You’ll discover that this article is not specifically about Emerald cutting, but the consistently low quality cutting you see with Emerald. This is a common problem that stems back to the source of the gems and the chain of profiteers in between.

Emerald (and many other gems) is generally found in poverty stricken countries and relatively expensive to mine by American standards.  This doesn’t directly lead to poor cutting, but it does put the origin of the material in a country where the infrastructure and education needed to produce fine cutting is lacking. 

The chain continues with the first tier of profiteers. The mine owners (often the government itself) are in a strong position to sell with a “take it or leave it” attitude.  They set prices per carat regardless of quality and since they are selling by weight, their only motivation is preserving weight, not producing quality. This is why you see so many “belly cuts” in Emerald.  Belly cuts weigh almost twice what a fine cut gem would weigh.

Another factor is its quality. Emerald is usually included with many flaws.  Thinner girdles and crisp culets tend to break with flawed material which leads to the cutters cutting with softer edges.  As thickness decreases, the color fades.  Cutting a larger gem encapsulating gross inclusions or belly cutting helps maintain the more desirable color.

For years people have just accepted the quality of the Emerald as being normal, but as buyers get more knowledgeable, the demand for finer cut Emeralds increases. Mine owners and governments are becoming aware of the value of cutting better quality gems.  This combo is bringing more fine cut Emeralds into the market every year.  I like the trend but we have a long way to go