Emeralds are some of the world's most renowned gemstones, prized by the Ancient Egyptians, the Aztec, and historically in India for their deep green color and supposed powers for luck, love, and nature. Today, emerald is known as the birthstone for the month of May and is used in engagement rings and other jewelry.
Green Emerald
Emerald is the green form of the gemstone beryl, a mineral that occurs in many colors. Emerald is the most famous and the most valuable beryl; the best emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds. The name comes from the Greek "smaragdos" which is in turn derived from the Semitic or Sanskrit word for the color green.
Emeralds are very hard (7.5 - 8 on the Mohs 10 point scale) but may be fragile or brittle because of impurities, which are very common in this gemstone. Emeralds can range from a pale green color to a deep, vivid green, and inclusions are common, and are affectionately called "jardin" by those who appreciate these little signs of natural emerald growth. A dark emerald with visible inclusions is still worth much more than a perfect, unflawed stone with a pale green color.
The Emerald in History
Emeralds were prized by ancient Egyptian pharaohs and by the Aztec rulers in South America, who considered the green gem a holy stone. In India, ancient scriptures speak of the emerald as a gemstone that offers good luck and health.
Museums are littered with huge, famous emeralds that have passed through the hands of history, such as the famous Mogul emerald. At 10 cm tall and almost 218 carats, it is carved with prayers and an elaborate floral design that date back to 1695 AD.
Significance and Powers Ascribed to Emeralds
Like most gemstones, emerald has been attributed with a long list of healing and magical powers. Emeralds are often linked with:
- luck and good health
- springtime and renewal
- the astrological signs Cancer, Taurus, and Gemini
- beauty and love, gifts of the Greek goddess Venus
- harmony
- nature
- joy and vigour
- 20th, 35th, and 55th anniversaries
The Best Emeralds Come from Colombia, the Oldest from Zimbabwe
Emeralds are found in Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia, but the best emeralds are mined in Colombia, where roughly 150 sites have been discovered. Historical emerald deposits were found in Egypt, near the Red Sea, but these were depleted 3 to 4,000 years ago.
Emeralds from Zimbabwe are some of the oldest gemstones in the world, growing 2600 million years ago, and those in Pakistan have been determined to be over 9 million years old.
Emerald Gemstones in Jewelry
Emerald is known in the jewelry trade as one of the "big three" gemstones, along with ruby and sapphire. It is popular in jewelry of all kinds, and is one of the most common alternate gemstones used in engagement rings, if a diamond ring is not desired.
The brittleness of the emerald makes cutting this gemstone a challenge for even expert jewelers, although the well-known "emerald cut," used on emeralds and other gemstones, was developed to reduce the amount of pressure on the stone and give better results with this fragile gemstone.
Emeralds can be enhanced with oil or resin to hide fissures and inclusions, but as a result the gems must be handled carefully. Treated emeralds should never be exposed to soap or cleaned with an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.
Reference
- Friedman, Hershel, "Emerald," Minerals.net, 2000
- ICA Gem Bureau, "Emerald," Gemstone.org, 2009
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