Emeralds have been mined in the mountains of the Urals since the 19th century. The fame of magnificent stones has long spread far beyond Russia. Ural emeralds are valued all over the world, and the cost of some nuggets sometimes exceeds even the cost of diamonds.
Unique deposit
In many ways, the quality of jewelry stones is determined by the geological features of the place in which they were mined. The Mariinsky deposit in the mountains of the Urals is considered unique. Its bowels are rich not only in emeralds, but also in other minerals. Alexandrite, phenakite, and beryl are mined there. The amazing quality of the Ural gemstones is determined by the high content of impurities of iron and chromium. Thanks to these elements, the Ural emeralds are considered one of the best in the world.
Chemical features
In fact, emerald is a type of beryl mineral, even the chemical formula of these stones is the same: Al2 [Be3 (Si6O18)]. Only emerald has a much deeper green color. It is due to the contained impurities of chromium. Emeralds are much more expensive than beryl, which is explained by their smaller distribution. Of course, beryl is extracted many times more. Emerald nuggets with good transparency, high weight, and valuable color are especially rare. The most expensive are transparent Ural emeralds with a rich green color. In addition, the price depends on the number of cracks and other mineral impurities.
Color classification
- Color No. 1 is dark green and even bluish green.
- Color number 2 - deep green.
- Color No. 3 is medium green.
- Color No. 4 is light green.
- Color No. 5 is slightly green, almost colorless.
Cleanliness classification
A true Ural emerald is a stone that is always interspersed. Stones without inclusions with a high color characteristic, especially large size, are in most cases fakes. Jewelers distinguish between such categories of cleanliness:
- G1 - with rare, almost invisible impregnations.
- G2 - with clots in separate areas that can be viewed without a magnifying glass.
- G3 - with clots or a network in the entire volume of the stone.
There are also intermediate values, G2 + and G3 +.
Ural emeralds in jewelry
The Urals is famous not only for precious stones, but also for skilled craftsmen. Cutting is no less important than the color and purity of the stone. Ural emeralds are used to create jewelry, and are also used as a source of investment. This is not surprising - because over the years, the cost of a good stone in a quality cut only increases.
There are several jewelry factories in the Urals that widely use the noble emerald in their work. In addition, the factories offer customers rimless and faceted stones, as well as polished cabochons. Some emerald ingots with low transparency and low color values are also valued in jewelry, sometimes even higher than ornamental stones.
Not only large plants and not only in the Urals work with this precious stone. This stone was also loved by private masters. High quality emeralds belonging to the first group of precious stones are mainly supplied for further jewelry use to certified enterprises. But real talent and love for one’s business allow one to create surprisingly beautiful jewelry from simpler nuggets. In the photo below - the work of a master from Slovakia, the Ural emeralds in silver.
The legendary Zykina collection
Many people know that Lyudmila Zykina has always been famous not only for her unique voice, but also for her love of beauty. Her collection of jewelry is world famous.
Among other exhibits, it also has jewelry with Ural emeralds. In the photo - a yellow gold ring decorated with diamonds:
By the example of the beloved jewelry of the great Russian singer, we can make sure that not only gold and platinum cuts are suitable for this magnificent gem. Silver also perfectly complements the Ural emeralds. The photo below is a set of Lyudmila Zykina from a ring and earrings.
Of course, stones with a low degree of transparency are more suitable for silver, in which inclusions are visible. They are also beautiful in their own way; one wants to consider their unique structure again and again. The headset described above is a wonderful testimony of how subtly the master felt the value and natural beauty of emerald. Grinding gave the stones a shape that resembles the natural shape of a nugget. And the crystals decorated with crystals, hugs and pins emphasized the belonging of gems to the first group of precious stones.
Another thing is transparent bright green emeralds. They have a place in a gold frame. A scattering of small diamonds emphasizes a deep noble color. A great example is a ring from the same world famous collection.
Interesting facts about the Ural nuggets
On March 22, 2013, one of the largest ingots in the world was found at the Mariinsky deposit. Its weight is 1 kg, and the value is 5000 carats. This is a translucent ingot of bright green color.
Some emeralds, especially large nuggets, have an explosive character. This is not a joke at all - because of the voltage inside the crystal, an emerald can explode!
And there are those that are not used to create beautiful jewelry, but for solid-state lasers.
In 1963, a postage stamp dedicated to the Ural emerald deposits was issued in the USSR. Since its circulation is limited, today it is of great value to philatelists. And the postal denomination of the stamp was 10 kopecks, which is quite a lot by Soviet standards.
The Ural emeralds also fell into the royal collections. It is these stones that adorn the crown of the Romanov dynasty.
Certification
Certified Ural emeralds can be sold not only to jewelry factories that have the relevant documents, but also to private individuals.
Certification is needed to control quality and protect the buyer from fakes. Still, buying a faceted nugget is a serious matter. Typically, such acquisitions are made for the purpose of investing money, or an emerald is bought as a gift. In any case, this is not just a purchase, it is an investment of capital, sometimes even more reliable than in currency, real estate or securities.
The certificate describes the weight of the stone, the form that the jeweler gave it, the carat weight. And besides, two numbers must be indicated through a fraction. For example, 2 \ 3. They indicate that it is a stone of color No. 2 with transparency G3. That is, in simple terms, bright green with plentiful interspersed.
Unfortunately, not a single certificate can describe the bewitching beauty of a stone, its unique color, depth, intricate dance of inclusions. All this is worth seeing with your own eyes.