A Gemstone Beloved Of Emperors Throughout The Ages

The emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl and its deep, intense, clear green colour comes from trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium.

The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde' and like all colored gemstones, it is graded using four basic parameters, color, cut, clarity and crystal, which is synonymous with transparency, or diaphaneity as gemologists call it.

It has always been a rare and precious stone and one of the largest and most famous are the Gachala Emerald, an uncut 5-centimetre emerald crystal weighing 172 grams, found in Colombia and now in the Smithsonian Institution in New York.

A second is the Mogul Mughal Emerald, weighing 217.80 carats and dated 1107 A.H., with its obverse engraved with Shia invocations in elegant naskh script and its reverse carved all over with poppies and foliage. The Incas and Aztecs of South America regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone.

The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, there are exhibits with items of jewellery, writing-implements and daggers, all embellished with emeralds and other gems.

In early history emerald was mined by the Egyptians and in India and Austria, like anything that is scarce it became highly valued by royalty. It was a particularly popular stone with the rulers of the Mughal Empire in India. It was in Colombia where the finest gemstones were found and this remains so today.

A fine emerald must possess not only a pure verdant green hue but also a high degree of transparency to be considered a top gem. Most emeralds are oiled in order to improve their clarity, most often with Cedar oil.

If you know someone whose birthday is in or around May choose from emerald bracelets, emerald rings, or emerald earrings for the perfect gift as emerald is the traditional gemstone for the astrological signs of Taurus, some say also of Cancer and occasionally Gemini.

Green is the colour of life and of the springtime, and has also, for centuries, been the colour of beauty and of constant love. Green in ancient Rome was the colour of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. In the ancient Indian Vedas emeralds are referred to as promising good luck and enhancing well being. Green is also the holy colour of Islam a well as being one of the highest liturgical colours in the Catholic church.

Anyone who owns a piece of jewellery containing emerald, whether it is a ring, bracelet or earrings, should be careful of their piece because although it is a hard stone it is also quite brittle.