April 2026 Gem Focus: Emerald
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)Emerald is the most well-known and arguably best-loved variety of beryl. Gem experts may differ on which degrees of green can be called emerald, but most agree that the more saturated the better. Whenever it is too light to be an emerald, however light that may be (depending on the color standards used), it then becomes a “green beryl.”
Here are three things to know about emeralds in the modern market:
- In emerald pricing, origin very much plays a role. The rich greens of Colombia have always had a premium over other origins, but emeralds from Brazil and Zambia, the other two important sources of the gem, are also increasing in value in the marketplace.
- In this category, another factor is clarity enhancement, a treatment designed to increase the apparent clarity of a gemstone by filling the fractures with various materials. Which material that is—cedarwood oil, resin, or something else—can also affect the value and price of an emerald.
- The most expensive emerald at auction is the Aga Khan, a square-shaped emerald weighing 37.00 carats mounted with marquise diamonds, platinum, and 18-karat yellow gold, which sold for $8.8 million at Christie’s in late 2024. The gem was part of a brooch commissioned from Cartier in 1960 by Prince Aga Khan for his bride, Nina Dyer.
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Enjoy more about emeralds and emerald jewelry with these links.
Emerald Fillers and Today’s Market: Demand and Pricing (GemGuide, subscription required)
What if Gatsby’s Green Light Was Actually an 86-Carat Carved Cartier Emerald? (Town & Country)
I’m an Emerald Jewelry Lover—These Luxury Pieces Are My Forever Go-Tos (Marie Claire)