How to Sell Emerald Jewelry in Los Angeles

Sell Emerald Jewelry in Los Angeles At Los Angeles Jewelry Buyer, we specialize in purchasing important emerald jewelry and large carat Colombian emeralds ordinarily sold at auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

If you have been wondering how to sell an emerald diamond ring, emerald necklace, or loose emeralds for cash, our Los Angeles estate jewelry buyers can help. In this article, we cover some of the common questions our clients have had when selling emerald jewelry & gemstones for a fair cash offer.

1) What exactly is an emerald and why is it green?

Emeralds are precious gemstones in the mineral beryl family. Their regal green color is due to trace amounts of chromium (one of the scarcest elements on Earth) and sometimes vanadium. However, it is important to note that vanadium emeralds purchased as “emeralds” in the United States are not recognized as true emeralds in Europe.

2) Why is my cash offer so much less than the retail price of my emerald jewelry?

When people sell jewelry set with emeralds and diamonds, they are sometimes surprised when they don’t receive a cash offer closer to the retail price of their ring, necklace, or earrings. When selling emerald jewelry in Los Angeles, it is important to remember that the retail price of your item was likely at least triple the manufacturing cost. This usually holds true even if you bought your emerald jewelry online or at advertised “wholesale” prices.

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2) What aspects of my emerald jewelry will increase the cash offer?

There a variety of factors that can impact the cash offer of emerald rings, brooches, and other emerald jewelry. The important thing to keep in mind is that the value of your emerald jewelry is based primarily on the quality, origin, color, and carat size of the emerald. Color is the most important criterion.

The most valuable emeralds are bluish-green to green and have a medium to medium-dark tone, as well as a high degree of transparency. In many cases, the emerald will be extracted and the rest of the jewelry melted down and sold at scrap prices. The exception to this rule is if you are selling emerald jewelry manufactured by a designer jewelry brand like Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, or Harry Winston.

4) Will I get a cash offer close to the appraisal value of my emerald jewelry?

In most cases, the answer is no. If your emerald jewelry came with a “replacement” appraisal or was appraised for insurance purposes, the appraisal value is the retail value of your emerald jewelry. And, as we mentioned previously, the retail value of an emerald ring, necklace, or brooch is usually 3 times more than the manufacturing cost.

However, if you take your emerald jewelry to a Los Angeles jewelry appraiser and ask for a re-sell price estimate, you usually will be able to receive a cash offer that is closer to that price, depending on the accuracy of the emerald appraisal.

5) Can I sell my emerald jewelry for a good price even if it is not accompanied by a lab report?

You can sell emerald jewelry and loose Colombian emeralds to our Los Angeles jewelry buyers, regardless of whether or not your ring is accompanied by a lab report. However, if you do have a lab report for your emerald jewelry from a respected gems lab (such as AGL) do let us know because this will help us to evaluate the emerald’s correct value.

6) What about trying to sell my emerald jewelry on eBay?

While some people have success selling emerald jewelry and loose emeralds on eBay, many more are not so fortunate. The reason so many people find it hard to sell emerald jewelry on eBay is that the world market is full of synthetic emeralds and low quality emeralds. Potential buyers are therefore legitimately worried about buying fake or low quality emerald jewelry online.

Sellers who are successful at selling an emerald diamond ring or necklace on eBay are usually private individuals who have a long track record of successful sales and high ratings, or professional jewelers with a bricks and mortar store.

Arrange a Free Emerald Jewelry Appraisal in Los Angeles

Contact our emerald jewelry buyers today to arrange a free verbal appraisal of your emerald earrings, necklace, brooch, ring, or loose Colombian emerald.

Customers in Los Angeles County have two ways which they can schedule an in-person consultation and appraisal.

1) You can schedule an appointment at our main buying office, which is located right off the 405 freeway on Artesia Boulevard in Redondo Beach.

2) If that is not convenient, you can also meet with us at the secure executive office closest to your home or workplace.

Get the process started online by telling us about the emerald jewelry you wish to sell in the contact form below.

Call Toll Free: (866) 734-8162

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Important: Our Redondo Beach office is only open by appointment. We do not accept walk-in clients.

Would you like more information about our luxury estate buyer? Click on the following link to learn more reasons why Los Angeles Jewelry Buyer is the best place to sell large carat emeralds and: The Best Place to Sell Jewelry.

Los Angeles Jewelry Buyer specializes in evaluating the market worth of all high-brand emerald jewelry, including emerald jewelry from Harry Winston Boucheron, Chaumet, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., & other luxury makers. We purchase fine emeralds from all origins, including Colombian emeralds, U.S. emeralds, and Zambia emeralds.

Call Toll Free: (866) 734-8162

Learn All About Emeralds

Nothing says green like the emerald. The most precious stone in the beryl mineral group, emeralds get their distinct green coloring from the presence of chromium and sometimes vanadium in the crystal. Ranging in color from bluish green to greenish blue, emeralds can display a depth of color that few gems can match. They are the most highly prized of all green gemstones.

With a history spanning thousands of years, from ancient Egypt to the present day popularity of emeralds from Colombia, emeralds have been consistently counted among the “big three” of colored gems, along with rubies and sapphires.

Learn About Basic Emerald Gemology

Not surprisingly, the name emerald comes from the old French word ‘esmeralde,’ which is derived from the Greek word for ‘green stone.’ By definition, an emerald is any medium to dark green beryl colored by chromium; the presence of vanadium or iron makes the gem simply ‘green beryl.’ This definition has become problematic, as the American jewelry industry changed the definition of emerald to include vanadium colored beryl in the 1960s. In Europe and the United Kingdom, vanadium colored beryl is still known as ‘green beryl.’

Like all colored gemstones, emeralds are graded using the classic 4Cs one uses to evaluate diamonds—color, cut, clarity and carat. While color is the most important criteria, clarity ranks a close second. To be considered a top quality gemstone, an emerald must have not only a pure verdant green hue, but also a high degree of transparency.

Emeralds are almost as famous for their inclusions as they are for their color. These inclusions are often visible to the naked eye, and as a result, emeralds are usually graded by eye rather than under the standard 10x loupe used to grade diamonds. While an ‘eye clean’ emerald might be considered to be ‘flawless,’ the constellation of inclusions found in most emeralds is known in the industry as the ‘jardin,’ the French word for garden. An emerald’s ‘jardin’ can be so unique that it can be used by jewelers to determine a stone’s origin, or even identify a particular stone.

Because emeralds have more inclusions than most gems, with fissures often breaking the surface, they are notoriously fragile, even though they are fairly hard at 7.5-8 on the Mohs gem hardness scale (diamonds score a 10 out of 10). While their hardness makes them less vulnerable to surface scratches, they can easily be chipped or broken.

Emeralds are used in many varieties of jewelry, though because of their fragile nature, they are often better suited for use in necklaces and pendants rather than rings. Emeralds are often cut in the so-called ‘emerald cut’—a step or trap cut featuring a rectangular or square shape with truncated corners. This cut was specifically developed for emeralds to maximize the stone’s color while protecting it from mechanical strain and internal stress. Emeralds can be cut into other shapes, including oval, round, and pear. Emeralds of lower quality are often cut en cabochon.

Learn About Emerald Treatments

Because of the numerous inclusions in most emeralds, almost all are treated to minimize the appearance of these internal fissures. The industry standard is to use cedar oil to fill and obscure the fractures. Cedar oil has similar optical properties to the emerald itself, so that light passing through the stone is not distorted in a way that detracts from the emerald’s natural color, saturation, and hue. The practice of treating emeralds with cedar oil is an accepted practice within the industry, and is considered a semi-permanent treatment. All emeralds should be considered oil treated unless otherwise specified. A certified unoiled emerald with great clarity commands the highest of premiums.

Other forms of emerald treatments to increase the stone’s durability include the use of resins, glass, and plastic polymers that are melted into the gem. The color of emeralds is sometimes enhanced with the use of tinted oils and polymers. These kinds of treatments are not industry standard, and are considered by most gemologists to be a deceptive practice.

Learn About the History of Emerald Jewelry

The first emeralds known to historians are from ancient Egypt, mined as early as 2000 B.C.E. The green gem was thought to be a representation of spring, and came to symbolize fertility and rebirth. Mummies were sometimes buried with emeralds to ensure eternal youth in the afterlife. An emerald source found near Cairo (today known as the Cleopatra Mine) would continue to be the main source for emeralds until the Middle Ages.

During the Roman Empire, emeralds were thought to reduce stress, promote mental clarity, and ward off evil spirits. Widely reported legend has it that Emperor Nero watched the gladiator fights through a remarkably transparent emerald because he found the green color calming. Ancient Romans even believed that the very soul of an individual was restored when they wore emerald jewelry.

When Cortez and the Spanish Conquistadors ravaged South America, they found Incan and Aztec sources of emeralds that would satisfy European demand for hundreds of years. The best emerald mine was in Muzo, Colombia, and it still produces some of the finest quality emeralds today. When the Spanish forced the native population from the mine, the gems they sent back to the Old World were made into precious jewelry pieces for the monarchs and ruling classes of Europe, India, Persia, and Turkey.

India also has a long and rich history of treasuring precious gems, and their reverence for emeralds is well documented. The famous Moghul Emerald dates from 1695, and was thought to have been originally mined in Colombia. The 217.8 carat gem is carved with a Shi’a prayer on one side and a rosette surrounded by poppies on the other. It sold at auction in 2001 for a phenomenal 2.2 million dollars.

Another famous emerald, the Chalk Emerald, was thought to have belonged to the Maharani of Boroda, India. This Colombian emerald was famously recut to 38.4 carats by Harry Winston, and set into a ring surrounded by 60 pear shaped diamonds. It now resides at the Smithsonian National Museum of History.