How to Grade Emerald Gemstones?

Emeralds gemstones have their own grades and value based on four things. These are the four C’s, the color, cut, clarity, and carat weight, but with emeralds, this actually is a bit different than other stones. Emeralds stones are often valued the most by the color that they have on there, and it actually is what is the natural value of these stones, as you can see across our natural Swat emeralds from Pakistan.

Emerald color grading is the number one thing that will determine the quality of these emeralds. Colors are often divided however further in this case into three categories: hue, tonal grade, saturation. The tonal grade is often what is established in terms of the degree of darkness and lightness that’s found there. Those that are natural, tend to have a variety of different tones, including very light, all the way to medium dark.

Typically, an emerald that’s of the highest quality will be in the tone range from medium to very dark. However, those emeralds that are natural, tend to fall into most of those tonal grade categories. The tonal grade won’t determine the full quality of the emerald. The hue and saturation are also considered.

Hue is the color that the emerald has. It’s the type of green. Typically, it’s a bluish green or a yellow green. Saturation is what gives the color of the emerald’s intensity and strength. Saturation can be either very dull, or even to a vivid green, like this 3.436 carat vivid green Zambian emerald. Medium dark stones are high quality, but the stone is boring and dull, the quality is lowered. Medium light might have a lot more saturation, and it may be more appealing. That’s why all three of these are considered.

So, what’s the emerald grading scale? You’ve got three of them: AAA, AA, or A.

First, is the AAA emerald grade, which is the highest quality it can be in, in terms of the quality. It’s the top 10 percent of these gemstones, and they’re made of rich green, slightly included, and have high brilliance. Deeply saturated Zambian emeralds often sit at this end of the scale.

The AA category is the second best, which is the 20-30 percent of these, and these tend to have a medium green and are moderate in terms of inclusion.

Then there are the A, which is the 50-75 percent of all gemstones. Typically, natural A emeralds are darker green, included heavily, but opaque as well. They’re still amazing in quality but are the lowest compared to the two above.

There is also the heirloom or also called rare emerald. This is the super highest quality, and it’s better than AAA, but they’re super expensive and rare, so you may never see them. If you are still deciding where to start, it helps to know how to choose a good emerald gemstone for your budget.

Emerald clarity grading is about what the stone looks like on the inside. The clarity of these makes them different from other gemstones in a sense, since many have small bits of grasses, crystals, and other minerals that are taken in during the crystallization process. It’s normal for these to have inclusions in them, and typically, these have three different category types. The emeralds are usually in the type 3 gemstone category, which means they’re always included, and that is part of what makes two emeralds distinct even at the same grade.

Inclusions are often very normal in emeralds, but if there are a lot, it may look less like a crystal. Too many inclusions are also a bad thing, since it can create problems with the durability of the stone, and if they’re too close to the surface, it’ll lower in value. Those that are low clarity emeralds tend to have way too many inclusions, especially when they’re close to the surface. However, you should remember that inclusions are a naturally occurring part of emeralds, and you should always expect to find them. They’re special, and if there aren’t any, that means that it’s a fake, so keep that in mind.

When it comes to how to value natural emeralds, this is how you determine the value in many cases, and you can use this to better understand the different types of treatments and cuts that can be done with this, whether you are grading a finished stone or a parcel of 100 carats of rough Panjshir emeralds for faceting. It’s quite interesting, and it should be able to help you find the best quality emeralds possible, allowing you to have a stone that’s full of value, and one that you’ll be able to definitely get the most out of. It’s quite remarkable, and something that’s a great addition to many jewelry lovers.