I quite like the look of the emerald fragments. Even though they are darker and mostly gray(unlike the picture) they have their own use and beauty. However, I just started ring making, in fact, I used the emeralds on the 2nd ring I made(and am still making). When I bought them, I thought that a mix of emerald and obsidian would look interesting in a ring. However, I should have done more research because I didn't give one thought to the hardness of the stone. It has been very difficult to grind the emeralds down, using a Dremel tool, I had to use different attachments than just the sanding rings. If you're going to buy them, be prepared for a bit of a difficult process ahead.