Emerald - May's Birthstone
- nottingham27
- May 12
- 2 min read
by
Emeralds are distinct green gemstones, its beautiful colour paired with its rarity makes Emerald one of the world’s most valuable gemstones. Not only do they symbolize royalty and eloquence but also serve as the May birthstone.
The first known emeralds mined, date back to ancient Egypt and became a favourite of Cleopatra’s, who often wore lavish Emerald jewellery, most likely as a way to display wealth and power. In history, Emeralds have long been thought to possess healing powers and cure medical problems.
Today, emerald is associated with the heart chakra and is therefore a symbol of truth and love.
Emeralds are most commonly found in Brazil and Zambia with Columbia being the source of the finest, richest and greenest stones. Their colour can range from pale yellowish green to a deep, rich green, when buying Emerald’s colour is considered the most important followed by clarity and quality of the cut.
Emeralds reach 7.5-8 oh the Mohs scale making them a softer mineral than others such as diamonds and sapphires. Emeralds have natural internal inclusions, however these are not looked on as a negative aspect as it would for some other gemstones. Instead, the inclusions make each stone unique and give character as well as assuring the purchaser of a natural gemstone. Although Emeralds are relatively hard and durable you must be more careful when wearing them as the inclusions make them more susceptible to breaking, the famous ‘Emerald cut’ was developed specifically to reduce the amount of pressure exerted during cutting.
Don’t panic, if you wish to wear your Emerald Jewellery every day, in an engagement ring for example, you can still do so you should just be more cautious when wearing it. We are here to help and advise you on the most suitable setting and design that will help protect the stone the best for its purpose.
Visit us at our Groby or Nottingham stores to view our large selection of Diamond jewellery and to explore design and commission options with new, inherited or repurposed emeralds.
Comments