Gold Streaks in Emerald: What Are They?
Question
Large Emerald
I have a large Colombian Emerald and my question the Emerald has some gold streaks through it and I was wondering if it might be gold or if you could maybe tell me what it is. Thank you
AnswerThe gold-looking mineral you see is pyrite. Pyrite is very common in emerald mines and is often found as an inclusion in the emerald or along side the emerald crystals when they're still in the matrix.
As an emerald dealer, I might point out that this would not be considered an emerald by many people in the gem trade. It is the same material (green beryl), but it is not of gem quality. Unfortunately many low end jewelers, ebay sellers, and others sell this type of material as emerald which gives the 'real' emeralds a bad name. I constantly work to 'undo' some of this damage by explaining the difference. It does have some uses for jewelry, however, as it can be used in creative or alternative jewelry styles and is very common and inexpensive.
