Emerald with diamonds

EMERALD
Green Beryl

Emerald is the birthstone for May.
Emerald is the most precious of the beryl group (aquamarine is also beryl).
The name "emerald" seems to have come from the Persian word for "green stone".

Emeralds are usually considered to be more precious than diamonds. This is due to a large part to their scarcity. Beryllium, an element necessary to form emeralds, is very rare.
Because of the way they grow, emeralds often contain inclusions; bubbles, healing cracks, "carbon" flecks, and foreign crystals. These are not necessarily faults, and they can indicate the genuineness of the stone. A perfectly clean emerald is almost unheard of!

• The most desired color is deep green. A stone of this color is more valuable even with inclusions than a clean stone that is pale in color. It’s color is very stable, not changed by light or heat (unless it exceeds 1200F). The pigment that gives an emerald its fantastic green color is chrome or vanadium.

• Large deposits are found in Brazil, Columbia and South Africa. Sometimes the particular shade of green can indicate where it is from. Other sources include: Australia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, the U.S. and Zambia.

For thousands of years, almost all of emeralds came from Egypt. "Cleopatra’s Mines" worked first by the Egyptians, then by the Romans and the Turks, were in nearly continuous operation from about 330 B.C. to 1237 A.D. "This monopoly lasted until the Spanish conquistadores arrived in South America in the early part of the 16^th century. Shortly afterward, Jimenez de Quesada conquered what is now known as Colombia. Some years later, in 1558, the Spaniards located a mine at Muzo. The emeralds found there were breathtaking in both quality and size. The Spaniards promptly seized control of the mine and enslaved the local population using them to do the exhausting, dangerous work of digging out the gems. Within a few years, a veritable flood of big, almost flawless emeralds reached Europe, many of them finding their way into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, the Persian Shahs, and even the royalty of India. These stones were sculpted and engraved, becoming the foundation for many priceless jewel collections."-Awake! magazine February 22, 1999 

• Care instructions: Emeralds are brittle and sensitive to heat and pressure. Care must be taken to avoid knocks and scratches. Never use an ultrasonic or steam cleaner for your emerald! A soft toothbrush with a mild detergent is very effective.
• Interesting fact: The "emerald cut" was developed for the sensitive nature of it’s namesake. Cut corners reduce the risk of the stone being chipped.
  Emerald has been used for decorative purposes for thousands of years. They have beautified crown jewels and adorned some of the oldest royal dynasties. Emerald’s spellbinding color, unmatched by any other stone, accounts for its enduring appeal.

  Gemology:
  Mohs’ Hardness: 7 ½- 8
  Specific Gravity: 2.67- 2.78
  Chemical Composition: Al2Be3 (Si6O18) aluminum beryllium silicate
  Refractive Index: 1.576-1.582
  Crystal System: Hexagonal (trigonal); hexagonal prisms, columnar