Precious Metals

Emeralds are beryls that comes in variety of green to bluish green. The much lighter green beryls are known as beryls.

Facts on Emeralds

The oldest emerald is aged at 2.97 billion years ago, found in South Africa.   Emeralds were made popular by Cleopatra, as it was one of her favourite gemstone.   Emeralds mineral composite is  Be3Al2Si6O18. The refractive index for emeralds are 1.577 to 1.583 and birefringence of 0.005 to 0.009.  It has MOHs hardness of 7.5 to 8 and specific gravity of 2.72.

Green Emeralds

The darker and intense green gems are known as emerald, while the much lighter green are usually known as beryl by gemologists.  The richer and stronger the chromium that makes up the green in the gem, the more valuable and expensive the emerald are. 

The Origins of Emeralds

Emeralds are originally found in mining sites in Colombia, Brazil, Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Emerald is the birthstone for those born in the month of May and is also the green emerald can be used as heart chakra stone.

Treated Emeralds

Emeralds that is sold for jewelry has usually gone through treatment processes.  Two of the most common treatments for emeralds are dyeing and fracture fillings. 

Emeralds that are paler are dyed with green and fractures filled with oil, wax and artificial resin to improve the clarity of the gems.

Emeralds must be cared and avoid exposure to heat and air pressure and ultrasonic cleaner as they can cause the filler to sweat out the resins from the fractures.

Synthetic Emeralds

Other than treatment, there are also synthetic emeralds that are lab grown.  Synthetic emeralds usually share the same chemical composite of the natural gems.  Synthetic emeralds are usually created through the flux-growth process.

Flux is a solid material that, when melted, dissolves other materials in the same way that water dissolves sugar. As the dissolved chemical solution gradually cools, synthetic crystals form.

Growing a synthetic gem by the flux method requires patience and significant investment. Crystal growth can take up to a year, and the equipment is very expensive. But the results, are well worth the time and effort.

The first hydrothermal quartz was created in the 1890s in labs. After World War II, synthetic quartz was made commercially available.

Synthetic beryls are available in many different colors including yellow, red, blue (aquamarine) and green (emerald). In the late 1980s and 1990s, Russia became a significant producer of these synthetic gems such synthetic beryl and synthetic corundum, synthetic diamond and synthetic alexandrite.

Imitation Emeralds

In addition to treated emeralds and synthetic emeralds, there are also imitation emeralds.  Imitation are usually man made to imitate emeralds.

Imitation emeralds are usually created from natural colourless quartz.  The quartzs are heated and then quenched in a cold, liquid solution to develop a series of cracks throughout the quartz.  Dye solutions are injected to fill the quartz fractures to make them look like emeralds.  This can be detected by checking the stone under the microscope.

Sapphires are corundum that come in many colours, except red (red is usually rubies) but the most popular ones are royal blue sapphire.  Usually sapphire stones that are more intense in royal blue colour is more valuable.  The more intense and vivid the blue saturation, the more valuable the sapphire is.

There are sapphires that come in green, yellow, pink, orange, purple, violet, gray, black, brown and even white.  These coloured sapphires are usually known as fancy sapphires.

Facts on Sapphires

Sapphires is a type of corundum that is not red.  Red corundum are usually rubies.  Sapphires are usually blue in colour but there are also sapphires that are in all other colours, except red (rubies).  The refractive index for sapphires are 1.762 to 1.770 and birefringence of 0.008 to 0.010.  It has MOHs hardness of 9 and specific gravity of 4.

Blue Sapphires

Blue sapphires are commonly sorted after by jewelers.  Blue sapphires usually have inclusion.  The clearer and more intense the colour blue is, the more valuable it is.  Sapphires usually has inclusions like needles, which are long thin silk looking mineral.  Fingerprints, colour zoning and colour banding are some of the usual inclusions in sapphires.

Colour Change and Star Sapphires

Some sapphire stones exhibit colour change phenomenon.  The stone change colour under different lighting.  Colour change sapphires are usually described base on the colour change on weak, moderate or strong.  The stronger the colour change intensity of colours, the more valuable the stone is.

There are also asterism sapphires that has star effect on its reflections. It is known that asterism is caused by miniscule inclusions in the stone.  The stronger the saturated colour and distinct the star on the stone, the more valuable the stone is.

Recently padparadscha sapphire which range from light to medium pinkish orange are also highly sort after as these gems usually fetch high value.

The Origins of Sapphires

Sapphires are originally found in Kashmir, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.  Sapphires are also found in Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, US, Asia and Africa.  They are usually found in high hills and found in gravels in local streams.

Sapphire is the birthstone for those born in the month of September and is also the blue sapphire is also throat chakra stone.

Treated Sapphires

Sapphire that is sold for jewelry has usually gone through treatment processes.  One of the most common treatments for sapphire are the heating process.  Heating can intensify the colour and remove silk inclusions, making the stone looking more transparent.

Titanium, chromium or berrylium diffuse in the sapphire stone can enhance the colour of the stones.

Synthetic Sapphires

Other than treatment, there are also synthetic sapphires that are lab grown.  Synthetic sapphires usually share the same chemical composite of the natural gems.  Synthetic sapphires are usually created through the flux-growth process.

Flux is a solid material that, when melted, dissolves other materials in the same way that water dissolves sugar. As the dissolved chemical solution gradually cools, synthetic crystals form.

Growing a synthetic gem by the flux method requires patience and significant investment. Crystal growth can take up to a year, and the equipment is very expensive. But the results, are well worth the time and effort.

Imitation Sapphires

In addition to treated sapphires and synthetic sapphires, there are also imitation sapphires.  Imitation are usually man made to imitate sapphires.

Imitation sapphires are usually created from natural colourless quartz.  The quartzs are heated and then quenched in a cold, liquid solution to develop a series of cracks throughout the quartz.  Dye solutions are injected to fill the quartz fractures to make them look like sapphires.  This can be detected by checking the stone under the microscope.

Some edison pearls can be mistaken for south sea pearls due to their rich luster, nacre and excellent shine and overtone. That is why edison pearls are known to be the new alternative to South Sea Pearls. 

Edison Pearls are High Quality Freshwater Pearls

Edison pearls are the results of successful experiment in harvested better and higher quality of fresh water pearls. Edison pearls are freshwater pearl harvested in mussels. 

Edison pearl takes a longer time to grow and only one pearl is being harvested in one mussel. Edison pearls come from mussels and are mostly blemish free with smooth surface. Though some of these pearls may have some bumps and ridges.

Edison pearls come in round and baroque shapes. Most of the pearls are of south sea pearls quality but at more affordable price. They can be made into gorgeous types of jewelry.

Edison pearls come in range of colours, with metallic luster with blue greyish shimmer.  They are mainly white, creamy colours, golden and violet. The nacre is thick at about 2-3 mm in thickness. Due to this, they tend to have excellent orient and overtone , brings out the beauty of the pearls.