Emerald – May Birthstone
Emerald, the Birthstone of people born in the month of May holds a rich and royal appearance.
“A woman of surpassing beauty”, Roman historian Dio Cassius described Cleopatra, who was known to adorn herself in Emerald jewelry. The Romans revered emeralds as symbols of fertility and love.
In the last two centuries, emeralds have become an emblem of wealth, style and beauty.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Vladimir tiara had enormous emerald drops. Apparently, it was the queen’s favorite!
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Where does the rich green color in emeralds come from?
Chromium.
The presence of chromium in beryl generates that regal green color. It is retained in the lattice structure of the beryl. It absorbs different colors and reflects a vivid green color.
Trace amounts of iron, sometimes, imparts a yellowish green color to the stone. Well, stones that do not have that richly saturated green color do not belong to the royal emerald family.
Emeralds can feature many kinds of internal fractures and inclusions that look mossy/garden-like. They are referred to as ‘jardin’ which is French for garden.
On the Mohs scale, Emeralds fall in 7.5 to 8. Which means, they are softer than diamonds yet harder than most other gemstones. This demands more care in wearing than stones like ruby and sapphire. However, with proper care you can save it for generations.
Emerald is a brittle stone, hence gets fractured easily. Estimates say that 90% or more of emeralds are fracture filled, which makes it risky to clean them ultrasonically or in steam. The best way to clean them is by using warm, soapy water and some gentle scrubbing.
Beliefs:
Emerald held a prime place in Mythology. People believed that Emeralds can soothe the eyes, and vision could be restored by gazing upon them.
Oftentimes, Emerald was worn as a talisman, because of the belief that it has abilities to ward off evil spirits and possession.
The one who possessed an emerald was known to possess good luck. And that lucky guy believed he had everything right from protection of god, good fortune, mystical powers, strong memory, intelligence, to the ability to predict the future.
Healing powers:
People believed that emeralds hold healing powers. They trusted it to be healed emotionally as well as physically. It is said that an emerald can lift depression, cure insomnia, detoxify blood, and cure ailments of the heart, eyes, pancreas, backbone, lymph nodes, intestines, kidneys and thymus. People used emeralds to alleviate complications caused by diabetes and enhance their immune system.
Many believe that wearing an Emerald will provide will power, mental clarity and easing of stressed states. Emerald is also associated with providing love and fidelity, inspiration, wisdom, harmony, growth, patience, peace and abundance.
Emerald and Astrology:
Emeralds have also been associated with astrology. Emeralds are the star sign birthstone and planetary stone for Taurus (April 20 / May 20), and the lucky charm for Gemini (May 21 / June 20). It is also believed that the signs of the zodiac were involved in the origin of birthstones.
Ancient astrologers believed Emeralds and other gems held many metaphysical properties.
Physical and Optical properties of Emerald:
Mineral | Beryl |
Color | Vivid green |
Chemistry |
|
Formula Mass | 537.50 |
Crystal habit | Massive to well crystalline |
Cleavage | Imperfect on the [0001] |
Fracture | Conchoidal |
Mohs Scale hardness | 7.5 – 8 |
Luster | Vitreous |
Streak | White |
Diaphaneity | Transparent to opaque |
Specific gravity | Average 2.76 |
Refractive Index | 1.564–1.595, |
Treatment:
To improve the appearance of emeralds, the vast majority are treated with heat and oil. These treatments enhance the color, hue, and look of the emerald.
Factors that affect the value of the Emerald:
Besides the fact that Emerald is a fairly expensive gemstone, its demand continues to remain high and rising in the national and international markets.
There are various factors that determine the value of the May birthstone such as, the color of the stone, cut grade since a good cut maximises the visual appeal of the stone, clarity affected by the number of inclusions, and as the carat weight increases- price per carat increases too.
Although emeralds are found all over the world, there are specific regions that produce exclusive, valuable emeralds. A premium price is paid for those that are found in Columbia, Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, and a few more.
The price of emeralds also depend on color, transparency and luster at the time of sale. When the style of your jewelry piece is exceptional and in vogue, you win a great deal!
