Your Guide To Emeralds

It was the poet, William Drennan, who first coined the term ‘Emerald Isle’ , and ever since, the colour emerald has been synonymous with Ireland. Emeralds are renowned for their rich green hue and unique natural inclusions. They are traditionally associated with May as the birthstone and given on the 55th anniversary.

Birthstones & Anniversaries
As the gem of spring, emerald is the perfect choice as the birthstone for the month of May. It’s also the gem of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.

Emerald Colour
The single greatest factor for an emerald's value is it's colour. The emerald is examined and graded based on its hue, tone and saturation of colour. Ideally the hue will be green, without additional colour undertones. The tone will be vivid and deep, not too dark or light. The saturation will be even and fluid throughout.

For Emeralds, the Cut is the Key!
A skilled gemologist can give a paler stone a darker appearance with a deep cut and fewer facets (flat surfaces on the stone). And a darker stone can be given a lighter appearance with a shallow cut and more facets. Given all that, it is not surprising that this gem has a specific cut named after it, “the emerald cut” that shows it off to great effect. Many fine emeralds are prepared in this iconic style.

Emerald Care
When considering buying an Emerald, it is important to be aware that they are softer gemstones. Emerald is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, this means they are softer than sapphires, rubies and diamonds and are more prone to scratching and chipping over time and require more care when being worn! We recommend taking your emerald ring off when doing activities that require excess use of the hand such as going to the gym or doing household chores.