4.85 Ct. Emerald from Zambia

This 4.85 carat oval green emerald from Zambia exemplifies deliberate lapidary execution and premium rough selection, offered by The Natural Emerald Company. Measuring 12.73 x 9.14 x 6.88 mm, the stone is cut in an oval outline with a mixed brilliant facet scheme that marries a carefully proportioned brilliant crown to a faceted step pavilion, creating a precise balance between scintillation and color saturation. The cutter retained a moderately sized table to maximize the vivid color intensity while allowing the pavilion facet angles to return light in a lively manner, producing crisp flashes across the crown facets. Clarity is graded as very very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, which indicates minimal, well localized inclusions that do not interrupt visual transparency or overall light performance. The polish is excellent, producing clean facet junctions and sharp facet reflections, and the finish work emphasizes symmetry and girdle consistency to facilitate secure mounting with minimal rework. Enhancement is standard, applied in a controlled manner to stabilize surface reaching fissures and to improve clarity without altering the natural green hue. The resulting color is a vivid green with the depth and saturation associated with fine Zambian material, showcasing both brilliance and chroma in daylight and artificial illumination.

On the Mohs scale this emerald registers approximately 7.5 to 8, reflecting the intrinsic hardness of the beryl species and providing good resistance to everyday scratching when compared to common jewelry materials. For perspective on durability, this means the gem is harder than quartz, which is 7, but it is less hard than corundum varieties such as sapphire and ruby at 9, and substantially softer than diamond at 10. Because emeralds frequently contain inclusions and have undergone standard clarity enhancement, their toughness may be reduced relative to eye clean stones of equal hardness, and therefore setting design and care are important. We recommend protective settings such as partial bezel or low profile prong work to shield the girdle and corners, and advise avoiding ultrasonic cleaning and harsh chemicals, relying instead on warm soapy water and gentle brushing. The Natural Emerald Company stands behind the provenance and cutting excellence of this Zambian emerald, and we can provide ring design guidance that preserves the stone integrity while showcasing its vivid color and refined mixed brilliant faceting.