Emerald
green · Beryl family
| Also known as | Beryl (Beryl family) |
|---|---|
| Colour | Green |
| Mohs hardness | 7.5–8 |
| Lustre | Vitreous |
| Streak | White |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal (6/m 2/m 2/m) Space group: P6/mсc |
| Transparency | Transparent to opaque |
| Cleavage | Imperfect on the [0001] |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Chemical formula | Be 3 Al 2 ( SiO 3 ) 6 |
| Specific gravity | Average 2.76 |
What is Emerald?
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most emeralds have many inclusions, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as poor. Emerald is a cyclosilicate. It occurs mainly in association with quartz, muscovite, albite, schorl, microcline, fluorite, smoky quartz and elbaite.
How to identify Emerald
- Lustre: Vitreous.
- Hardness: Mohs 7.5–8 — hard enough to scratch glass.
- Streak: White.
- Habit: Hexagonal (6/m 2/m 2/m) Space group: P6/mсc crystal system.
Emerald value
Emerald is a fine gemstone priced per carat by quality — colour, clarity, cut, carat and origin — not by weight in grams. Typical market ranges:
| Quality | Price per carat |
|---|---|
| Commercial | $100–$1,500 / ct |
| Good | $1,000–$6,000 / ct |
| Fine | $5,000–$20,000 / ct |
| Top | $20,000–$150,000+ / ct |
Ranges cross-validated across two independent research passes against gemstone price guides, 2026-06 — sources: gemguide.com, emeralds.com, giliarto.com. Colour saturation, clarity, cut and origin move the price enormously, and treatments or lab-grown stones sell for a fraction — so this is a guide, not an appraisal. Have anything valuable checked by a certified gemmologist. See the full crystal & gemstone value guide.
