Gemstone of May : Emerald

Rough & Polished Emerald

Welcome once again to the fascinating, mysterious and exciting world of gemstones.

Did you know that Emerald, in its best qualitycan be more rare (so more expensive) than diamonds?

Emerald is believed tobe originated from the greek word “smaragdos” meaning”shining”.

Emerald is from the beryl mineral group. The most known berly member together with aquamarine. Only green Beryl containing chromium is classified as emerald, because it is this impurity that gives the gem its beautiful color.Although in gemstones clarity is very important, it is not the case often forEmerald as it contains high degree of inclusions andthis is not a defect. It gives a natural adventure for the enthusiasts to look at and also an indication for differentiation from synthetics. Today Colombia is by far the world’s largest producer of emeralds, constituting 50–95% of the world production. Bu originally it was mined in Egpthy since 1500 BCE.

Emerald is not as tough as diamond and often invisible cracks on surface are oil treated. That’s why it needs to be handled with care and avoid overheating and detergents.

But lets put this aside and go deeper, because you cannot take away your eyes from this green color. There is something in it, really deep inside.

LEGEND and HEALING PROPERTIES:

This gem was reputed to cure blindness in medieval times.Even today, the color green is known to relieve stress and eye strain. It is a highly-prized stone for Muslims. In asian countries, it represents hopes of immortality and courage.Wearing an emerald was believed to reveal the truth or falseness of a lover’s oath as well as make one an eloquent speaker.

Its color reflects new spring growth, which makes it the perfect choice of a birthstone for the month of May. It’s also the gemstone for twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries. Emerald is regarded as thetraditional gemstone for the astrological sign of Cancer.

Source : GIA, “Pierres Précieuses” by Walter Schumann, Wikipedia, “Gemstones” by Keith Wallis.

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