How to Grade Emeralds

Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl that contains small quantities of chromium and vanadium and produces its greenish color. These stones are typically riddled with inclusions or imperfections that make them quite brittle. With the steps below and a good understanding of the grading scale, finding the right emerald will be an easier task.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Look for inclusions in the stone. Emeralds almost always have inclusions from the time they were formed. These inclusions can identify a true emerald from a synthetic or fake emerald. Finding a flawless emerald is rare, and the stone would be highly valued.
2. Check the cut of the stone. The emerald cut is the most typical for this gem. Round, oval and step cuts are also common. The step cut or emerald cut produces the most brilliance as the light transfers from facet to facet.
3. Inspect the stone for its truest color. Unlike most diamonds, an emerald may not lose value due to it dark color and may, in fact, be enhanced by it. The darker the green color, the more valuable the emerald. Inclusions can be overlooked in richly colored stones.
4. Weight the emerald for its carat value. Carat is simply a term for a gemstone's weight in size. Look for larger emeralds with richer color for rarity. Typically, one carat will be referred to as 100 points.

Tips & Warnings

• Colombian emeralds have small amounts of iron pyrite inclusions and exhibit flashes of gold when light hits the stone.
• Unlike diamonds, emeralds begin to show their truest colors and beauty in stones larger than one carat. The larger the stone, the more brilliant the appearance becomes.
• Emeralds are one of the world's most replicated gems. Synthetic emeralds and dyed stones can be hard to spot in the open market.