These bright and lively emeralds are from Zambia. They are 5.3mm, 1.18ct total weight, and are beautifully set in 18K yellow gold double wire basket settings with large backs. We have several other pairs of emeralds available for custom made earrings. Call for more information.
Emerald is a gemstone known for its bright green color and is the birthstone for May. It also marks a couple’s 35th wedding anniversary.
Emerald is a member of the beryl family colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryls have a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, but most emeralds are highly included so their toughness is classified as generally poor. Emerald is the rarest of all gemstones and so is valued accordingly. They are mined all over the world, primarily in Central & South America and Africa.
Smooth graduated lentil shaped deep purple amethyst beaded necklace, untreated Zambian 230ctw. 14KY clasp, 17.5″ total length.
This lovely ring design is one of our best sellers. It is solid and strong and lends itself to many different sizes of gemstones. Here we have set a 10mm round Zambian Amethyst, 3.24ct. This ring can be worn every day because of its strength and durability.
Also known as “Spessartine” this lively garnet is usually orange to reddish-brown and is somewhat rare. Most spessartites especially orange ones, have eye-visible inclusions.
Manganese is the element in Spessartiet that produces the orange color. Spessartite has been found in Brazil, Burma, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the USA (San Diego County, CA). The most important sources today are Nigeria and northeast Namibia. Spessartites are not enhanced by any method. Hardness is 7 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Garnets are often named after the location where they are found. Umba River garnet is from the Umba Valley of Tanzania. They are a mixture of pyrope and spessartite and display a gorgeous orange-red garnet. It is also known as Umbalite garnet and is a relatively new gemstone to the market.
If you’re contemplating green gemstones, one rare but beautiful alternative to emerald is a Tsavorite garnet.
Tsavorite garnet is one of the most important varieties of grossularite garnet. It was first discovered in 1967 by Campbell Bridges, a Scottish geologist. Tsavorite was named after Tsavo National Park on the border between Kenya and Tanzania, where the stones were discovered.
Tsavorite garnets are about 200 times rarer than emeralds, and they are among the most expensive types of garnets because of their rarity.
These types of garnets also tend to be small in terms of carat size. The majority of stones are under one carat. Pieces over two carats are rare and therefore significantly more expensive than the smaller stones. The most preferred color is a pure, highly saturated green.
Unlike emeralds, inclusions are rare, so Tsavorite garnets don’t typically need to be treated or filled. They have a high refractive index which makes them especially brilliant. They are moderately hard, measuring 6.5 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale.