Emerald — styles you will see at the showroom.

What to look at

Internal marks are so expected here that the trade calls them a garden, not inclusions. What matters is where they sit: marks scattered through the body are normal, a fracture reaching the surface is a weak point that can open up during setting or a knock. Colombian material tends towards pure green, Zambian towards a cooler, bluish tone.

Nearly every emerald on the market is oiled to soften the look of those fractures, and that is disclosed rather than hidden. Two practical consequences: never put an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner, and treat a bezel or a protected setting as the sensible choice for a ring you plan to wear every day.