What budget do I need to buy Colombian emeralds?

The prices of Colombian emeralds can vary considerably depending on factors such as the quality, size, color and clarity of the stone. In addition, the gems market is very dynamic and may be subject to significant changes over time.

However, we can help you so that you can set a suitable budget for the Colombian emerald you have in mind, and you can also decide whether you should make an adjustment to the budget or if you can buy the gem you've always longed for.

How to choose a Colombian emerald?

To establish the value of an emerald you have to take into account several aspects, these are the tips we suggest to choose the emerald or batch of emeralds in which you would invest your money.

1. Form: Define what size or cuts you want to acquire is. I mean, you want a round emerald, square, emerald carving, trapiche, oval, heart, cabin, etc. This will be important to define the value of the gem.
2. Size: Like most gemstones, emeralds can be presented in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 0.02 to 0.5 carats to gemstones of 1 to 5 carat gemstones.

The value of an emerald is exponential to its weight, so an emerald of a carat will not be worth the same as one of two, so the gems have a similar quality.

While it is true that larger gemstones are more valuable than smaller stones, quality is as important as size, and larger emeralds are more likely to have large or visible inclusions that can affect their clarity and value.

3. Check the color: emeralds come in a wide range of colors. Color is one of the most important factors in determining the value of an emerald. The difference in the color of the emeralds is due to the different amounts of chrome, vanadium and iron in the environment in which they formed, so you must establish if you want a crystalline emerald (clear, transparent foe) or an emerald of good color (green bluish or intense green).
4. Look for inclusions. The inclusions are all material (such as gas bubbles or tiny crystals) that has been trapped inside a precious stone during its formation. An emerald with excessive inclusions that diminish its transparency or clarity is worth less than an emerald with less inclusions.

TIP: Be cautious about the inclusions that reach the surface of the precious stone, as they can cause it to fracture in the future.

5. Treatments: Due to the fact that emeralds often have notorious inclusions, it is well known that some emeralds and jewelers choose to apply treatments with oil, acids or other substances to be applied to stones so that emeralds light up purer.

Therefore, you should bear in mind that when a stone is treated its value decreases at the same time as its quality. Likewise, the less treatment you will be the more appealous, therefore, the more expensive.

6. Certify your emeralds: In order to properly assess the value of an emerald you consider buying, you can request a report from a gemological laboratory. This will identify the type, size, cutting, clarity, color and origin of the emerald.

This assessment will give you a degree of confidence in the quality and value of the precious stone, even before you get the quote from a third party.

Budget for a Colombian emerald

To give you an idea of the budget to acquire a Colombian emerald we will divide the budgets as emeralds that you can find in the low, medium and high range, let's see:

Low range: :From 70,000 COP to 1,000,000 COP

• Color: A natural emerald on this price can be a green crystal and dark green
• Weight: your weight will not exceed 1.0 ct
• Clarity: in case the emerald has a crystal green, it is likely that the gem contains several inclusions and very notorious internal gardens, in case of having a colored gem, this will be soda, that is, lacking brightness and transparency.
• Cut: does not interfere with the total value, unless they are detailed cuts such as cushion. baguette, hearts or specific figures.
• Treatments: Gemma may have a high degree of treatment, either by oil or perma. In the case of no treatment, the stones will lack natural brightness.

Average range: From 1,000,000 COP to 10.000.000 COP

• Color: for this value the emerald in question will have a more powerful color. In the case of crystal emeralds, the color will be purer, a light green translucent.
• Peso : emeralds of this price exceed 1.0 ct. However, they do not usually have more than 3.0 ct
• Clarity: the clarity in this type of stone becomes medium, has moderate inclusions, or very fine inclusions.
• Court: the cut is independent of the value that an emerald may have, however, as in certain cases, there are sizes that represent greater size and pulidity work, so the budget will increase to some extent. Example: sizes without a puncture, baguettes, pronounced cones.
• Treatments: Treatments in this type of emerald are usually moderate. They usually only have oil or a moderate perma level.

High range: 10,000,000 COPs onwards.

(This type of stone most require gemological laboratory certificates.)

• Color: in this case the emeralds have the best possible color, and even the famous bluish green, unique of Colombian emeralds. In the case of emerald crystals the color is vivid and comes to have a certain ideal shine.
• Weight: the weight of emeralds in this category is between 1.0 ct at countless higher weights.  
• Clarity: in this type of emerald the clarity is of AA and AAA grade, that is, from excellent to good clarity counting on very few or fine inclusions
• Court: the cut is independent of the value that an emerald may have, however, as in certain cases, there are sizes that represent greater size and pulidity work, so the budget will increase to some extent. Example: sizes without a puncture, baguettes, pronounced cones.
• Treatments: in these cases the level of treatment is zero or moderate. Many of these emeralds don't have treatments and if you have it it's very mild, so much so that it involves only a little oil for a few hours.

Paula A. Bonilla 

Social communicator and journalist from Sergio Arboleda University in Colombia. She is also a jeweler and is passionate about constantly learning about precious gems and national high jewelry.

Currently, she is working for one of Bogotá's most important jewelry stores, Emerald by Love. This jewelry store has over 40 years of experience and has 2 physical branches in the capital city of Colombia, located in the city center.