2.11 Ct. Emerald from Zambia

This transparent 2.11 carat emerald presents as a classic cushion shape, measuring 9.67 by 7.44 by 4.18 mm, with a mixed brilliant cut and an excellent polish. The mixed brilliant cut combines a faceted crown with brilliant style facets and a pavilion that incorporates both step and modified brilliant pavilion facets, a configuration chosen to balance intense color and optimal light return in emerald material. Evaluated at eye level, the stone is graded very slightly included, a clarity that preserves both visual transparency and natural character, while standard enhancement has been applied in keeping with trade practices to stabilize surface reaching fissures and improve apparent clarity. Color is in the intense range, a vivid saturated green enriched by even tone distribution across the table, and the girdle proportions and pavilion depth have been calibrated to 4.18 mm thickness to maintain spectral saturation without sacrificing brilliance. The finish is notable for its symmetry and facet alignment, which together produce consistent windowing control and a lively internal scintillation when the stone is viewed in direct light, qualities that signal careful cutting and a practiced lapidary hand.

This emerald tells a geological story that began millions of years ago, deep within the crust of what is now Zambia, where the confluence of beryllium rich fluids and chromium bearing host rocks created the precise chemical environment required for beryl to acquire a green hue. Under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, silica poor, beryllium laden hydrothermal fluids migrated through fissures and shear zones in metamorphic schist, encountering chromium and vanadium trace elements that substituted into the beryl lattice during crystal growth. Growth occurred episodically, with pulses of mineral saturated fluid depositing successive layers of hexagonal beryl that gradually built to the macroscopic crystal from which this gem was cut. The mixed brilliant cutter has left evidence of those growth episodes in delicate internal features, which appear as very slight inclusions and fine growth zoning when examined with the unaided eye, and which serve as an internal fingerprint of natural origin. Subsequent tectonic uplift exposed the host horizons to erosion and mining, and the rough material recovered from Zambian veins was then examined and selected for cutting, favoring pieces that displayed the intense color and sufficient transparency to respond favorably to a mixed brilliant cushion configuration.

From a craftsmanship perspective the choice to fashion this material into a 2.11 carat cushion with a mixed brilliant architecture is deliberate, reflecting the cutter focus on maximizing color saturation while introducing a degree of brilliance typically associated with round brilliant geometry. The crown facet arrangement narrows the table to a proportion that enhances color concentration, while the pavilion facet set is engineered to disrupt straight light paths that would otherwise produce a dead window, instead returning dispersed light that breathes life into the intense green. Attention to girdle uniformity during preforming preserved the stone mass to achieve the target weight of 2.11 carats while permitting a comfortable profile for ring mountings, and the excellent polish contributes to a clean surface that minimizes light scattering and enhances face up brilliance. This stone responds well to settings that provide secure prong support to the rounded corners of the cushion silhouette, and to designs that allow light to enter from the pavilion and crown, such as open gallery settings, bezel designs with open back, or custom mounts that showcase table orientation. At The Natural Emerald Company we stand behind the origin and handling of each stone, confirming Zambian provenance and standard enhancement disclosure, and we present this emerald as a connoisseur specimen that melds geological history, precise cutting strategy, and meticulous finishing into a gem suited for collectors and jewelers who value technical integrity and the nuanced beauty of natural emerald.