Written by Elie Ammoun, Graduate Gemologist (IGI) — Luna Dura, Al Durrah Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Reviewed for gemmological and historical accuracy.
Emerald is May's birthstone and one of the four stones the trade still calls precious, alongside diamond, ruby and sapphire. It is also the one where buyers are most often quietly misled — not by fakes, but by what is left unsaid about treatment. Almost every emerald on the market has been oiled, that oiling is not permanent, and it changes how the stone must be cleaned for the rest of its life. This guide covers what emerald is, how oiling works and how to read it on a certificate, how to tell a real emerald from a synthetic or a doublet, what emerald costs in Dubai, and how we source certified loose emeralds for bespoke commissions.
What is an emerald?
Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl, coloured by traces of chromium and vanadium. Pale blue beryl is aquamarine, so emerald and aquamarine are the same mineral in different clothes — our March aquamarine guide covers the other side of the family.
Emerald sits at Mohs 7.5 to 8, which sounds robust and is misleading. Hardness measures scratch resistance, not toughness, and emerald is a notably brittle stone because nearly every one carries internal fractures. The trade calls that internal landscape the jardin, the garden, and it is treated as a fingerprint rather than a flaw. A visibly included emerald is normal. A flawless one at a low price is not an emerald.
Emerald in the Gulf — الزمرد
Emerald is الزمرد (al-zumurrud), and May's birthstone is described as حجر بخت شهر مايو. The word travelled: zamurd in Persian and Urdu, smaragdos in Greek, marakata in Sanskrit, panna in Hindi — all of them tracing back through the same ancient root, which tells you how far and how early this stone moved through the region.
Green carries particular weight here. It is the colour most associated with paradise in Islamic tradition, and classical Arabic lapidary writing places al-zumurrud among the noblest stones alongside ياقوت and لؤلؤ. That inheritance is why emerald reads as formal and consequential in Gulf jewellery in a way that other green stones do not, and why it remains a favoured stone for bridal and milestone commissions across the GCC.
Are all emeralds oiled? Yes — and here is what that means
Effectively every emerald you will ever be offered has been treated. Because the stone is full of surface-reaching fractures, it is standard practice to fill them with a clear substance of similar refractive index — traditionally cedarwood oil — which makes those fractures far less visible and the stone appear cleaner. This has been done for centuries and is accepted throughout the trade. It is not fraud. What is fraud is not disclosing it.
Three things follow, and they matter more than anything else on this page:
- Oiling is not permanent. Oil dries out, leaches, and can be stripped by heat, solvents or an ultrasonic cleaner. An emerald that looked clean in the shop can look markedly more included years later. It can be re-oiled by a professional; this is routine maintenance, not damage.
- Degree is graded, and it is on the certificate. Reports state treatment as none, minor, moderate or significant. The difference between minor and significant is a large difference in price and in how much of what you are looking at is actually stone.
- Colourless oil is accepted; coloured oil and resin are not. Green-tinted oil or polymer resin adds colour or structure the stone does not have, is far harder to reverse, and should be a walk-away — particularly for astrological buyers, where the tradition calls for untreated or minimally treated material.
Ask for the treatment line on the report before you discuss price. Any seller who cannot produce it, or who tells you their emeralds are not oiled without a certificate saying so, has answered your question.
Real, synthetic, doublet or green glass — how to tell
- Look for the garden. Natural emerald has inclusions, visible to the eye or a 10× loupe. Perfect clarity in a large green stone at a modest price points to glass or synthetic material.
- Watch for bubbles and swirls. Round gas bubbles and treacle-like flow lines are glass, not beryl.
- Lab-grown emerald is genuine beryl — same chemistry, same colour, grown rather than mined — and it is not a fake, provided it is sold as what it is. It typically shows cleaner clarity and distinctive growth features under magnification.
- Doublets and triplets. A slice of beryl or quartz cemented over a green backing, sometimes with green cement doing the colour work. Look at the stone edge-on for a straight join line.
- "Emeralds" that are not beryl at all. Green fluorite, tsavorite garnet, peridot and green tourmaline are all sold loosely as emerald-coloured. They are fine stones under their own names.
The only conclusive answer is an independent report from a recognised laboratory stating natural or laboratory-grown, origin where determinable, and treatment level. We arrange this on every stone we source. Verified by Elie Ammoun, Graduate Gemologist (IGI).
Origin: Colombian, Zambian, Brazilian
Colombian emerald sets the standard — a warm, pure, slightly bluish green — and prices accordingly at the top of the market. Zambian stones tend to be slightly darker and cooler in tone, often with better clarity and better durability, at more approachable prices; they are the value sweet spot for most buyers. Brazilian and Indian material runs lighter and more included, and is where a modest budget goes furthest.
Origin affects price substantially, but colour is what you actually wear. A fine Zambian stone beats a mediocre Colombian one at the same money every time, and we would rather show you both than sell you a country name.
Emerald in astrology — Panna and Mercury
In Vedic tradition emerald is Panna, the gemstone of Mercury (Budh), the planet associated with intellect, communication, commerce and analytical thinking. It is customarily worn on the little finger of the right hand, set in gold or silver, and first put on a Wednesday morning, and it is associated with Gemini and Virgo.
As with every stone we write about, this is cultural and astrological tradition, valued as such by those who follow it — not a medical claim, and no substitute for medical care. One gemmological point does carry over, though: astrological practice calls for a natural stone with none or only minor colourless oiling. If you are buying a Panna, the treatment line on the certificate is the line that matters, and a lab-grown emerald does not meet the requirement however genuine it is as a gem.
How much does emerald cost in Dubai?
Emerald is priced per carat on colour first — saturation and evenness of green — then clarity, size, origin and treatment level. In this city, certified natural loose emerald starts around a few hundred dirhams per carat for small, heavily included commercial material and climbs steeply; fine Colombian stones with minor oiling reach several thousand dollars per carat and exceptional pieces go far beyond that. The loose dealers cluster in Karama and at Gold & Diamond Park on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Two stones of identical weight can differ tenfold on colour and treatment alone, which is exactly why buying emerald by price-per-carat headline is a mistake. Bring the budget; choose the stone.
Wearing and caring for emerald
Emerald needs more thought than sapphire and about the same as opal. Because of the fractures and the oil in them, the rules are firm: never an ultrasonic cleaner, never steam, no solvents, no household detergents. All of these strip the oil and can worsen the fractures. Warm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush, then dry gently. Keep it away from sudden heat, which includes leaving it in a parked car in a Dubai summer.
For a ring worn daily, a bezel or otherwise protected setting is genuinely worth insisting on, since emerald chips at an exposed corner far more readily than its Mohs number suggests. Earrings and pendants take almost no knocks and are the easiest formats to live with. Have an emerald ring checked every year or two; re-oiling is normal and inexpensive.
Bespoke emerald — certified loose stones to order
We do not hold finished emerald jewellery in the studio. What we do is source the stone and build the piece around it, which for emerald is the better way round: the stone varies so much that choosing it first, in person, is the only sensible order of operations.
Tell us the green you want, an approximate carat weight, and the setting you have in mind, and we will bring options to the studio on Sheikh Zayed Road to compare side by side before anything is committed. Both natural and laboratory-grown emerald are available — natural for rarity, value and astrological use, lab-grown for a larger, cleaner stone at a fraction of the price when the piece is bought to wear. Independent certification comes with either, stating natural or lab-grown, origin where determinable, and the exact treatment level. Everything is then set in hand-finished 925 sterling silver in our studio.
Enquire about loose emeralds on WhatsApp
A note on "emerald cut" — it is a shape, not a stone
Searching for emerald jewellery will return a great many pieces that contain no emerald at all. The emerald cut is a rectangular step cut with cropped corners, developed originally to protect emerald's vulnerable corners while showing off its colour, and it is now used across every gem material there is. A rose quartz emerald-cut ring is a rose quartz ring. Two of ours use exactly that cut: the Rose Quartz Emerald Cut Ring and the Magenta Quartz Emerald Cut Ring, both in 925 sterling silver, and neither is an emerald. We mention it because the confusion costs people money elsewhere.
If it is green in stock today that you are after, our August birthstone, peridot — al-zabarjad, is the green stone we keep, and it sits within the gemstone jewellery collection. Order now and WhatsApp +971 52 220 0582 to confirm same-day delivery in Dubai; other emirates take one to two business days.
Frequently asked questions
What is the birthstone for May?
Emerald, the green variety of beryl. It is also the traditional gem of the 20th and 55th wedding anniversaries.
What is emerald called in Arabic?
Emerald is الزمرد (al-zumurrud), and May's birthstone is described as حجر بخت شهر مايو. The same word appears as zamurd in Persian and Urdu, and the stone is called Panna in Hindi and Marakata in Sanskrit.
Are all emeralds oiled?
Very nearly all of them. Filling surface-reaching fractures with colourless oil is standard, centuries-old and accepted practice, and it must be disclosed. Certificates grade it as none, minor, moderate or significant. Coloured oil and polymer resin are a different matter and should be avoided.
Does oiling wear off?
Yes. Oil dries out or leaches over years, and heat, solvents and ultrasonic cleaners strip it quickly — which is why those are forbidden with emerald. A professional can re-oil the stone; this is normal maintenance rather than repair.
How can I tell if an emerald is real?
Natural emerald almost always shows inclusions, the jardin. Round bubbles and swirled flow lines indicate glass; a straight join line seen edge-on indicates a doublet. Flawless clarity in a large stone at a low price is a warning, not a bargain. Only a laboratory report is conclusive.
Is lab-grown emerald real emerald?
Yes — it is genuine beryl with the same chemistry and colour, grown rather than mined, and it is not a simulant. It is only a problem when sold as natural. We supply both and state plainly which is which.
Colombian or Zambian emerald — which is better?
Colombian material is the classic warm pure green and the most expensive. Zambian tends to be slightly darker and cooler with better clarity and toughness, at more accessible prices. A fine Zambian stone will outperform a mediocre Colombian one at the same budget.
Can I wear an emerald ring every day?
With a protective setting, yes. Emerald is brittle despite its Mohs 7.5 to 8 and chips at exposed corners, so a bezel is worth insisting on for daily wear. Earrings and pendants are effectively worry-free.
How do I clean emerald jewellery?
Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush, dried gently. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, steam, solvents or harsh detergents — they strip the oil in the fractures and can make the stone look markedly worse.
What is Panna, and which finger is it worn on?
Panna is emerald in Vedic astrology, the stone of Mercury (Budh), traditionally worn on the little finger of the right hand and first put on a Wednesday morning, associated with Gemini and Virgo. This is cultural practice, not a medical claim. Astrological use calls for a natural stone with none or minor colourless oiling only.
How much does emerald cost in Dubai?
Colour drives the price, then clarity, size, origin and treatment. Small included commercial stones start in the low hundreds of dirhams per carat; fine Colombian material with minimal oiling runs to thousands of dollars per carat. Two stones of the same weight can differ tenfold, so judge the stone rather than the headline rate.
Do you sell emerald jewellery in Dubai?
We source certified loose emerald — natural or lab-grown — and set it to order in 925 sterling silver at our studio in Al Durrah Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite the Museum of the Future. We do not hold ready-made emerald pieces. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 52 220 0582 and we will bring options in to compare.
Enquire about loose emeralds on WhatsApp
More birthstones
Emerald is one of twelve months. For the full month-by-month guide to birthstone meanings, jewellery and gift ideas in the UAE, see our Complete Birthstone Guide.
Read also our March aquamarine guide — the same mineral family — the August peridot guide for green in stock, and the July ruby guide on lab-grown versus natural.
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