Emerald

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It is believed that emeralds bring wisdom, growth, and patience to those who wear them – qualities essential to lasting love and long term relationships. For this reason, emerald jewelry is a recommended gift for couples celebrating their anniversary because it symbolizes love and fidelity. For weddings, many brides choose emeralds over diamonds for their wedding rings.

Considered to be more precious than diamonds, emeralds are the most expensive gems in the world making emerald jewelry a favorite of the rich and famous. A symbol of wealth and power, the exquisite green luster of the emerald is unmatched in the gem family. The green crystals grow slowly within metamorphic rocks. Because they are restricted in size by the rock, large emeralds are extremely rare and very costly.

The color is a distinct hue known as “emerald green.” This green color is caused by small amounts of chromium enhanced by traces of iron. Emeralds can also be variations of green – light green, dark green, bright green, even bluish green in color. The lighter shades of green can be mistaken for peridot.

Emeralds often contain flaws and inclusions. Unlike diamonds, these flaws are not considered as defects, but are considered a natural part of the character of the stone. Flaws also confirm to the buyer that what they are purchasing is, indeed, the real thing.


[edit] History

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In ancient times, emeralds were believed to have magical and healing powers. The soothing green color was believed to have a calming, healing affect on those who wore them. Not only considered to be a cure for many diseases, emeralds also guarded against evil spirits and were believed to heighten fertility. Dedicated to Venus by the ancient Romans, the emerald became associated with love.

The Egyptians, in search of these green crystals, braved extreme conditions in the desert. The Egyptians were known to engrave these gems with the symbol for foliage, representing eternal youth, and bury these jewels with their dead. Cleopatra, known for wearing lavish jewelry, proclaimed the emerald her favorite gem. It is said that when visiting dignitaries departed from Egypt, she gave them the gift of an emerald carved with her likeness.



Facts Care Cuts
  • The word emerald if from the Greek word 'smaragdos', a name given to a variety of stones that were all green in color.
  • The emerald is a member of the beryl family of minerals.
  • The emerald is a hard stone and fairly brittle. Due to inclusions and flaws inherent in the stone, the emerald can split if exposed to sharp impact. The emerald ranks 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
  • The emerald represents hope, new growth, eternal life and is the "color" of spring.
  • Emerald is the holy color of Islam.
  • In the Catholic Church, green is regarded as the most natural and most elemental of the liturgical colors.
  • Cleaning
    • Clean your emerald with warm water using a cloth or soft brush. Do not use ultrasonic cleaners. Avoid steam or high heat. Have your jeweler re-oil your emerald every few years.
  • Avoid impacts
    • Because its crystal structure makes it brittle, remove your emerald ring before working with your hands, washing dishes or cleaning.
  • Gem cutters developed a special cut for the emerald called the “emerald cut.”
    • This design can be rectangular or square with beveled edges and is a popular cut for the larger emeralds. Because of the inclusions found within the stone, this cut helps protect the stone against strain.
  • Emeralds are cut in most of the classic shapes.
    • If there are too many inclusions, emeralds may be rounded into a cabochon or made into beads, popular in India.


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[edit] Buyer Beware

Excellent imitations made of colored cut glass have appeared on the market. Laboratory emeralds are essentially identical to natural ones in color, hardness, and even inclusions. Only a gemologist can distinguish between the two. While synthetic emeralds are attractive, they carry little value. When purchasing emerald jewelry, be sure to use a reputable gemmological institute in which you have confidence. Keep in mind that you will not be able to tell the difference between the real emerald and the fake.




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