Emerald is the vibrant green gemstone variety of the mineral beryl. This incandescent gemstone has been a favorite throughout history. It is highly regarded for its incredible color and unique internal characteristics. The beryl mineral family holds several other notable gemstones including the seawater blue aquamarine and delicate blush hued morganite. However, emerald is usually the most well known member of the beryl family. It was been prized and collected by royalty and celebrity alike for thousands of years. There are of course are other green hued gemstones, like peridot or tourmaline, but emerald is always the standard which all other greens are compared to.
Emerald receives its intense color from traces of chromium and some times vanadium in its mineral structure.
This gemstone can be found worldwide, but the largest producer of emeralds today is Columbia. In antiquity, emeralds were mined in Egypt, India and Austria since the 14th century.
Its intense green color emulates new growth and spring time. Meaning it is the perfect companion birthstone to the month of May, when flowers begin to bud.
Emerald, and all other beryl gemstones, are not as durable as sapphire or diamond, so if you choose to set an emerald into one of our custom ring settings, it would need to be worn with care and might not be suitable for everyday jewelry. However, this glowing-green gemstone shown here could make a stunning right hand ring. This round cut green emerald is currently featured on our online gemstone list, and it is just waiting to be made into a custom created masterpiece!
Let us at Knox Jewelers help you design a custom created piece of jewelry holding this rare and beautiful emerald featured here or any other available option on our gemstone list!
A ring created at Knox Jewelers is truly a piece of art, tailored to your exact specifications and built from the ground up. Any Knox custom engagement ring can be created around the exact measurements of the gemstone you hand select to feature as its center piece. This ensures that the gemstone you select will fit perfectly into your custom setting, as if they are one. There is no manipulating a ready-made setting, with the risk of an ill fit and potential loosening of your gemstone in the future.
We work diligently to bring together a great variety of diamond and gemstone options in hopes that we can provide the center stone of your dreams. We update our online gemstone list weekly with newly discovered treasures. One center stone choice that is not listed on our available gemstone list, but is still a great option for a beautiful centerpiece, is an alternative lab created gemstone. We have a source providing lab created emerald, ruby, sapphire and alexandrite selections.
Knox Jewelers' Verona solitaire setting shown with both a round cut natural blue sapphire and a lab created Chatham blue sapphire.
Gemstones created in a lab are chemically, physically and optically identical to those mined from the ground. The only thing different from this gem and a genuine gem is that it was created in a lab and not found in the Earth. They have the same chemical composition, appearance, and durability. They may even have a richer color and a higher clarity because they were created with their given gemstone’s optimal characteristics in mind.
Colorful, vibrant gemstones featured in personal jewelry have always created a romantic and one-of-a-kind look. Every color and luster of stone holds its own meaning to the wearer. Unique and saturated colors are to some a badge of wealth or accomplishment. The royal and the famous have always had an appetite for vivid jewels. On a smaller, personal note, a colored stone could represent a birthstone, hold a symbolism or simply be a favorite hue.
Yet some of these gemstones are rarer, harder to get, and quite expensive. That’s why lab-created gemstones are available as alternatives.
The more expensive and hard-to-find natural gems in jewelry, such as sapphire, emerald, and ruby are favorite lab-created stones. They are not gem imitations; lab-created gemstones are the real deal. They are grown in a laboratory, following naturals recipe, and are identical chemically, physically and optically to natural gems.
Knox Jewelers' Verona solitaire setting shown with both a round cut natural emerald and a lab created Chatham emerald.
The mineral composition of lab-created stones is created through a process similar to what nature does beneath the earth over millions of years, but in a lab at a fraction of the time, and for a fraction of the cost of mining. The average person, one not familiar with natural gemstone traits, would find it very difficult to tell the difference between a natural and lab created gemstones. Even for one trained in the gemstone field it usually would take high magnification or other instruments to be completely convince of a natural identification.
The largest difference between the two options is that a natural gem typically has inclusions from the crystallization process during its creations. Gases and other minerals can become trapped during the molten stage of gemstone creation, and become an inclusion in the stone. Because lab-created stones rely on a steady, controlled process of applying minerals, heat and pressure, they usually have fewer to no inclusions.
Knox Jewelers' Verona solitaire setting shown with both a round cut natural ruby and a lab created Chatham ruby.
If you choose to feature a lab created gemstone in your custom created ring, you will receive a high quality stone with fewer inclusions and a optimal rich color with a significantly lower price tag compared to their natural gemstone counterparts. In some cases, like alexandrite, natural options have become extremely rare. Lab created options may be the only way some admirers will ever be able to own a unique color-changing alexandrite. Lab created options allow us the opportunity to set a beautiful center stone into your ring without waiting for mother nature to create the perfect crystal.
Contact Knox Jewelers today to learn more about featuring a lab created alternative as the center stone in your one-of-a-kind custom engagement ring. We will be able to provide you with the current availability of sapphire, ruby, alexandrite and emerald options. A lab created gemstone is a great way to feature a vibrant and clear center in your ring for a fraction of the cost. We would be happy to assist you in building your heirloom quality piece around the center stone of your choosing.
One of our new favorite custom created engagement ring centers around a 1.20 carat round brilliant diamond trimmed on either side by tapering princess cut emeralds. This combination makes for a truly opulent pairing. The rich green tone of the emeralds adds a freshness to an otherwise classic silhouette. Vintage inspired elements on this custom setting include three faces of hand engraving and four pockets of hand wrought filigree curls. The edges of this tapering band are refined with milgrain edging for a refined and polished finish. This vibrant and daring design can be recreated to accommodate any type, shape, or size center stones. Contact Knox Jewelers today to custom tailor this design to your preferred precious metal and central gemstone selection to create your own one-of-a-kind engagement ring!
Emerald, the vibrant green to greenish blue variety of the mineral beryl, is the gemstone traditionally considered the birthstone of May. Beryl is a colorful family of gems, ranging from the pastel shades of blue aquamarine and pink morganite to the deeper tones of yellow heliodor. All beryl gemstones possess similar crystal formations and physical properties, but differ in chemical composition. The gemstone emerald is expected to hold naturally occurring inclusions. Inclusions density will vary, but they are accepted in this gemstone and have even earned the nickname “jardin”, which is french for garden.
Emerald can occur in hues from green to slightly bluish green with its most desirable color being pure green with vivid color and saturation. The gemstone receives its intense color from trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium.
Emeralds can grow in a variety of locations but it occurs mostly commonly in pegmatite bearing granite. Listed below are the locations where emeralds naturally occur and are mined to be transformed into beautifully faceted gemstones. An emerald’s color reflects the beginning greens of spring, which makes it the perfect choice for the birthstone of May.
Colombia – Columbia is the most famous source of emeralds that there has ever been.
Brazil – Strict environmental laws makes Brazil’s Belmont Emerald Mine one of the most eco-friendly colored stone mining operations worldwide.
Israel – The country of Israel is famous for its emerald cutting operations.
Zambia – Zambia is currently one of the most important producers of emeralds.
Zimbabwe – The Sandawana Valley in Zimbaber produces small but intensely color saturated emeralds.
Madagascar
India – The city of Jaipur in India is a leading cutting and trading center for emeralds as well as several other gemstones.
China – China currently produces lower quality emeralds but it has the potential to be the next important supplier of the gemstone.
Pakistan
Afghanistan – Despite years of conflict, the Panjshir Valley in northern Afghanistan still produces some of the finest quality emeralds ever seen.
Russia – The Ural Mountains of Russia have produced good quality emeralds for years.
If you are lucky enough to hold the legendary emerald as your birthstone, let us at Knox Jewelers help you custom create a one-of-a-kind piece to showcase this beautiful vibrant green gemstone. Emerald green is the standard which all other green gemstones are compared to. Any custom piece of jewelry could be tailored to incorporate this remarkable birthstone. The possibility are endless with such a versatile mineral. A Knox Jewelers custom created piece, featuring a beautiful emerald is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion falling within the month. Contact us today and let’s get started. We have a selection of emeralds available just waiting to be transformed!
If you’re ready to begin production on your custom engagement ring you’ll have a full team of world famous Knox Jeweler’s craftsmen bringing your piece to life. Our designers work hand-in-hand with our production team in our Minneapolis studio to create every work of art you see on our website. We produce heirloom quality pieces that will someday be passed down to future generations.
A beautiful Emerald center-stone will only last as long as our lifetime ring designs if you wear and take care of them properly. This means not only using caution and common sense when wearing emerald jewelry, but also making sure it is cleaned and stored in a proper manner. These tips are useful for your emerald jewelry and for all fine jewelry.
Caring for emeralds starts with knowing the proper times to don your ring and when to remove it. Do not leave your emerald rings on while doing the dishes, showering or using cleaners of any kind. Emeralds tend to attract grease and soaps. The gemstone’s brilliance could be affected if these substances gather underneath it over a period of time. It is also wise to put jewelry on only after applying makeup, lotion, perfume or hairspray. These products may contain chemicals that could damage the gemstone. Your emerald center-stone could collect scratches, so it is smart to store it separately from other gemstones and jewelry.
To clean your emerald, soak the ring in room temperature water with mild soap like hand soap or Woolite. Use a soft toothbrush to softly brush the underside of the emerald to remove the accumulation of dirt and grease. It should then be rinsed with warm water and patted dry. You should be able to notice a restored brightness in your gemstone.
You should not clean an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaners or steam cleaners. These may cause damage to the stone. An emerald should never be exposed to high heats. Try to avoid using strong soaps, jewelry cleaner liquids or other cleaners as most of these are not compatible with the oil treatments routinely done on emeralds. Cleanings should only be done a couple times a year.
Emeralds are majestic gemstones with a long history behind them. Any emerald from our online gemstone list would make a beautiful center piece for your heirloom. Our designers and gemstone buyers know exactly what to look for to help you choose a top quality gem. With the proper care your Knox Jewelers’ engagement ring featuring a vibrant green emerald will last for generations to come. Contact us today to get started on your custom design.
