1.11 Ct. Emerald from Zambia

This piece is a transparent natural emerald weighing 1.11 carats, cut to an elegant oval silhouette with dimensions of 8.17 by 6.13 by 3.45 millimeters, and presented by The Natural Emerald Company. The cutter employed a mixed brilliant faceting scheme, combining a brilliant style on the crown with controlled pavilion geometry to optimize light return while maintaining color saturation. The clarity grade is evaluated as very slightly included at eye level, indicating minor internal characteristics that do not materially interrupt the overall transparency or visual impact. Color is classified as intense, yielding a lively and saturated green field, and polish is recorded as excellent, with clean facet junctions and smooth facet planes. Enhancement is standard for emeralds, applied discreetly to improve apparent clarity and surface reach without altering the intrinsic color or structural integrity of the crystal. Origin is Zambia, a source known for producing emeralds with strong saturation and a cool to neutral green hue.

The mixed brilliant cut was chosen specifically to balance two competing optical priorities in emeralds, color concentration and light performance. The brilliant facet arrangement on the crown increases scintillation and dispersive flashes from white light, while the pavilion design maintains sufficient depth to concentrate color and avoid a washed out appearance. With a measured depth of 3.45 millimeters against an average of the length and width of 7.15 millimeters, the stone exhibits a depth proportion of approximately 48.3 percent, which falls within preferred ranges for oval gems where a balance of spread and depth is sought. The excellent polish enhances facet crispness so that transitions between crown facets and the table are clean, promoting controlled specular reflections rather than diffuse light loss. This combination of proportions, facet architecture, and polish produces a dynamic face up presentation, with lively pinpoint scintillation across the table and crown facets, and a stable, saturated color delivered through the pavilion.

Optically, emeralds are members of the beryl family and exhibit modest refractive indices and low dispersion compared with gemstones such as diamond or garnet, properties that shape their characteristic luster. This Zambian emerald benefits from intense color and a high degree of transparency, which together allow efficient transmission of light and a deep, saturated green seen through the table. Typical refractive index values for emerald range over a modest band, and birefringence is low, meaning pleochroic color shifts are present but subdued when compared to strongly dichroic materials. The very slightly included clarity grade implies that inclusions are small and localized, often of internal liquid or crystal types common to natural beryl, and because enhancement is standard they have been stabilized to improve overall optical continuity. The result is an eye pleasing stone that offers a combination of color intensity and controlled brilliance, with internal features that attest to natural origin while not detracting from visual performance.

When positioned against other emeralds and green gem species, the reflective and scintillative qualities of this Zambian stone have distinctive advantages and trade offs. Compared to classic Colombian emeralds, which frequently present a pure, grassy green and exceptional transparency in well documented examples, many Zambian emeralds show a slightly cooler, deeper tone with robust saturation, and in this specimen the mixed brilliant cut accentuates light return more than the traditional step cuts often used for Colombian material. Against Brazilian emeralds, which can range broadly in tone and saturation, this stone sits toward the intense end of the spectrum and exhibits a more consistent face up color. Against other green gemstones used in fine jewelry, such as tsavorite garnet and green tourmaline, this emerald displays less dispersion and therefore less spectral fire, but its intense body color and the depth of tone produce a different visual appeal, one that emphasizes color depth and velvety green fields over scintillating rainbow flashes. Tsavorite and well cut green tourmaline will exhibit higher brilliance due to higher refractive indices, and they often appear more lively in fast moving light, while chrome diopside and peridot present different trade offs in color vibrancy and durability. In summary, the mixed brilliant Zambian emerald here achieves a rare synthesis among emeralds, combining the saturated, intense green expected of Zambian material with a facet design that recovers more white light than many traditional emerald cuts, making it a particularly attractive choice for collectors and connoisseurs seeking a vivid green that still performs well in terms of light return.

This offering from The Natural Emerald Company will appeal to purchasers who appreciate technical refinement in cutting and a high standard of lapidary finish, alongside a stone that communicates origin through color character. The dimensions and weight provide comfortable spread for a center stone application, and the mixed brilliant approach maximizes perceived brightness without compromising the intense green that defines the gem. Standard enhancement has been applied in keeping with industry best practice to stabilize internal characteristics, and the excellent polish ensures longevity of light performance and ease of setting. For buyers comparing stones within the emerald category, this Zambian example delivers a lively, saturated presentation with a clarity that is close to eye clean, and a reflective profile that bridges traditional emerald aesthetics and modern demands for scintillation and brilliance.