Our Commitments
Our continuous mission to create positive change shapes our ethical, social and sustainability commitments so every piece of ELMA Emeralds or Jewellery makes a positive impact.
With its unparalleled access to the world’s most beautiful emeralds, ELMA has been the emerald expert since 2011. We uphold the highest industry standard for cut quality. Masters of their craft, our diamantaires assess the Fire, Life and Brilliance of each emerald, as well as its silhouette, determining its value with the help of the Four Cs.
Cut
The cut of an emerald is paramount, as a perfect cut will maximise its sparkle. A well-cut gemstone can command a higher value than a poorly cut emerald, even if larger in size or rarer in colour.
An emeraldshould be cut with perfectly symmetrical, aligned facets – a skill requiring vast technical expertise and refined artistry. At ELMA, we meticulously hand-select or cut every one of our emeralds, assessing them with an expert, trained eye. Accepting only top cut grades, we require the perfect alignment of facets and angles for that ultimate sparkle.
Colour
The color of an emerald is a big deal. The ones considered the best ones have a lush green tone with minimal hints of brown or grey. Think of it as that perfect shade of green you’d find in an enchanted forest, known as ‘pure green’ in the industry. Emeralds can appear in a range of tones that include yellow-green or extremely dark forest-green, but ultimately, what the best color is the one you choose for yourself. It’s often said if you have three good emerald options – you’ll likely have one that almost calls to you and just feels like the right choice. Follow your gut.
At ELMA, we carry the full range of colours to give our clients more choice. We see the colour grade of an emerald as an indication of its rarity rather than its desirability.
Carat
Like with any gem, size matters. Bigger emeralds are harder to come by and have a larger surface area to display internal imperfections – this means that finding the perfect one often comes at a premium. But a smaller emerald with top-notch color and clarity can sometimes be even more prized. Decide which of the emerald quality factors is most important to you and then work to balance the remaining factors to fit within your price point.
Clarity
You might notice little flaws inside emeralds, called inclusions. They’re like nature’s fingerprints and actually add character to the gem. In fact, with these stones in particular, the whole charm of an emerald lies in its inclusions. If you’re looking for a flawless looking stone, emeralds might not be the choice for you. On the flip side, too many can make the stone look slightly cloudy, which then affects its quality so it’s important to get the balance right. We will only recommend stones that have a desirable amount of inclusions – nothing that features an obvious large placement on the stone’s surface or that could compromise its integrity.