Columbian Emeralds ~ Info from TJC

I have received the following info from Miles :

About Our Colombian Emeralds
Congratulations on Your Fine Emerald Jewelery Piece!
Emerald is harder than quartz or tourmaline and resists most scratching and wear. It is less hard than diamond and sapphire however, and like all gems, it may be damaged if dropped or bumped hard. Also, small microscopic fissures are common to emerald due to their crystal nature and current mining methods. In the processing that takes place after cutting and polishing, emerald fissures that reach the surface (if any) are masked with a colorless oil or resin to reduce the visibility of those fissures. This simple and low-tech process is accepted as normal by the gem industry and is called clarity enhancement which may be minor, moderate or heavy. Emerald color, however, is unaltered and natural.
NOTE: Emerald color is not enhanced. Too many people think that emeralds are heat treated and color enhanced!!!! This is to assure people that emerald color is natural - only the clarity is enhanced by a low-tech process using colorless oil or resin in surface-reaching fissures. Fissures enhancements is widely accepted by all the internationally recognized gemstone labs like GIA,IGI,AGTA &ICI.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CARE OF YOUR EMERALD JEWELERY
I. Do not leave your emerald ring on while washing dishes or washing with soap. This is because the diamonds as well as the emerald attract grease and soap. As these substances accumulate on the bottom of the gemstones, they cause them to lose their lively brilliance.
II. For resizing or repairs take it only to knowledgeable, professional jewelers. Sometimes trying to save a little on a cut-rate job may cause extensive damage. Take it to Emerald House and we will resize it for free.
III. Do not clean the ring in ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners or acetone. These may cause damage to the stone or the setting. Avoid strong soaps, 'jewelry cleaner' liquids or other cleaners.
IV. HOW TO CLEAN:
Clean your emerald jewelery by using room temperature running water and a soft toothbrush: brush repeatedly on the underside of the emerald (and diamonds) to remove accumulations of dirt and grease. Use a mild soap like hand soap or Woolite. You will see that the diamonds begin to sparkle like new and the emerald will brighten. After drying the gold can be rubbed with a polishing cloth.

So, confirmation that some TJC CEs are filled....:wonder:

I actually asked if my CE had been filled as I'm certainly not happy about paying £2k+ for the ring if it has been.

Hi PPC,

Thank you for this post, at least we all know now.

I have a Rhapsody Emerald and it's very clean with few inclusions. I am not an expert and cannot tell if my Emerald has been filled etc.

The fact that all the major international gems bodies approve of this process make me think that unless you have your Emerald cut from the rough you can't be sure.

I think that the IGI and others should state on their certificates all treatments including resins and oiling used on Emeralds so that the customer can make an informed decision.

I love my ring and despite the disclosure from TJC.

Sapphireblue

What are you going to do Sue? I presume Miles does not have specific detail as to whether yours is oiled or resin filed?
"Take it to Emerald House and we will resize it for free." who/what/where are Emerald house? -

I have no idea about Emeralds but wouldn't they just resin fill the lower grade/higher included stones?
I have always wondered what it says on their IGI certified loose Emeralds, as where it says natural there is a * then at the bottom there are comments relating to the * but they never show that bit!

Pinkpussycat said:

That is what I assumed too GC but Columbian Emeralds are hardly a low grade and are expensive and tbh I was rather shocked to learn they are probably filled.

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Sorry i worded that wrong, TJC are setting their Boyaca Columbian Emeralds and Kagem Emeralds in silver so these i assume will be a lower grade than the Iliana collection and these are the ones i would assume would have a higher chance of being filled.

What a bummer Sue. I hope you get a defintive answer about your emerald. £2000+ is a great deal of money, and you should know exactly what you're getting for it!!!!

These posts have been extremely helpful as last weekend I saw a rhapsody emerald @£2000 which made me drool. Well, that is an awful lot of money for me so I thought I would do some research before jumping.
They say take it to be valued but you have to leave the label on in order to return it and we all know how snippy jewellers can be about ST jewellery.
Think I'll hang on to my money and keep drooling,it's cheaper.

I hope you don't mind if I disagree with you all? *Once again dons flak jacket!*

If you recall from my recent post, I wrote about filling and said "2. Filling - I wouldn't knowingly buy a filled Emerald but this really is down to the individual and their tolerance levels for treatment. There are again different types of fillers on the market and the more modern ones are coloured. There is a filler called Opticon which is a green type filler that is now widely used and accepted. Although I have to say that I would only want this if the Emerald wasn't top dollar. However, I accept that I'm not the "norm"!!! Opticon is reasonably longer lasting and doesn't require re-doing as often as oiling."

A HUGE number of Emeralds on the market today are either oiled or filled - to put it into perspective, the number that are not treated in this way run into single figures when talking about percentages. Filling Emeralds is NOT the same as fissure filling Rubies to give them a better appearance. Emeralds are "born" with fissures and fractures (jardin) and if they're surface reaching they need some help to stay supple so as not to affect the gemstone's stability. Oils and resins such as Opticon do just that.

Now, I stated above that I, personally, wouldn't want an Emerald that had been anything other than oiled BUT you have to put that into context in that I am a treatment/enhancement snob. I only just about accept heating!!! Most people (who are sane) are not as stringent as me.

So, if I were a "normal" jewellery buyer I would MOST DEFINITELY buy Emeralds from TJC - and in fact I own 3 TJC Emeralds! If all that they're doing is filling (hopefully with Opticon) or oiling then you're highly unlikely to beat that anywhere else AND you have their assurance that that's all they've done. If you buy elsewhere, chances are the Seller won't even know what's been done to their Emeralds! Even the top grade jewellers i.e. Asprey, Winstons, Tiffany's etc., all sell Emeralds that have been oiled or filled. It is absolutely accepted.

Here's an article you may find useful. At the end of the day though, if you are looking purely for an oiled Emerald then you will pay top dollar and will have to go to specialist Emerald dealers.

Please read this because I think it puts it very nicely into perspective:
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/cloak-dagger-opticon.htm

Sorry, me again!

Just to answer your questions about what it says on IGI/GIA reports etc. Certainly GIA reports will state if an Emerald has been oiled/filled and will also state whether it's minor/moderate/significant.

pps

Sue - if you return that Emerald, trust me, I'll be straight on the phone to snatch it out from under anybody else! Please think about it. It's a stunner and you'd never replicate such a gorgeous ring/gem for that price. :heart:

Thank you for putting things into perspective Meeshoo. :clapping:

Emeralds are beautiful especially the Colombians, and their imperfections make them what they are, every one is individual and unique, if you want them perfect you might just as well buy syntheic ones. Unless buying it for an investment flaws are inevitable and any unflawed or very slightly flawed gems would be out of most people's budget. Its very easy to get too caught up in treatments if we did that we'd never buy anything, in MVHO you should ask the right questions, buy from a reputable company, buy what you like and can afford, but also accept that it's likely to have some minor treatments unless you've paid thousands and thousands of pounds for it and of course enjoy the attention you get from wearing it ! :mysmilie_480:

Sue, you of all people know what I'm like about treatments/enhancements etc so trust me when I say that you seriously wouldn't be able to equal what you've bought and the resin filling (or oiling) is nothing to worry about. OMG I can't believe I'm trying to talk you out of returning it when quite clearly I'm lusting after it! :grin:

If I thought you had a dud, or something to worry about, I'd be the very first to yell it from the rooftops!

Good to know TJC declred what is right. I must say at least we know what we are buying. Quality of TJC colombian is better than others. I Love my colombian ring and will never return it.

Pinkpussycat said:

I'm still thinking about it Meesh....:wink:

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Sue, am no expert but I agree with Meesho on this. Hope you make the right decision and be happy with it. Good luck