Category Archives: May Birthstone

Emerald Alternatives

I’m a colored stone guy. I love colored stones. I love selling colored stones. I love helping people foster a greater appreciation for colored stones. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that not all colored gems are created equal, and it’s important for a client to know their options when designing a piece…

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Emerald Ethnicity

The prime consideration for emerald quality comes down to color, more so than for almost any other gemstone. The rarity of large, cleaner emeralds of top color has logically led to sky-rocketing values. The finest emeralds are among the rarest and most valuable gemstones in the world, on par with top rubies, and dwarfing all…

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Caring for Your Emerald

In my first blog this month, I wrote about emeralds: all of their wondrous beauty, their allure, and their chaotic origins. But I mentioned, almost in passing, that emeralds need some extra care. I didn’t have room in that entry, so I’m going to expound on that notion here. If you’ll recall (or pull up…

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Emerald – May Birthstone

Pliny the Elder, the great naturalist of Antiquity, once wrote, “Nothing greens greener than emerald.” He was not wrong: to this day, emerald is still the green gem against which all green gems are compared. For over three thousand years, emerald has been treasured above many other gemstones for its rarity, and its largely unrivaled…

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