Emerald is the the birthstone of May. It's beautiful and vibrant green tone evokes the freshness of Spring time and new growth.

They are one of the 4 “precious`’ gemstones, next to diamonds, sapphires and rubies. Emeralds are the rarest gemstones. Emeralds are such precious stones because so much of the stone has to be cut away in order to form it properly. An emerald can start off as a large raw stone, but much of the weight of an emerald is lost when it is cut for use in jewellery. This makes emeralds more expensive to buy than other types of stones.

It is extremely rare to find an Emerald without flaws. Emerald is a hard gemstone (reading 7.5-8 on the Mohs Scale) but it is brittle due to these cracks and inclusions. Much of the Emerald seen in the market today has to be treated to hide these cracks by glass filling or oiling. This doesn't, however, stop it from being used in all forms of jewellery.

Some top quality Emeralds can be more expensive than diamonds. An emerald pendant necklace, owned by Elizabeth Taylor, sold for $6.5 million in 2011!!

Elizabeth Taylor wearing the legendary Bulgari Emerald necklace

Source

Colombia is the main source of the best emeralds, accounting for 50% of the world’s emeralds. Other countries that mine emeralds are Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia.

History

Emerald originated from the Greek word “smaragdos,” which means “green stone”. The oldest known emeralds stem all the way back to ancient Egyptian times, where they were found near the Red Sea, about 2.9 billion years ago. The ancient pharaohs found these stones. Many emeralds come from mines that were named after Cleopatra.

Cleopatra dressed in emeralds from head to toe because the Eqyptians believed the gem contained the secret to eternal youth. That’s why so many have also been found inside the tombs of pharaohs. Ancient Egyptian mummies were often buried wearing an Emerald. These were carved with the symbol of verdure (flourishing greenness) on their necks to symbolize eternal youth.

Emeralds were also a very prominent gem in South America. The ancient civilisations of the Aztec and Inca people believed the stone was sacred and used to worship emeralds as gods. The area where the Aztecs and Incas found emeralds is still one of the best locations to find these beautiful stones to this day.

Emeralds have long been associated with new growth, fertility and love. Ancient Romans went so far as to dedicate this stone to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Today, it is thought that emeralds signify wisdom, growth, and patience.

Ireland is known as ‘The Emerald Isle’ thanks to its lush green rolling hills. While emeralds are not mined in Ireland, they have a deep meaning in Irish jewellery, thanks to their vivid green colour.

The Modern Jewel

Today, it's the gemstone given for the 20th, 35th and 55th wedding anniversaries.

During the last century alone Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Elizabeth II have all been well known for their love of emerald jewellery.

In 1942, Queen Elizabeth was given the exquisite Greville Kokoshnik emerald tiara. It was made of rose-cut diamonds set in platinum with a large emerald in the front and six emeralds on each side.

Princess Eugene wore the family heirloom at her 2018 wedding.

In more recent years, Lady Gaga flaunted a large pear-shaped emerald pendant and matching earrings at the Grammys. Angelina Jolie also caused a sensation at the Oscars by wearing emerald earrings that cost 2 million US dollars. Beyoncé made fashion waves by wearing a spectacular pair of emerald earrings to President Obama’s second inauguration

Beliefs (Some Quirky!) and Spiritual Qualities

There is an ancient belief about emeralds that has, in fact, been proven true by scientists.

Emerald benefits your eyesight!

Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, wrote that ‘nothing green is greener’ than the May birthstone. He claimed there was no better way of resting and restoring the eyes than by gazing at an emerald. Today, scientific studies have proven this to be true. Gazing at the colour green really does relieve eye strain. So next time you’re working at the computer, try taking a break by looking at something green for a while!

Green is also the symbolic colour of fertility. It’s no coincidence that early Romans gave emeralds as gifts to young wives. Even today, the emerald is a popular “push present” given to new mothers.

Emeralds stands for all things that promote vitality – including love, health and prosperity.

Other Myths

There are other emerald myths that are a little harder to prove true.
In medieval times in Europe, some thought that if you put an emerald under the tongue it would help you to see into the future. Others believed that a change in the shade of an emerald gemstone could reveal whether your lover was lying to you or telling the truth.

Known as the "stone of successful love", it supposed to bring domestic bliss and loyalty as well as unconditional love and partnership. Emerald is thought to be the stone of infinite patience and a 'life-affirming' stone with great integrity.

Emerald is also said to have the ability to sharpen the wits, clarify the mind and strengthen the memory. It was also once believed to cure diseases like cholera and malaria.

Emerald Quartz

Emerald Quartz let’s you embrace the vibrant green beauty of an emerald for a fraction of the price. It is an extremely stunning, deep-green crystal. It has a range of emotional, physical, and spiritual healing powers.

Here are some of it’s qualities believed to benefit the wearer.

If you often struggle with delivering presentations and speeches then keep Emerald Quartz with you. It's supposed to bring eloquence to your speech and attract respect and admiration.

This stone can also impart wisdom to a person if they wear it regularly and improve your memory.

Emerald Quartz is said to alert the wearer of any impending danger. Use this stone if you often find yourself in dangerous and risky situations.

It's also meant to improve your self-esteem.

Emerald Quartz is a great stress reliever. If you are someone who easily gets stressed, use this beautiful stone to clear your mind of draining and stressful thoughts. It will make you feel encouraged and reassured.

If you are someone who often experiences problems while sleeping, using Emerald Quartz will help you sleep soundly at night.
Emerald Quartz is widely used as a lucky charm and is considered a gem of fortune and fate.

Whether your choice is based on the colour or the qualities of this beautiful gemstone, Emerald and Emerald Quartz make a wonderful jewellery piece and timeless treasure!