Types of Emeralds

Real emeralds come in three basic shades – emerald green, green and yellowish green.

Similarly, gemologists generally refer to emerald tones as light, medium-light, medium, medium-dark, or deep green.

Emeralds grow in many geological environments, ranging from granite pegmatites to miarolitic cavities within granite. Each environment creates a unique variety of stone.

One such variety of this precious gem is born when beryl grows in places with volcanic rhyolites, metamorphic schist and greisens. The stone is a result of either hydrothermal reaction or the passage of mineralized water into the fractures of the granite.

The other types of green gems occur when hot water passes through calcite-rich rocks. A popular variety from Colombia, these emeralds are among the most rare and precious varieties, worked upon directly by hand. The downside to these rich green and blue colored Columbian emerald deposits is that while only one-third of these gems are worth cutting, over 70% are lost in the faceting process.