Emerald 1 carat: a green stone symbolizing peace and security
Carat (ct) is a unit of measurement indicating the weight of a precious stone. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams. The category “emerald 1 carat” includes all emeralds that weigh a little more or a little less than one carat.
According to current research, the emerald has been used as a gemstone for the longest time of all stones. Historical personalities such as Cleopatra or Caesar appreciated this stone. Even in Roman times, the emerald was thought to have healing properties. This belief spread over time. Even today, prospective doctors in Brazil are given an emerald ring as a present for their exams. In Arabia and North Africa, too, an emerald on a doctor's finger is seen as a sign of his competence.
Today, the emerald is also considered a symbol of loyalty, new beginnings, peace and security. The stone is prized by many wealthy and famous personalities.
Gemstone ranging from light to deep green
Emeralds are always green. The color nuances range from light green to dark green. The color of the emerald is due to traces of chromium or vanadium. Originally, only stones colored by chromium were known. When stones were found in Colombia that were colored by vanadium, a dispute broke out. The question arose as to whether these stones should be allowed to bear the name “emerald” at all. The dispute ended in favor of the stones with vanadium. Today, the Colombian stones with their deep green hue are even considered the most valuable emeralds.
1-carat emerald: use
One-carat emeralds are suitable for delicate pieces of jewelry such as rings and thin necklaces. Depending on your taste, they can be framed by sparkling diamonds or gold. White gold is just as suitable as yellow gold.
According to the American Gem Society, the emerald is the birthstone of May. Its symbolism as the stone of peace and new beginnings makes it a beautiful piece of jewelry for anyone, not just those born in May.
Origin and mines
In the days of Cleopatra and Caesar, emeralds were mined in Egypt and in Habachtal in Austria.
In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors discovered well-hidden mines belonging to the Muzo Indians. These mines were later joined by those in Chivor. Emeralds from these Colombian mines are of a high quality and a deep green. They are therefore the most valuable emeralds.
Emeralds were discovered in the Russian Ural Mountains in the 19th century. They are also found in Norway, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States.
Jardin – the “garden” in the emerald
Inclusions in this precious stone have even been given their own name: “jardin”. The term is French for “garden”.
The inclusions in emeralds can often be seen with the naked eye. Flawless emeralds are extremely rare. Flawless means that impurities and inclusions are barely visible even under 10x magnification. Even emeralds that are flawless to the naked eye are rare and can therefore command high prices.
The inclusions may be gases, liquids or other minerals. Typical are small cracks, which are due to the chromium and vanadium trace elements that give the stone its color.
Emerald 1 carat: treatment
The fine cracks are treated with oils. The stones are placed in a pressurized container with oil (ideally cedar oil). The container is pressurized, causing the oil to enter the cracks.
Alternatively, resins and synthetic resins are used instead of oil. The best known resin is “Opticon”. When a stone is treated with it, it appears as if it never had any cracks.
1 carat emerald and the emerald cut
The emerald cut was developed specifically for the emerald. The octagonal cut with “stairs” emphasizes the green color of this gemstone.
The emerald cut is a facet cut. Compared to the smooth cabochon cut, facet cuts can be recognized by their corners and edges. These reflect the light and thus bring out the color of the stones. How many facets are cut varies from stone to stone.
Since there are no prescribed length and width dimensions, both elongated and almost square emerald cuts can be found.
As you can see in the IGNEOUS Onine-Shop, a 1-carat emerald can also be found with other cuts. An oval cut is often used.
