Emerald Gems
Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra, and Venus: emeralds are the gems of goddesses. Chatham invented lab-grown emeralds 75 years ago so it’s not surprising we grow the best emeralds on earth.
Emerald Gift Ideas…
The May birthstone
The 20th and 35th anniversary gem
The symbol of growth
The Astrological Gem for Cancer
She is socially and environmentally responsible!
Chatham Lab-Grown Emeralds
Chatham grows emerald crystals in a secret lengthy process we invented over 75 years ago. It takes about a year from start to finish: the crystals grow for about nine months. We start with a naturally mined seed of fine Colombian emerald with perfect color. We create a controlled environment rich in chromium to give our crystals a rich green hue. The crystals grow larger and cleaner than the emeralds grown in nature. When we cut the crystals, we cut away 80% of the rough to give you faceted emeralds that are essentially flawless in clarity and highly saturated in color. The price difference between the finest lab-grown and mined emerald of the same size and quality can be as much as $100,000 per carat!
Best of all, we cut our emeralds in a wide variety of shapes that are almost impossible to find in mined emeralds. And our lifetime guarantee means you can wear an emerald engagement ring without worry. We think the quality and beauty of our lab-grown emeralds make them a better choice than mined. But visit a Chatham retailer and compare the two side-by-side and decide for yourself.
About Emeralds
For the ancient Romans, emeralds were the gems of Venus, powerful love and fertility charms. In ancient Egypt, emeralds were Cleopatra’s favorite gem. Elizabeth Taylor loved emerald necklaces and rings. Style icons the Duchess of Windsor, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Halle Berry rocked emerald engagement rings. Angelina Jolie and Sofia Vergara stun in emerald earrings on the red carpet. Clearly emerald jewelry is for women who shine in the spotlight.
Although emeralds were mined in ancient Egypt and Pakistan, the Conquistadors found the best emeralds anyone had ever seen when they arrived in the new world. The mines they discovered in Colombia are still the source of the best mined emeralds today.
Gaze into a fine emerald and you see paradise in its lush green. You’ll also see a garden of inclusions that grow along with the crystal. Mined emeralds are almost never flawless: that’s why most jewelers don’t recommend emeralds for engagement rings. Inclusions mean that 80-95% of the rough is lost in cutting. That’s why you’ll almost always find emeralds in the emerald cut: it loses the least weight.
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