Typically, the preferred method to clarity enhance an emerald is through the filling of natural fissures and fractures with natural cedar oil or Canada balsam, although other more permanent methods do exist.
Although the properties of Canada balsam are well known in Bogota, the cedarwood oil is still used the most, since the majority of fractures in emeralds need only a minute amount of oil to reduce their visibility and the cedarwood oil is much less expensive.
Even the best quality emeralds tend to have inclusions, and this is considered an intrinsic part of the gem's structure. But oiling does help to a certain extent to minimize the flaws and enhance the lush green color of this precious jewel.
You can also coat emeralds with baby oil as an extra precaution to help prevent the stone from becoming overly brittle. Our guide to caring for emerald rings will tell you everything you need to know about looking after these soft precious gemstones, and their settings.
The emerald's saturation – Saturation is a term used to describe the purity of an emerald's colour. An emerald that has a vivid green colour with little to no overtones has good saturation. An emerald with poor saturation will have strong overtones and a dull green colour.
Emeralds require special care as they are relatively soft gemstone. After washing put them in coconut oil for 12 hours, it will increase the life of it.
Over 99% of emeralds have surface reaching fractures that are treated with oil, wax, resin, or something else entirely. This is done to improve the clarity of emeralds, and usually termed as enhancement instead of treatment is the sales sector of the gem industry.
If you are wearing your emerald daily, and if the emerald is a ring, then chances are that you will regularly need to put it into some cedar oil in a warm sunny place for two days to refresh it.
To re-oil emeralds, all you need to do is submerge the stone in an appropriate solution (oil, epoxy, etc). Next, place the stone and the solution somewhere warm. The back of a stove or a sunny window in summer are great locations. Keep it at about 100° F for a day or two.
The best way to clean emerald jewelry is with warm soapy water or a warm soapy cloth. Do not soak emeralds in soapy water and avoid harsh detergents that might dilute or remove oils from the stone. Never soak emeralds in solvents such as alcohol, acetone, or paint thinner.
To tell if an emerald has been oiled, look for white or yellow branch patterns along the surface of the gem. If you see them, the gem is likely oiled. Also, examine it under a magnifying glass for any signs of trapped bubbles. These also indicate an oiled gemstone.
Assuming both diamond and emerald prices were split 50/50, the emerald would have cost around US$500,000 or over US$70,000 per carat! However, lower quality emeralds that have been “significantly” treated with oil, dye, and resin can fetch prices of around US$10 per carat!
Emeralds usually contain many cracks, fissures, and inclusions — for this reason, most emeralds are immersed in oil to reduce the visibility of the inclusions and improve clarity.
Yes, emerald is safe to go in the water. It has a value of 7.5-8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which is well above the minimum value required for minerals to go underwater. However, like all gemstones, emeralds should not be immersed in water for long because it can dull the crystal's appearance and damage its structure.
Ultrasonic vibrations can weaken already-fractured stones, and hot steam can cause oil or unhardened resin to sweat out of fractures. Using warm, soapy water coupled with gentle scrubbing is the safest way to clean emeralds.
Wearing Emerald Stone (Panna)
Emerald should touch the skin of your finger. It should be worn on Wednesday. While wearing Emerald recite the mantra, “OM BUDHAYE NAMAHA”. Before wearing Emerald it should be dipped into Ganga Jal or cow milk for at least 10 minutes.
Discoloration: Coconut oil should be a pale-white color. If the oil starts to turn yellow or green or has any dark oil spots or signs of mold, it has turned rancid.
Purify the ornament studded with the Emerald/Panna stone by dipping it in unboiled milk or Ganga water for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then, take it out and carefully place the ornament on the green cloth on which the Mercury yantra is drawn. 9. Before you wear the ornament, offer flowers and burn five incense sticks.
A No-Oil Colombian Emerald is a natural emerald gemstone, mined in the country of Colombia, and contains no oil treatment. They're the most valuable and desirable types of emeralds in the world. Emeralds are part of the Type III gemstone category. This means that they are usually heavy with inclusions.
The most desirable emerald colors are bluish green to pure green, with vivid color saturation and tone that's not too dark. The most-prized emeralds are highly transparent.
In the case of dyed and opaque stones, the safest cleaning method is a solution of warm water and mild soap. Note that you should never use lemon juice or vinegar to clean these stones because the acidity can damage them.
According to the GIA tone scale, tone runs from 0 (white or colorless) to 10 (black). Fine emeralds tend to fall between 2 and 8. Note that darker does not mean better. Rich color is the darkest one should look for in emeralds.