We had a lot of fun checking out this collection of emeralds. Would you like top see more videos on affordable vs crazy expensive gems? With ruby perhaps? Let us know here!
Please no more boring junk like spheres, or carvings. I want to see quality, not the garbage we see at the junk booths during mineral shows. Also better to have no contest, than a contest which excludes international people from entering. Exclude us, and we won't buy from you.
I'm just starting my journey as a mineral collector, and I'm absolutely fascinated with a video. It was fantastic to see the comparison between Beryl and Emerald, and then have a closer look at them, as well as the non-oiled emerald. Spectacular!
As a mineral collector of specimens, your videos are very often quite good, this time too. Obviously it's a bit shallow, as it is quite short 😛 I'm an icelander that currently resides in Colombia and have visited many, if not most of the emerald mines here. A couple of observations, the Spanish didn't quite discover both areas (eastern and western) at the same time. I would concur that the western is just about in jungle territory, but the eastern isn't really, it's too high up and cooler (and the general atmosphere of the people in the Chivor area is calmer, as they aren't only dependant on emeralds for living, unlike Muzo and Coscuez, where most miners don't have land to cultivate too) In the last couple of decades, the western belt has become a lot more tranquil and safe, after disarming and most of the main mines having liceneces from the government and hiring the miners at a salary, and so the "guaceros" aren't just going thru the rubbish and hoping they get enough for some beer and bread each day. The licencing of mining has also brought about another thhing... most of the mining is done in tunnels underground as now surface mining with bulldozers is prohibited. The main mining comanies (especially in the western belt) thus have heavily guarded mines, and what little they get out while following the veins underground, is very thoroughly inspected before ever leaving the guarded area, and that leaves little or almost nothing to be found on the tips. A secondary effect of this is that all that is found is taken straight to Bogota, graded, and very often instantly exported and thus never seen on the local market (and of what they recover and think is worthwhile, 99% ends up cut and this also leaves EXTREMELY little for the mineral collector looking for specimens. Therefore finding a specimen of a high quality emerald that hasn't been sent straight to be cut is even more of a challenge. Thankfully there are a few "illegal" little digs, and a couple of areas like Peñas Blancas (north of Coscuez) as well as the Palomas area (south of Chivor) and occationally specimens from the "Muzo" (often pieces from small operations without a licence are just said to be from there) ...and without questioning my sources too much.. I suspect some are stolen, even tho that is very hard to get away with. btw... in case someone is interested in seeing images of some of my minerals, Colombian, Icelandic and more ... my instagram is @instabergur
Ah, also... I'd bet good money on the Coscuez piece that has the grey "calcite" ...isn't calcite, but dolomite .... it seems a very common mistake here (most often easily seen just by the fact that the dolomite has a more "saddle" shape whereas a calcite has very straight edges that never curve ...as well as calcite being etched very easily just by groundwater corroding it's surface, and so it's almost never a shiny glossy surface, while the dolomite is slightly moreresistant and so retains a better glossy surface :-)
...and perhaps a final question... if the "green beryl" is just coloured by iron.... shouldn't it be classified as an aquamarine? (that is my understanding from a mineralogical viewpoint, as the Chivor area has been known to have a few like it, and even here they are called aquamarine)
In regards to oiling, I'd heard of buyers who want to avoid buying uncertified oiled emeralds and/or overpaying for oiled emeralds, after looping loose stones do a smell test for cedar oil infusion, then bring the emerald in question up to their mouth and actually lick the stone before deciding. I've actually witnessed this. I appreciate the restraint it took to not try to heat the green beryl to "cook off" the iron content to bring it into aquamarine tolerances. If Tom could give an opinion/recommendation on UV lights, SW vs. LW, pros, cons, etc., that would be great.
I'm a mineral collector, so I can't say for the cut ones, but I've certainly put emeralds to my lips to check for "stickyness" of oil... as well as smelling. (in the case of Colombian pieces, I also use my UV light to check for repairs, which isn't 100% but is a good indicator, as most of the glues glow white.) When buying a LW UV flashlight, as well as any other UV light, make sure the frequency is "correct" and that is has the appropriate filter... the LW flashlights are affordable, but good SW is still quite expensive as well as MW
I would have to say the 3 specimens towards the end of the video are my absolute favorites . But this is just my opinion . I would like more information as to the prices of them . Not that i may actually be able to afford one , but hey i can dream .And who knows i might be able to ?
I don't think they have a listed price currently. I have heard of discussions with prospective buyers and I think the range discussed was somewhere around $10K per specimen, but don't quote me on that. As always, if you're interested in making an offer, you can contact us at info@gemstones.com and we'll try to get you in touch with the people who make those decisions.
Agreed, that and the cut gem. Who wants to see cheap spheres & carvings? I an see that kind of junk all over the net, from cheap sellers. I don't want to be bored by that kind of stuff.
i know you guys are more in the gem world but if anyone on the team works with crystals in meditation i'd love to see a review on some of your top metaphysical picks! i know it would be a bit of a detour from your normal focus but i think it would make for a great topic ☻
Not all... the ones that have high Cromium content should glow red, but if they have too much Iron that can cancel it. In general for Colombia, Chivor are more likely to glow red, and the western belt (Muzo and Coscuez) can, but can also glow a little either red or white/green
I was curious i come from an area that was mostly rebuilt after a drout several decades ago, so i must ask what gems or minerals between Oklahoma, Missouri, and kansas states aside from quarts, lead, calcite, dolomite, turquoise, and iron pyrite?
So you said that an emerald has to be colored by chromium, but I was under the impression that it could be chromium or vanadium as Brazilian emeralds are colored from the vanadium. I used to not really personally consider Brazilian emeralds to be an emerald, but I got to tell you there’s some of the most beautiful dark green emeralds….. but really all emerald are beautiful.
Yes, we said chromium or vanadium. Most emeralds get their color from a combination of chromium, vanadium, and iron. But it has to have at least one of the first two to be considered emerald.
While I love all your videos, I'm really sad the giveaway is opened to US only. I feel excluded and it frustrates me a lot because we don't have this kind of giveaway available very often
Please understand that it is frustrating for us too. We would love to offer international shipping and have inquired about it multiple times. It hasn’t happened. It’s the trade off of being with a big company. They provide us with cool specimens to show you and even give away. But, their overall set up and business focus doesn’t always align with what we’d like to do for our audience. We’ll keep asking, but in the meantime, we hope you’ll simply accept our apologies.
@@gems I do completely understand don't worry, we both frustrated but I'm hoping to one day see a giveaway opened to everyone and I'll be there this day 💖
@@lovesterika9079 I agree with you. My response is that I won't buy from them, if they exclude us "international customers" from contests. If they want our business, they must respect us. I do not accept their lame excuses. Seriously, I will not buy from them until they include us, and that is my policy!
I'm utterly shocked at how expensive those specimens are. You can get an aquamarine specimen of similar quality, clarity, size, and notorious pedigree for a couple hundred bucks if you look in the right places or have the right connections. Those emeralds are literally like 2 orders of magnitude more expensive for something a bit more green. Is it just because "emerald" is such a well known and notorious gem that rich people go crazy for it even if they're not mineral collectors, driving up the price? Or are translucent emeralds really _that_ much rarer than translucent aquamarines? I must say that even as a fan of silicate minerals and the hexagonal crystal class, I'll probably be staying well away from any emerald specimens until I have a very large chunk of disposable income and nothing better to spend it on. Its just not worth it. Other beryls are equally beautiful and far more accessible, hell for that price I could probably snag a half decent Tanzanite crystal even.
A good emerald... clarity and colour... is considerably more rare than a diamond of the same size. So they are and should be expensive... in my opinion, the best should be even more so than they are!
So, there are many aspects at play here. Emeralds have a glow, a look, that really can't be matched up to any other gemstone. It doesn't have a dupe. They also have a prestige of their own. The name Emerald is so well known, that that knowledge and recognition is enough to increase demand which increases cost/price. That knowledge by the trade, that there's a demand gives impetus and motivation to mine, form, facet and polish even the poor grades of emeralds because it will sell....to the less than savvy consumer that isn't aware of the grading required to justify the prices. For that reason, inflated prices exist. You also have to consider the rarity of chromium emerald) vs. iron (aquamarine, yellow beryl) on the planet and that chromium is a growth inhibitor in the growth process. JTV has policies and procedures which gives them chain of custody or mine to market validations. All of this factors into pricing. All of that being said, it's why shopping around is important but equally important is the vendor.
I don't care for the spheres or carvings, but the emeralds were great. Sad that you exclude Canadians from the contest. Not very welcoming for international consumers, who can voice their displeasure by not buying from you ... "tit for tat".
To hide internal fractures that distract from the transparency of the emerald. Emeralds are naturally more prone to internal fractures due to the geological environment they form in, in contrast to other varieties of beryl such as aquamarine or heliodor.
We had a lot of fun checking out this collection of emeralds. Would you like top see more videos on affordable vs crazy expensive gems? With ruby perhaps? Let us know here!
Yes please, it will be an interesting video
You messed up the B roll on that etched green beryl
My vote is for the "crazy expensive gems"..........the crazier and more exotic, the better....gemstones, that is. ;)
Please no more boring junk like spheres, or carvings. I want to see quality, not the garbage we see at the junk booths during mineral shows. Also better to have no contest, than a contest which excludes international people from entering. Exclude us, and we won't buy from you.
Sri Lanka blue sapphire sale contact number
I love emeralds, and I love how the inclusions make them look like they glow.
I'm just starting my journey as a mineral collector, and I'm absolutely fascinated with a video. It was fantastic to see the comparison between Beryl and Emerald, and then have a closer look at them, as well as the non-oiled emerald. Spectacular!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful shades of green and amazing specimens. Thank you for posting ❤
As a mineral collector of specimens, your videos are very often quite good, this time too. Obviously it's a bit shallow, as it is quite short 😛
I'm an icelander that currently resides in Colombia and have visited many, if not most of the emerald mines here.
A couple of observations, the Spanish didn't quite discover both areas (eastern and western) at the same time. I would concur that the western is just about in jungle territory, but the eastern isn't really, it's too high up and cooler (and the general atmosphere of the people in the Chivor area is calmer, as they aren't only dependant on emeralds for living, unlike Muzo and Coscuez, where most miners don't have land to cultivate too) In the last couple of decades, the western belt has become a lot more tranquil and safe, after disarming and most of the main mines having liceneces from the government and hiring the miners at a salary, and so the "guaceros" aren't just going thru the rubbish and hoping they get enough for some beer and bread each day.
The licencing of mining has also brought about another thhing... most of the mining is done in tunnels underground as now surface mining with bulldozers is prohibited. The main mining comanies (especially in the western belt) thus have heavily guarded mines, and what little they get out while following the veins underground, is very thoroughly inspected before ever leaving the guarded area, and that leaves little or almost nothing to be found on the tips. A secondary effect of this is that all that is found is taken straight to Bogota, graded, and very often instantly exported and thus never seen on the local market (and of what they recover and think is worthwhile, 99% ends up cut and this also leaves EXTREMELY little for the mineral collector looking for specimens.
Therefore finding a specimen of a high quality emerald that hasn't been sent straight to be cut is even more of a challenge.
Thankfully there are a few "illegal" little digs, and a couple of areas like Peñas Blancas (north of Coscuez) as well as the Palomas area (south of Chivor) and occationally specimens from the "Muzo" (often pieces from small operations without a licence are just said to be from there) ...and without questioning my sources too much.. I suspect some are stolen, even tho that is very hard to get away with.
btw... in case someone is interested in seeing images of some of my minerals, Colombian, Icelandic and more ... my instagram is @instabergur
Ah, also... I'd bet good money on the Coscuez piece that has the grey "calcite" ...isn't calcite, but dolomite .... it seems a very common mistake here (most often easily seen just by the fact that the dolomite has a more "saddle" shape whereas a calcite has very straight edges that never curve ...as well as calcite being etched very easily just by groundwater corroding it's surface, and so it's almost never a shiny glossy surface, while the dolomite is slightly moreresistant and so retains a better glossy surface :-)
...and perhaps a final question... if the "green beryl" is just coloured by iron.... shouldn't it be classified as an aquamarine?
(that is my understanding from a mineralogical viewpoint, as the Chivor area has been known to have a few like it, and even here they are called aquamarine)
In regards to oiling, I'd heard of buyers who want to avoid buying uncertified oiled emeralds and/or overpaying for oiled emeralds, after looping loose stones do a smell test for cedar oil infusion, then bring the emerald in question up to their mouth and actually lick the stone before deciding. I've actually witnessed this. I appreciate the restraint it took to not try to heat the green beryl to "cook off" the iron content to bring it into aquamarine tolerances. If Tom could give an opinion/recommendation on UV lights, SW vs. LW, pros, cons, etc., that would be great.
I'm a mineral collector, so I can't say for the cut ones, but I've certainly put emeralds to my lips to check for "stickyness" of oil... as well as smelling. (in the case of Colombian pieces, I also use my UV light to check for repairs, which isn't 100% but is a good indicator, as most of the glues glow white.)
When buying a LW UV flashlight, as well as any other UV light, make sure the frequency is "correct" and that is has the appropriate filter... the LW flashlights are affordable, but good SW is still quite expensive as well as MW
Nice video about the natural Emeralds, good video, thank you
That giant chunk of green Beryl is so awesome!
Still one of my favorite gems! 💚
always love your videos! would love to see a review on ajoite or hyalite opal!
I would have to say the 3 specimens towards the end of the video are my absolute favorites . But this is just my opinion . I would like more information as to the prices of them . Not that i may actually be able to afford one , but hey i can dream .And who knows i might be able to ?
I don't think they have a listed price currently. I have heard of discussions with prospective buyers and I think the range discussed was somewhere around $10K per specimen, but don't quote me on that. As always, if you're interested in making an offer, you can contact us at info@gemstones.com and we'll try to get you in touch with the people who make those decisions.
Agreed, that and the cut gem. Who wants to see cheap spheres & carvings? I an see that kind of junk all over the net, from cheap sellers. I don't want to be bored by that kind of stuff.
great gives simplest way of naming germs
i know you guys are more in the gem world but if anyone on the team works with crystals in meditation i'd love to see a review on some of your top metaphysical picks! i know it would be a bit of a detour from your normal focus but i think it would make for a great topic ☻
would love to see a sugilite video!
Her holding the giveaway rock one handed above the delicate thin emerald beneath gave me anxiety. lol
You should have the comp for US/Can/Mex/Au/UK/EU... not just USA
Beautiful emerald ❤️❤️❤️
I've put up pictures of my supposed rough emerald / natural green topaz. It cuts through glass like it's nothing
That sphere is gorg
Wait..emeralds flourece!!!!?? Must test this!!
Not all... the ones that have high Cromium content should glow red, but if they have too much Iron that can cancel it. In general for Colombia, Chivor are more likely to glow red, and the western belt (Muzo and Coscuez) can, but can also glow a little either red or white/green
I was curious i come from an area that was mostly rebuilt after a drout several decades ago, so i must ask what gems or minerals between Oklahoma, Missouri, and kansas states aside from quarts, lead, calcite, dolomite, turquoise, and iron pyrite?
My absolute favourite ❤
So you said that an emerald has to be colored by chromium, but I was under the impression that it could be chromium or vanadium as Brazilian emeralds are colored from the vanadium.
I used to not really personally consider Brazilian emeralds to be an emerald, but I got to tell you there’s some of the most beautiful dark green emeralds…..
but really all emerald are beautiful.
Yes, we said chromium or vanadium. Most emeralds get their color from a combination of chromium, vanadium, and iron. But it has to have at least one of the first two to be considered emerald.
Hi,l wanted the UV flashlight typ,thank you
I love the natural shape
Flapjack.
-Matpat, 10 years ago on a sonic gametheory video.
While I love all your videos, I'm really sad the giveaway is opened to US only. I feel excluded and it frustrates me a lot because we don't have this kind of giveaway available very often
Please understand that it is frustrating for us too. We would love to offer international shipping and have inquired about it multiple times. It hasn’t happened. It’s the trade off of being with a big company. They provide us with cool specimens to show you and even give away. But, their overall set up and business focus doesn’t always align with what we’d like to do for our audience. We’ll keep asking, but in the meantime, we hope you’ll simply accept our apologies.
@@gems makes sense for everyday use, but maybe a one off
@@gems I do completely understand don't worry, we both frustrated but I'm hoping to one day see a giveaway opened to everyone and I'll be there this day 💖
@@lovesterika9079 I agree with you. My response is that I won't buy from them, if they exclude us "international customers" from contests. If they want our business, they must respect us. I do not accept their lame excuses. Seriously, I will not buy from them until they include us, and that is my policy!
Thoms shirt looks like a 3D hologram.
Nice!
Hi very good
thanks!
Salam je suis d'accord pour toi mais je
Not sure about gems
I have nagamani you want to buy???
Not for me
I'm utterly shocked at how expensive those specimens are. You can get an aquamarine specimen of similar quality, clarity, size, and notorious pedigree for a couple hundred bucks if you look in the right places or have the right connections. Those emeralds are literally like 2 orders of magnitude more expensive for something a bit more green. Is it just because "emerald" is such a well known and notorious gem that rich people go crazy for it even if they're not mineral collectors, driving up the price? Or are translucent emeralds really _that_ much rarer than translucent aquamarines? I must say that even as a fan of silicate minerals and the hexagonal crystal class, I'll probably be staying well away from any emerald specimens until I have a very large chunk of disposable income and nothing better to spend it on. Its just not worth it. Other beryls are equally beautiful and far more accessible, hell for that price I could probably snag a half decent Tanzanite crystal even.
A good emerald... clarity and colour... is considerably more rare than a diamond of the same size. So they are and should be expensive... in my opinion, the best should be even more so than they are!
So, there are many aspects at play here. Emeralds have a glow, a look, that really can't be matched up to any other gemstone. It doesn't have a dupe. They also have a prestige of their own. The name Emerald is so well known, that that knowledge and recognition is enough to increase demand which increases cost/price. That knowledge by the trade, that there's a demand gives impetus and motivation to mine, form, facet and polish even the poor grades of emeralds because it will sell....to the less than savvy consumer that isn't aware of the grading required to justify the prices. For that reason, inflated prices exist. You also have to consider the rarity of chromium emerald) vs. iron (aquamarine, yellow beryl) on the planet and that chromium is a growth inhibitor in the growth process. JTV has policies and procedures which gives them chain of custody or mine to market validations. All of this factors into pricing. All of that being said, it's why shopping around is important but equally important is the vendor.
The best gem is her treasure chest. Amiright boys?
👇
Great video, Thank you both! Minus the irritating vocal fry of the otherwise charming young lady!
I don't care for the spheres or carvings, but the emeralds were great. Sad that you exclude Canadians from the contest. Not very welcoming for international consumers, who can voice their displeasure by not buying from you ... "tit for tat".
Why are some emeralds treated with oil?
To hide internal fractures that distract from the transparency of the emerald. Emeralds are naturally more prone to internal fractures due to the geological environment they form in, in contrast to other varieties of beryl such as aquamarine or heliodor.