A Fabulous Emerald
May 1st, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
My friend and gem dealer, Jack P., and I go way back, so he knows exactly how to push my buttons. He knows we really love emeralds– How could I not, being married to a red headed Taurus and the father of another red-headed Taurus gal. In fact, we at Mardon pride ourselves in being emerald specialists.
I just had to buy it. In this difficult economy, the rule of thumb for retail businesses is to carefully match inventory with demand. Haven’t had any specific calls for extra fine 2 carat emeralds lately and cash is hard to come by, so everyone cringed when I told Jack “You got me!” But I learned early on in the gem business that when you see a stone that is truly outstanding and a great value, you only get one opportunity to buy– if you hesitate, you won’t see it again.
This wonderful natural Colombian emerald weighs 1.73 cts. but faces up like 2 cts because of the excellent cut. The color is bright and vivid, not quite medium dark — I gave it a color grade of 8 extra fine. The clarity is slightly included with typical three-phase inclusions that prove Colombian origin. The stone has slight traces of oil/resin enhancement that you expect to see in Colombian stones. The excellent transparency of the crystal is immediately apparent. All in all, a perfect ring stone, great size, pleasing cut, crisp vivid color, and outstanding brightness.
Right now, it’s in my private collection, but look for it soon in our Gallery of Gems!
Tags: Colombian emerald, square emerald cut, three phase inclusion
