Compressed Spring 2026 Issue - Flipbook - Page 71
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the exception here; it’s universally accepted that most
emeralds are injected with oil to fill empty spaces and
increase color and clarity.
Emeralds form under intense geological stress and
often develop a dense network of internal fractures,
inclusions, and growth irregularities (known as jardin,
French for garden). Injecting oil not only beautifies an
emerald but also protects it from brittleness. “Emeralds by nature are very porous,” Bindra says. “People
have been oiling gemstones for centuries to make them
look more attractive.”
Though the most valuable emeralds are usually
untreated, Bindra notes that there’s no snobbery about
emeralds that are oiled, because it’s such common
practice: “It’s impossible to stick your nose up at it,
because something like 90-ish percent of the [emeralds] out there are oil-treated.”
For the emerald shopper, this means asking dealers
about the type of oil used in a gem, and how much was
used to beautify the stone. Cedarwood oil is considered the best and most natural and sustainable oil. It’s
also ancient, Bindra says. “It’s a natural, nonabrasive
treatment. It’s an industry standard for the top end
of the market. Lots of brands will prefer either no
enhancement or the cedarwood oil.” (That said, cedarwood oil will dry out over time, while less prestigious
treatments such as polymer blends will last longer—a
head-scratcher.)
The Top Tier
The most valuable emeralds—ones that can cost more
than the finest diamonds—are almost always untreated
(no oil). “Those are the crème de le crème emeralds,”
Bindra says. “They can cost hundreds of thousands and
even up to $1 million per carat, depending on the quality of the material.” Auction-busting emeralds often
hail from Colombia, Zambia, or, if they’re older, Russia.
If you’re shopping on that elite tier, you can always
send an emerald to the Gemological Institute of
America (known as the GIA), to discern what treatments—and how much oiling—it’s had done. “When
GEMANDJEWEL.COM
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4. KatKim 18k gold
Duét Muzo Asscher
ring with 2.85 cts.
t.w. Muzo emeralds
and baguette-cut
diamonds; $38,200;
katkimfinejewelry.com
5. Belmont Sparkle
18k white gold
designer earrings
with diamonds and
1 ct. t.w. oval-cut
emeralds; $1,925;
belmontsparkle.com
6. Single Stone
18k yellow gold
Lilibet ring with 4.1
cts. t.w. oval-cut
emeralds and 3.23 ct.
emerald-cut diamond;
price upon request;
singlestone.com
you’re talking tip-top of the market, you’re talking
about a stone that’s very crisp, super-transparent, and
really rich in color,” Bindra says.
But though there’s demand for untreated “fine”
emeralds, with people paying huge premiums simply
because a stone is untreated, “if the stone is not
really that beautiful, you shouldn’t buy it,” Bindra
says. “People are sometimes really putting value on a
marketing metric rather than looking at the stone and
making decisions. Personally, I think you should always
look at the beauty of a gemstone. And ultimately you
should buy something that makes you feel good—not
because of what a document says.”
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