Learn · Stones
Emerald
Emerald is the green to bluish-green variety of beryl, colored by chromium, vanadium and iron, and the birthstone for May. It asks for more care than a sapphire or a diamond: a protective setting, and gentle cleaning.
What it is
Emerald is beryl, the same mineral as aquamarine and morganite. Its green comes from chromium, vanadium and iron.
Nearly all emeralds have fractures, and most are filled with oils, resins or polymers. Light and chemicals can affect the filling.
Emerald is a stone; the emerald cut is a shape, a step-cut rectangle, that any stone can be cut in.
Why people love it
The color: green to bluish green. And a May birthday.
Trade-offs
Emerald is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, with fair to good toughness, and nearly every emerald has fractures. For a ring worn every day, a protective setting such as a bezel or a halo guards it.
Most emeralds are filled, and light and chemicals can affect the filling, so ask Sara how a stone has been treated, and whether it is natural or laboratory-grown.
Who it suits
Anyone who loves green and is happy to take a little care, and anyone with a May birthday. For daily wear, set it in a bezel or a halo.
Sizes
The Design Studio sets an emerald from 4 to 12 mm long in any of its shapes and shows its millimeters and an approximate weight. By the studio’s figures, beryl (specific gravity 2.72) weighs about three quarters of a diamond (3.52) of the same size.
What affects the cost
What moves an emerald’s cost: its size, its color and clarity, how it has been treated, and whether it is natural or laboratory-grown; then the metal and the setting. Sara quotes the finished piece after a consultation.
Every custom piece is quoted after a consultation; there are no posted prices for custom work.
Care
Warm soapy water and a soft brush are safe. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are risky for emerald, and chemicals can affect its filling, so keep it to the gentle method. Pacific Jewel rings come back to Sara for a clean and an inspection whenever you like.
Questions
Is emerald good for a ring worn every day?
With care. It is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale with fair to good toughness, so a protective setting such as a bezel or a halo is the way to wear it daily.
Are emeralds treated?
Most are: nearly all emeralds have fractures, and most are filled with oils, resins or polymers. Ask Sara how a stone has been treated.
Can an emerald go in an ultrasonic cleaner?
It is risky; so is steam. Warm soapy water and a soft brush are safe.
Emerald or emerald cut?
Emerald is the stone, green beryl. The emerald cut is a step-cut shape that a diamond or any other stone can be cut in.
What is the birthstone for May?
Emerald.