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Emerald

Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine.

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Figure 1. A Russian emerald carving, approximately 41 × 25 mm, of a woman holding blooming flowers, reportedly fashioned by Michael Peuster. Photo by Ronnakorn Manorotkul; courtesy of Tsarina Jewels.

Blooming Bouquet: Thin Films in Russian Emerald

E. Billie Hughes, February 2, 2026

Colorful thin film inclusions are captured within a Russian emerald carving.

The effect of the pavilion facet edges on the dense tube inclusions in this Colombian emerald creates a scene reminiscent of a bamboo forest. Photomicrograph by Taku Okada; field of view 4.10 mm.

“Bamboo Forest” in Colombian Emerald

Taku Okada, February 2, 2026

Dense tube inclusions in emerald create a scene reminiscent of a tranquil bamboo forest.

Figure 5. Two emerald specimens from quartz-calcite veins. A and B: Specimen containing emeralds and associated minerals such as white calcite, off-white quartz, and brown phlogopite. The calcite fluoresces moderately red (early crystallization, larger particles) and strongly blue (later filling crystallization, xenomorphic granular and smaller) under short-wave ultraviolet light. C: Emeralds with associated minerals such as white calcite, white or gray quartz, gray phenakite, and brown phlogopite. Photos by Sheng-Hao Zhu (A) and Yi Guo (B and C).

Characterization of Emeralds from Zhen’an County in Shaanxi, China

Yi Guo, Xiao-Yan Yu, and Yu-Yu Zheng, February 2, 2026

Presents a comprehensive analysis of the gemological, spectroscopic, and trace element characteristics of a set of Shaanxi emerald samples based on standard and advanced gemological methods.

Figure 1. Eight Kazakhstani emeralds (left) and three Ukrainian beryl and emerald samples (right), with gemological tweezers shown for scale. The leftmost Ukrainian emerald has a chemistry between that of aquamarine and emerald. Photo by Emily Lane; courtesy of Gerhard Franz and Oleksii Vyshnevskyi.

Emeralds and Beryl from Kazakhstan and Ukraine

Rhiana Elizabeth Henry, August 29, 2025

A report from GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory on emerald and beryl samples studied as part of an ongoing beryl characterization research project.

These dendritic patterns in a partially filled fissure in an emerald resemble natural foliage, also known as jardin. Photomicrograph by Sameer Din Faqir; field of view 2.50 mm.

Dendritic Patterns in Emerald

Sameer Din Faqir, June 5, 2025

A partially filled fissure in an emerald exhibits patterns resembling natural foliage.

Figure 2. Catherine de’ Medici’s sixteenth-century pendant, measuring approximately 5.5 × 4.0 × 1.4 cm and weighing 52.35 g, in enameled gold with emeralds and four colorless gems (BnF collection no. 56.336). Photo by Serge Oboukhoff; courtesy of the Museum of the National Library of France.

Emeralds in Catherine de’ Medici’s Pendant: An Unexpected Geographic Origin

Gérard Panczer, Robin Fesquet, Lasha Moshi, Geoffray Riondet, Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton, Lætitia Gilles-Guéry, Aurélien Delaunay, and Stefanos Karampelas, June 5, 2025

Archival research and gemological characterization reveal the geographic origin of two emeralds set in a pendant linked to Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France from 1547 to 1559.

Interference thin films in Russian emerald resembling a sky filled with fireworks. Photomicrograph by Ungkhana Atikarnsakul; field of view 3.60 mm.

Fireworks Display in Russian Emerald

Ungkhana Atikarnsakul, November 1, 2024

The inclusion scene in a Russian emerald resembles fireworks illuminating a night sky.

Figure 1. A 12.62 ct trapiche emerald with areas of near-colorless goshenite. Photo by Shunsuke Nagai.

Zoned Trapiche Emerald with Goshenite Overgrowth

Taku Okada and Makoto Miura, November 1, 2024

A 12.62 ct trapiche emerald with areas of goshenite is analyzed in GIA’s Tokyo laboratory.

Figure 2. This gold and emerald pendant contains 61 Colombian emeralds with 33 stones missing, presumably lost during its residence on the seafloor for more than 300 years. The pendant is approximately 3.5 in. (8.9 cm) wide. Photo by Emily Lane.

Splendors from the Deep: Historic Treasures from a Spanish Shipwreck

Aaron C. Palke, Sona Tajiryan, Mel King, and Emily Lane, November 1, 2024

An in-depth look at jewelry recently recovered from a 1715 Spanish shipwreck.

Figure 1. Emeralds in matrix and various cut stones from the Curlew mine in Western Australia. All stones were mined in 2023. The cut stones are untreated and range from 0.45 to 7.92 ct (triangular shape). Photo by Lhapsin Nillapat; courtesy of Matthew Allen (The Gemstone Trading Company).

New Emerald Production from the Curlew Mine, Western Australia

Wim Vertriest, Suwasan Wongchacree, and Polthep Sakpanich, August 2, 2024

GIA’s Bangkok laboratory studies emeralds from the Curlew mine’s recently renewed production.

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Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. These are the planet’s most valued gems.

Diamond

Diamonds are among nature’s most precious and beautiful creations.

Emerald

Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine.

Citrine

Citrine is the transparent, pale yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz.

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Emerald

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