Characterization of Low Grade Natural Emerald Gemstone

Abstract

The low quality gemstones need suitable treatment for its quality enhancement before being marketable. Hence, a detail characterization is essential to assess the quality of a particular gemstone. In this context, low grade emerald from Baripada, Odisha is characterized for its physical and chemical properties by various characterization techniques to provide strategy to improve its quality. Optical microscopic and XRD studies reveal the presence of mineral (silicate and oxide) impurities in emerald. FTIR, micro-Raman, micro CT, UV-Visible DRS and Photoluminescence techniques are used to characterize the emerald. ICP-OES is used to quantify the impurities such as Fe, Cr, V, Co, Ni etc in the sample.