Today we will talk about the one gem I had sworn to never touch and yet, is increasingly present in Asia Lounges' collections! I am talking about the rare gem variation of green beryl known as emerald.
The stone itself is legendary, birthstone for May and often used in astrology to honor Taurus, Gemini and sometimes even Cancer. This gem is often carved to honor the gods. As such, India's goddess Meenakshi is traditionally represented by an emerald idol as well as numerous Buddha idols all over Asia.
So, if this gemstone is so prized by gods and human alike, why would I not like it to begin with?
One of the many beauties of emerald consist of its "jardin", or inner inclusions, giving this typical look to the gem but also, unfortunately, making the stone less resistant to shocks than say... an aquamarine (both belong to the Beryl family).
The cabochon emerald below features on the left side some wave like patterns, this is what we refer to as the "jardin" of the gem.
The Madagascar specie, however, has proven challenging to me. The color and luster of these gems as well as the purity of their crystal is, as far as I am concerned, exceptional! Never have I seen an emerald as beautiful as these!
Not only are they clean to the eye, which is incredibly rare a find in the emerald world, but their color rival or even surpass that of the praised Colombian emeralds! All in all, this little gem is not only a stunner when it comes to color and crystal but its price also is unbeatable! Similar goods as the pear shape emerald featured below, from Colombia, would easily be 10 times the price!
It is amusing to see that, although dealers are "au fait" of new gem discoveries, they are, more often than not, very surprised to see how the Madagascar emeralds look!
It is not rare to hear gem traders asking us "How much does that cute Colombian emerald cost?" It is always amusing to see how the surprise grow in their eyes as we tell them that these exquisite gems are actually from Madagascar!
It is only a question of time before their price start to skyrocket and, something tells me that, the deposit will run dry soon! So get in line to get your own before it's too late!
See you soon in the Lounges!
