBIAN EMERALDS - CRITERIA AFFECTING VALUE

How and Why are the Emeralds treated

When mined, most Colombian Emeralds present various degrees of structural damage and diminished colour and clarity qualities.

Instead of being discarded by the jewellery industry, these crystals are legally manipulated (the fissures hidden with fillers, the colour enhanced with colourants) and sold for a significant profit. Consequently, today, most of the Colombian Emeralds sold will present signs of treatment.

In Colombia, the emerald industry distinguishes between cedar-wood oil and artificial resins meant to enhance appearance. Cedar-wood oil is the traditional go-to approach, used for generations in the Colombian emerald trade and not considered a treatment. It will only partly and temporarily improve clarity while, very importantly, not hiding the natural fissures inside the crystal, allowing buyers to detect their presence. Moreover, it is not permanent and will fade away during normal wear.

On the other hand, artificial resins hide from the buyers' eye, the fissures breaking through to the crystal's surface and altering the gemstone's natural colour. The downside is that they will make the stone extremely vulnerable to breakages.

A gloved hand holding tweezers with a green gemstone next to a pile of similar stones and a jeweler's loupe on a white surface.

Below is a visual description of the side effects of treatments in Emeralds.

Our policy is to accept cedar oil in our cut and polishing stages and to reject any fissure fillers or colour treatments. We have chosen this course because we want our customers to experience the stone as Mother Nature intended and, more importantly, not hide the damage the Emerald crystal may have.

All our Colombian Emeralds are natural and ethically sourced from environmentally and socially responsible gem suppliers committed to upholding the highest levels of internationally recognized environmental, labour and trade standards.