Emeralds: A Passionate Guide:
The Emeralds, the People,
Their Secrets
By Ronald Ringsrud, 382 pp., illus.,
Green View Press [www.emeraldpassion.
com], Oxnard, CA, 2009.
$80.00
This is a personal account of the
world of emeralds from the perspective
of a renowned connoisseur. It
offers an in-depth look at the life of a
Colombian emerald dealer, illustrated
with many personal adventures, experiences,
observations, and opinions.
Colorfully and tastefully illustrated,
the book shows many superb examples
of beautiful and unusual emeralds.
Indeed, it is an unabashed celebration
of colored gemstones, emerald
in particular.
As the author states in the introduction,
“This book is about passion,
not polarizers.” Comprising 23 chapters,
it starts straightaway with how
romance can influence deals between
sellers and buyers, with an interesting
explanation for the differences in
behavior between a dealer and a broker.
Subsequently, it details the discovery
and ascendancy of the
Colombian emerald mines under
Spanish rule, roughly between 1500
and 1750. As a Dutchman, I learned
how my ancestors used “well-placed
bribes” to acquire emeralds during
that period.
Subsequent chapters discuss the
properties and optics of emeralds,
color and clarity grading, and clarity
enhancement. The author emphasizes
the subtle differences in color and clarity,
and the positive effect inclusions
may have. He expresses concern that
emerald enhancements and their durability
are discussed too much, often
increasing confusion and fear. He
emphasizes that size, quantity, and
position of filled fissures are most
important—not the type of filler—
when assessing durability issues and
degree of clarity enhancement.
Interestingly, gem laboratory is
synonymous with ivory tower
throughout this book, revealing the
difference between an academic
approach (which the author criticizes)
and that of the connoisseur. He agrees
it is important to know how to use
the information on a gem report, but
he maintains that in the trade there is
also a need for documentation that
gives some background information
to evoke the wonder and reverence
that fine gems deserve.
The book gives a clear explanation
of what is meant by the term gota de
aceite, which is not simply a catch-all
superlative for a fine Colombian
emerald, as often misapplied in
Europe and the United States. Also
clarified is the proper use of old mine,
and the difference between that term
and gota de aceite.
The reader is brought up to date
with current Colombian emerald production,
which still matches the quality
of the beautiful antique emeralds
the Spanish conquerors sent to
Europe and India. The author explains
that money spent on Colombian
emeralds does not support narcotics
trafficking and also discusses examples
of fair trade initiatives that benefit
the local miners.
The basics of emerald geology are
introduced in a loose, informal way.
The author rightly emphasizes the
importance of Terri Ottaway’s geologic
work, which marked a shift in
thought about the formation of emerald
in Colombia. Only her master’s thesis is mentioned,
not the landmark paper she and her
colleagues published in Nature. Nor
does the author refer to the similar
formation theory proposed in articles
by Giuliani, Cheilletz, and co-workers,
which produced additional valuable
data and insights.
This book is especially outstanding
for its many interesting personal
anecdotes. Among them is a witty,
recognizable account of working in
the field—with interaction between
the investor, the geologist, the foreman,
and the miners. It further
includes a personal account on the
business of buying and cutting rough
emeralds, with a memorable story of
missing a buy. A fairly expansive section
on cutting emeralds explains the
process, with revealing insight into
the prices involved and what is at
stake for the owner and the cutter.
The author expresses his view on colored
stone grading systems, contending
that colored stones should be sold
one by one, like works of art.
In the chapter on collecting mineral
specimens, the author demonstrates
his true love for emeralds. He
describes parting with a nicely terminated
crystal, rightly sold as a specimen
rather than a faceted gem, only
emerald-cut piece that had lost much
of its color.
Still, the strength of this book can
be a weakness at times. Because “there
is no distance between the author and
emeralds,” in the author’s words, facts
and opinions are often intermingled.
For instance, the statement that the
color of tsavorite is always steely and
too brilliant is purely subjective—a
matter of taste. The book also contains
some small errors and omissions. The
stated refractive indices of quartz
(1.559–1.568) are too high (they are
typically 1.544–1.553), and emeralds
from Colombia show a wider range of
RIs than indicated. The author
describes glass doublets as imitations
of emerald, but does not mention rock
crystal doublets or the deceptive beryl
doublets. The discussion of clarity
grading is also unclear at times.
Aside from these criticisms, this
book is a must for anyone who loves
colored gemstones and wants to
know more about the world of emeralds.
In particular, it is highly recommended
to gemology students as it
will help put into broader perspective
and context what they learn in the
classroom.
HANCO ZWAAN
Netherlands Gemmological
Laboratory
National Museum of
Natural History Naturalis
Leiden, The Netherlands