A vivid gemstone with flaws that tell tales, the emerald enjoys pride of place in high jewellery, with a greater supply – from new mines in Brazil and Zambia to legendary ones in Colombia – making the gemstone more popular than ever. “The deep and rich green colour of emeralds keeps fascinating gem connoisseurs, and a wealth of minute inclusions trapped within the crystal gives each stone individuality,” says Daniel Nyfeler, managing director of the reputed Gübelin Gem Lab in Switzerland. National Art Center in Tokyo puts the spotlight on Cartier “In addition to gems from Colombia, sources such as Zambia, Ethiopia and Afghanistan have entered the market, providing consumers with a choice to select from. For clients looking for responsibly sourced gemstones, certain Zambian miners can offer robust traceability and a transparent supply chain.” Gemfields is one company which has earned quite a reputation for sustainably-mined emeralds and has put Zambian emeralds on the map. “Our Kagem emerald mine now produces an estimated 25 per cent of the world’s emerald supply,” says Sean Gilbertson, CEO of Gemfields, the company that owns jewellery brand Fabergé. “Responsible sourcing is becoming increasingly important to consumers and Gemfields’ core values of transparency. Integrity and legitimacy speak directly to these concerns.” Finally, LVMH buys Tiffany for US$16.2 billion For larger important stones, it is advisable to get a certificate of origin. Specialised labs such as Gübelin Gem Lab, SSEF, GRS and GIA can all offer gemmological reports. “We work a lot with emeralds. It’s a gem that speaks to us. Even the inclusions seen in an emerald can be special, as they often look mossy and are sometimes called jardin [garden in French], which can complement the stone quite nicely,” says Albert Boghossian, CEO of Boghossian. “It is extremely rare to find an emerald without any sort of clarity enhancement [‘no-oil’]. It’s important to look at its purity and its colour, dark green being the most sought-after colour. Colombian emeralds are said to be the purest, with the most vivid green colour.” Miracles of nature, emeralds require an almost impossible set of circumstances to be formed. “A 30-tonne truckload of rock from Kagem yields only two to three grams of emerald,” reveals Gemfields’ Gilbertson. What qualities should you look out for in an emerald while making a purchase? From Tiffany to Cartier, 5 magnificent tiaras “The first rule is to follow your heart and buy something you love. Each gem is unique and emeralds have so many subtle features. We use the ‘six Cs’ – colour, cut, clarity, carat, character and certification – to guide purchasing decisions,” says Antony Lindsay, managing director at Fabergé which uses high-grade emeralds in a major part of its jewellery collections. Emeralds can be cut in a variety of ways. On trend is the rectangular step-cut, popularly known as “emerald cut”. Beads and cabochon cuts are also in demand. The Verrière collection by Boucheron offers a long necklace and earrings in white gold, titanium and puffed glass, set with emeralds beads, paved with diamonds; while its Damier Cabochon ring is set with a 3.67ct cushion-cut Colombian emerald, black lacquer and diamonds; and the Perspectives ring with an 8.02ct emerald-cut Colombian emerald. Challenging to work with, “Emeralds are one of the rarest gemstones of all and, as a result, finding stones which are of a good enough quality to use in fine and high jewellery creations can take years,” says Fabergé’s Lindsay. STYLE Edit: Gucci launches first high jewellery collection Geneva jeweller Chopard has also used a lot of emeralds, especially in its 2019 Red Carpet collection – a necklace with a central 18.7ct, pear-shaped emerald and smaller pear-shaped emeralds totalling 36.6ct; another necklace where the main stone is a large 112.20ct emerald cabochon; earrings with significant cushion-shaped emeralds totalling 49.9ct; earrings in titanium set with four extraordinary emeralds weighing 63.8ct; and, earrings set with two impressive pear-shaped emeralds totalling 95.3ct juxtaposed against two fancy-cut cushion-shaped yellow diamonds weighing 23.9ct. At London jeweller Graff, the magnificent Bow emerald and diamond necklace is created with 81.23ct of emeralds, while another earring uses 9.31ct of emeralds. Cartier makes use of emeralds in a way that packs a colourful punch; featured in the house’s latest Tutti Frutti collection are designs that feature emeralds heavily along with blue sapphires and red rubies, showcasing the green gem’s versatility and vibrancy. How to buy an emerald at auction – and what to look out for Louis Vuitton’s new Riders of the Knights collection, designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, director of jewellery and watches, features emeralds prominently across its “Le Talisman” jewels. In the Foliage earrings by Taiwanese jewellery brand Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, two carved emeralds – 14.09ct and 13.34ct – showcase the variety in which this fascinating green stone can be cut, offering great possibilities for wearable art. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .