We are big fans of emerald jewellery here at Treasures of Brazil.
Each piece is so unique and the rich, vibrant colour looks AMAZING in jewellery.
As the very best emeralds come from Brazil, I wanted to give you a quick guide to emeralds - what they are, how to wear emerald jewellery, where to find them, and how to care for your emerald jewellery once you’ve got it…
What is Emerald?
Emerald is one of the four ‘precious’ gemstones - the others are diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and dates back to around 1500BC where it was first mined in Egypt.
Emeralds are extremely rare, in fact they’re more than 20 times rarer than diamonds. They’re also relatively fragile so when used in jewellery it's best to keep your emerald jewellery for special occasions. Later in this blog post, I’ll show you how to keep your emerald jewellery safe and looking its best for longer.
To get scientific, emeralds are found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, mainly in South America.
Emerald is essentially a variety of the mineral beryl, which in its pure form is actually colourless. The vivid green you find in emeralds comes from trace elements of chromium, vanadium or a mixture of both found in beryl. More about this below…
What does Emerald look like?
Emeralds are only ever green, although they can range from deep greens, to paler more yellowish greens. However, it's the deep, rich greens which are the most desirable of all emeralds.
As I mentioned earlier in this blog post, emeralds are actually much more rare than diamonds and the way we work out their value differs dramatically to that of diamonds.
In diamonds, it’s the clarity that we’re looking for, whereas in emeralds we expect to see what we call inclusions in the gemstones. So, if you find an emerald without these inclusions, it is likely to be synthetic.
It’s these inclusions which make each emerald so unique.
When used in jewellery, emeralds are often treated with heat and oil to improve both the look of the gemstone, and increase its durability.
Emerald jewellery in fashion
Emeralds have long been used in fashion and are loved by many a royal.
In 1911 Queen Mary wore a stunning Art Deco emerald choker to the Delhi Durbar. That same choker was given to Princess Diana as a wedding gift from the Queen years later.
Elizabeth Taylor also had a wonderful collection of emerald jewellery. In 2011 one of her emerald pendant necklaces sold for $6.5 million!
How to wear Emerald jewellery
If you’re looking for a statement piece and want more ‘bang for your buck’ as they say, then emeralds are what you’re looking for.
Why’s at?
Well, the carat of a gemstone is calculated by weight. So, a 1 carat emerald will be larger than a 1 carat diamond because diamond is more dense than emerald.
Here are my suggestions when deciding how to wear emeralds:
- Go simple - for an everyday look, pair an emerald piece with neutral-toned clothing to bring out the vibrant green tones of the gemstone.
- Stand out - for a special occasion, opt for an emerald piece with an intricate design or a gemstone on a gold setting which really makes the green pop.
- Give your emerald the space it commands - if you’re wearing an emerald necklace, team it with a plunged neckline so all the focus is on the piece. With emerald earrings, wear your hair up so it isn’t covering your earrings, and for emerald rings, choose a high neckline so that the eye is drawn to the statement piece on your hands.
As I mentioned before, emerald is fairly fragile so I’d recommend saving your emerald jewellery for those special occasions but if you want to get more wear out of it, go for earrings and necklaces which are less prone to everyday wear and tear.
How to Care for your Emerald Stone Jewellery
Never use chemicals or an ultrasound machine when cleaning your emerald jewellery. Stick to mild soapy water and gently wipe away any dirt. You can even coat the gemstones in your emerald jewellery with baby oil which will help prevent the stone from becoming overly brittle and will therefore last longer and be more durable.
Shop our range of Emerald Stone jewellery
Check out our range of beautiful emerald jewellery here and check us out on Tiktok where you can see how our emerald jewellery is made, as well as more from our emerald collection.
Until next time,
Daiane x
