3/11/26 Report - Mystery Find. Treasure Coast Emerald Finds and Tips for ID.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Three Views of Small Mystery Find Beside Toothpick for Comparison.
Photos by Austin Y.

I received the following email along with the above photos from Austin Y.

I got a metal detector and did research on the shipwrecks down in Melbourne area since I was there for the week and happened to see what emeralds look like from the wreck. I was walking the beach and happened to see something green in a shell pile and thought it looked similar. The wooden thing is a tooth pick by it. I'm not trying to sell it or whatever, I just wanted to know if it is a emerald or just some other trash or sea glass. 

I contacted Spanish Maine in st Augustine bc I have bought from there and talked to the guy a bunch but he said there's people buying real emeralds and taking them to the beach to fake finding a shipwreck one. So he basically told me don't bring it in my shop. I'm not trying to sell or make money on it I just want to confirm it's an emerald. 

I told Austin by email.  I'd like to see what you think.  

---

I've done some posts on emeralds found on the Treasure Coast in the past.

Below is a picture of a 68 karat emerald found by a lady at Golden Sands Beach.

Treasure Coast Found Emerald
Photo submitted by Darrell S.

Here is the link to that post.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 8/19/16 Report - 68 Karat Treasure Coast Emerald Find. More On The Recent 1809 8-Escudo. Tropical Storms.

Emeralds vary immensely.  Good gem quality specimens are more transparent, while others are opaque and don't look nearly as good.

---

Below are some tips for testing emeralds as provided by Copilot.

Testing for Emerald

To test for the authenticity of an emerald, consider the following methods:

• Observe the Color: Genuine emeralds exhibit a deep, slightly bluish-green tone. If the color appears too vivid or uniform, it might be an imitation. 
• Use a Loupe: Magnifying the stone with a jeweler’s loupe can help detect authentic features. Real emeralds commonly have visible internal inclusions known as ‘jardin.’ 
• Test Transparency and Clarity: Genuine emeralds typically have some cloudiness or inclusions that affect their clarity. An emerald that looks overly clear might not be the real deal. 
• Inspect the Cut and Shape: The cutting style provides another clue. Emeralds are often fashioned into the classic ’emerald cut’—a rectangular or square shape with truncated corners. 

---

Below is the MOHS scale for hardness. 

I've done posts on the MOHS scale and scratch test before.

---

There are some nice gem testing pens that will identify diamonds and other gemstones.  I might demonstrate one of those for you in the future.

You can also find a gemologist or good jeweler that has the equipment that can test it for you.

---

You can see the excavator at work at Sebastian.

Sebastian Web Cam This Afternoon. - South Beach View.

I guess an insignificant front will be coming through around Thursday and we're supposed to get some rain, but nothing exciting.

Surf Chart for the Fort Pierce Inlet Area from Surfguru.com.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net