Emerald prices are up 36 per cent in the past six months, going by the GemVal index for the precious gem. This is far above the approximate 7 per cent rise in the GemVal Aggregate Index, which reflects the overall pricing trends for 26 precious stones.
The demand for high-quality stones drove prices, while low-quality stones saw a milder price rise. In November last year, Gemfields, the world’s largest miner of emeralds, saw its rough emerald auction set a record per-carat price for higher-quality roughs.