COLOR

The four "C's" of gemstones, CUT, CLARITY, CARAT AND COLOR.
If you have the other three, Color is way over rated.
Beryl is a gemstone. Emerald is a color. Up untill just recently an emerald,
just meant a green gemstone of any type.
Cleopatra's "emerald" mines were actually Peridot from an Island in the Red Sea.
The Muzo mines of Colombia, run by a very efficient corporation,
pushed the "perfect color" of emeralds, because thats the color their mine produced.
Now they do an unbelievable amount of "enhancing" with all kinds of chemicals, dyes, and fillers, trying to live up to that "sales pitch" standard.

(green beryl) Be3Al2(SiO3)6
Mohs hardness, 7 1/2, This is important, as it is one of the few durable gemstones,
ie. harder than Silicon at 7 Mohs, This means it won't scratch from common dust.
S.G.(specific gravity) 2.6-2.9, R.I.(index of refraction) 1.56/1.56-1.59/1.60
Light to dark, blue-green color, variations are due to trace amounts of Chromium & Vanadium.

Beryl

Aquamarine--blue
Emerald--green
Morganite--Red purple
Heliodore--greenish yellow aka. golden beryl
Goshenite--colorless beryl
Corundum -Sapphire and Ruby, ranges all colors of the rainbow.
Color really isn't the point. Some colors are rarer than others so therefore
by the law of supply and demand--more valuable.
In actuality, its strictly a subjective factor.
Does it match her eyes? Etc. And how good the salesman is.
Emeralds;
Now that the Lab grown ones are exactly what the Muzo salesmen had pushed as "perfect color", with an off color or with some inclusions are more valuable as you can tell its
a "Natural Emerald".
But don't throw away that one with "perfect color".

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