Thu 18 May 2006
Emerald is the birthstone of May. Emeralds are beautiful gemstones with their gorgeous green color. They have intense and a radiant green: the emerald green. Symbolizing the eternally returning spring, this gemstone celebrates all of life and living, and is linked with eternal love, beauty, and rebirth. The name emerald comes from the Greek smaragdos via the Old French esmeralde, and really just means ‘green gemstone’. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. These gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as ‘Cleopatra’s Mines’, had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century. Emerald has been used in jewelry and decorating objects in palaces for hundreds of years. The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace there are exhibits with items of jewelry, writing-implements and daggers, each lavishly adorned with emeralds and other gems.
Emerald is also believed to promise good luck. Emerald stones are also believed to emit negative energy and protect the wearer from diseases. In some cultures emeralds are believed to bring rain. Emerald is considered to be one of the most difficult gemstones to cut because of its brittle structure and the many inclusions found in crystals. Emerald is cut in many shapes, however the cut that seems to work best with Emerald is the “Emerald-cut”, or that of a rectangle. It ensures that the gemstone is cut with minimum imperfections and preserves the natural beauty of the stone. A good-sized Emerald can easily be more expensive than an equal-sized diamond.Fine emeralds are found in Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia.
