4.96 Ct. Emerald from Colombia - Muzo

This listing describes a C.Dunaigre certified emerald, weighing 4.96 carat, presented in a classic cushion shape, with exact dimensions of 12.00 x 9.55 x 6.85 mm. The stone is faceted as a mixed brilliant, combining a precise brilliant type crown with a modified step pavilion, engineered to maximize face up color and controlled return of light. The overall depth calculates to approximately 63.6 percent based on the average of length and width, a proportion chosen to maintain saturated, vivid green while avoiding excessive windowing or a washed out appearance. The measured proportions along with the cushion outline yield a substantial table that frames the color without flattening the visual depth, making the gem visually larger than its carat weight might suggest. C.Dunaigre certification confirms the measured weight, dimensions, clarity assessment, enhancement status, and Colombian Muzo origin, providing independent verification of the technical parameters and provenance that collectors and connoisseurs require.

The mixed brilliant faceting on this emerald is executed to technical precision, with a crown construction that employs concentric star and bezel facets to disperse light, and a pavilion architecture that uses elongated step facets to reinforce color saturation and directional light return. This duality of faceting creates a balanced interplay of scintillation and broad color flashes, the former from the brilliant crown, the latter from the step pavilion. The cutter preserved strong facet junctions and symmetry, producing consistent alignment of facet intersections across the girdle plane, which enhances uniformity of tone and minimizes pinprick windows. The excellent polish on all facet planes delivers crisp facet edges and minimal surface disturbance, resulting in high contrast and lively scintillation under both diffuse and direct illumination. For the technically minded buyer, the design philosophy is evident, the cutter prioritized controlled light leakage and color retention, not purely maximum brilliance, which is the optimal strategy for important, highly saturated green emeralds.

Clarity has been evaluated at eye level as very slightly included, consistent with the natural character of emeralds and a positive indicator for practical visibility and value. Under magnification the stone shows limited internal features, which are well localized and do not compromise the structural integrity or the face up appearance. Typical inclusion types in emeralds are irregular growth structures and fine healed fissures, commonly described as jardin, and in this specimen those features remain minor and strategically positioned out of the main face up window. The reported enhancement status is standard, an industry standard practice intended to stabilize surface reaching fissures and to optimize transparency. Standard enhancement improves apparent clarity and visual depth without materially altering the intrinsic color chemistry of the stone. For clients who require additional technical detail The Natural Emerald Company can provide the laboratory report and imagery from the C.Dunaigre assessment, and can discuss stability and long term care protocols that preserve appearance and structural condition for set jewelry.

Origin materially affects both aesthetic expectation and market valuation, and this emerald is identified as originating from Muzo, Colombia, a district historically and geologically famous for producing deeply saturated, vivid green emeralds. Muzo geology yields a distinctive crystalline habit and trace element chemistry, including chromium and vanadium signatures that translate into intense green hues with a lively, often slightly bluish overtone, and exceptional clarity when compared to many other sources. Collectors and high end connoisseurs pay a premium for documented Muzo emeralds because of this consistent color signature and a century plus provenance that ties pieces to a lineage of museum and royal jewels. Certification that confirms Muzo origin adds quantifiable value by reducing provenance uncertainty and by validating the expected optical and gemological characteristics. The Natural Emerald Company stands behind the technical integrity and provenance of this stone, offering secure documentation, high resolution imagery, and consultation on mounting and conservation. For buyers seeking a gem that pairs rigorous gemological credentials with exceptional visual appeal, this 4.96 carat Muzo cushion emerald represents a technically superior option, ready to be set into bespoke jewelry or added to a curated collection.