Emerald Buying Guide - May's Birthstone and the Gemstone of Power and Luck

While this is not the usual advice when speaking about gemstones, Emeralds are the exception to the rule. In the above example, you can see darker spots that almost look like cracks or specks of dirt; those are inclusions. When buying Emeralds, you want to see inclusions at least a few, and my personal preference is many. The thing about emeralds, with their thick color, is that the inclusions cause color play and great depth to the gem. In the above, stare at the middle for a second, and see all the depth and color changes? It is almost like looking at a galaxy of stars or the Northern Lights. This is what makes emeralds unique.

Settings and Styles

This is one of my most frequently asked questions about emeralds... "I only wear white gold, but I never find anything in white gold. I like when I look at emeralds." So this is honest to god reason...yellow and blue make green...remember learning this about primary colors and the secondary colors they make? Since yellow is one of the primary colors for green, they look very natural together. 

My advice on this, first, this is 2021; mixing metals in your jewelry is not only acceptable, but it is also fashionable. Yellow gold, which has suffered years from a "looking dated" complex, is up trending and expected to be the most popular jewelry metal for the next several years. So let it go!

But, if you can't let it go, I suggest looking for emeralds in art deco and art nouveau-era jewelry. It is the only white gold style jewelry that I like to see emeralds in, and I think the brain likes emeralds in this fashion because white gold is such a staple in art deco. And I would add that in the right white gold art deco setting, an emerald can be spectacular. The following are precisely how emeralds can look stunning in a white gold art deco setting. Click on the image for product information, or you can find more of these styles at Scotch Street Vintage Art Deco Jewelry Collection or Scotch Street Vintage Art Nouveau Jewelry Collection.

What to Know Before You Buy

It is not an emerald if you find a crystal clear deep green gemstone. BUT...there is always a but; the inclusions should always be on the inside of the stone and should never reach any surface level. If inclusion does reach the surface, it drastically jeopardizes the stone's integrity. You also want to beware of stones with very uniform-looking inclusions because this can indicate a fake. 

While there is not a synthetic emerald product that is cost-productive enough to get into the market, there is a method of temperature shocking to create inclusions in different types of quartz and then soaking it in a dye that gives a pretty good emerald look. However, the tell to these fakes is the uniformity of the inclusions, which will usually be all the same size and going in the same direction.

So that is the rundown on May's Birthstone, Emerald, but if you have any questions, we are always happy to help. You can contact us here. And you can click the following link to see the entire Scotch Street Vintage Emerald Jewelry Collection.

Enjoy your May and talk to you soon - Lori