1. EMERALD
Perhaps the most well-known of the green-colored gems, emeralds have enthralled admirers since pre-historic times. It's a member of the beryl family, which also consists of aquamarine, bixbite, goshenite, heliodor and morganite.
While they're mined in Brazil, Zambia and Ethiopia, Columbian emeralds make up 70 to 90 percent of the world's market. For gemologist Joshua M. Hyman, G.G. (GIA), the Columbian variety has the finest specimens. He's a fourth-generation Philadelphia jeweler and appraiser. "The best ones have always been found in Columbia - just outside of Bogotá," he said.
Emeralds are rare because of their chemical makeup. They form when chromium, vanadium, and iron are present in the mineral beryl. Ranging from a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, they're ideal for everyday wear. Most emeralds have inclusions, making "eye-clean" specimens particularly valuable.
2. GREEN BERYL
While all emeralds are beryl, not all green beryl gemstones get classified as emeralds.
"As a gemologist, you know the difference when you see it," Hyman noted. "Green beryl looks like an aquamarine, but it's green. It's very clean and pastel in color hue. It's got more of a yellow-green component, whereas emerald is more heavily included. Some people say it's a saturation level. Some say it's a trace element discussion. Lack of either chromium or vanadium, but green in color, makes it green beryl." Third-generation jeweler Staci Sullivan, based in Melbourne, Florida, said she likes to regard green beryl as if "aquamarine and emerald had a baby." Sullivan graduated from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) with a Diamond Graduate degree.
"Beryl looks like the water in the Bahamas, which is soothing to me. I could look at it forever," Sullivan said.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
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This story is from the March 2024 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
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