Green tourmaline or emerald: which stone to choose

For a green stone the choice is usually emerald vs green tourmaline (verdelite).

Colour Emerald — warm grassy green, often velvety and deep; the jewelry benchmark. Verdelite — grass to blue-green to olive, usually cooler and more transparent, no velvet, but can be very vivid.

Clarity and toughness Emerald 7.5–8 but brittle, with a jardin of inclusions; verdelite 7–7.5 but usually eye-clean and more chip-resistant — a bit more practical for an everyday ring.

Treatment Emerald is almost always oiled; green tourmaline is usually only heated, often untreated — easier care.

Price A fine emerald costs several times more than a comparable verdelite.

Choose Status and the classic green, with careful wear — emerald. Untreated stone, larger for the money, everyday ring — green tourmaline. Undecided — earrings or a pendant lets either shine safely.