Emerald

Eminent lithologist once said, “All the green of nature is concentrated within the Emerald.” Clad in the most stunning, most intense and most vibrant green one can possibly imagine, Emeralds share as much popularity and value as the diamonds. In fact, emeralds of top quality are said to be more valuable than diamonds. It is the gemstone variety of the mineral beryl and is also by far its most precious variety. For more than 5000 years, emerald gemstones have been revered. They have since long been hailed as the jewels of Kings because of its rarity and beauty. The historical colour green is the defining characteristic of emerald and stands incomparable in the world of gemstones. It is considered to be the most precious of the “precious four” which includes ruby, sapphire and diamond.
The word ‘emerald’ comes from the Greek word ‘smaragdos’ and from the Old French word ‘esmeralde’ where both the words mean ‘green gemstone’. Highly admired for its deep bright green colour, transparency and hardness, emerald jewelleries had and will always be in vogue. They are, after all, the third most priced gemstone after diamond and ruby. As the birthstone for the month of May emerald ring, emerald earrings, emerald necklace, emerald bracelet, emerald pendant, emerald engagement ring, emerald eternity ring and emerald bridal set ring are not only an ideal gift choice for those born in the month of May but are also also a must have for all gemstone lovers.
AG & Sons, has an a collection of emerald jewelleries that will surely make you go ‘Wao’in amazement. We have rings, bracelets, earrings, pendant, necklace, engagement ring, eternity ring and bridal set ring which are exclusively designed by our finest jewellery designers. Each of them have been meticulously created so that the best is radiated when the gemstone is finally set.

The history of emerald according to certain facts and lore, has had its roots in Eqypt, where the first known emerald mines were discovered from about 330 BC into the 1700s. It was known as ‘Cleopatra’s Mine’ named after Queen Cleopatra, who had an immense fondness for the gem. The oldest book in the world, the Papyrus Prisse states “But good words are more difficult to find than the emerald, for it is by slaves that it is discovered among the rocks.” Though this book is more than 4500 years old, the above passage was from a writing 1000 years earlier. The book in all probability was referring to the Egyptians Mines. The Cleopatra Mines were rediscovered in 1818. Emerald was portrayed as a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt.
There are records to show that the stone was sold in markets in Babylon as early as the 4000 BC. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, considered the emerald as a holy gemstone. It was also found mentioned in the biblical information about the apocalypse. Aristotle was said to be a great fan of emerald and his writings on them were some of the earliest references to emeralds in western literature. Many other cultures regarded the emerald to be an immensely powerful stone and in varied ways. While the Chaldeans held the belief that the stone is nothing but a goddess, the Egyptian regarded the emerald to be a stone which stood for fertility and rebirth. Thurdays, in China was regarded as a day to wear green and emerald in order to bring good luck.
There were many mysterious and ancient Hindu temples, which contained walls of emerald and other precious stones. According to Hindu legends, emeralds were offered to the gods. Shah Jahan, the Indian moguls who built the Taj Mahal, loved the emeralds so much that he used these gemstones as talismans. The sacred text of Hinduism, the Vedas, regarded emerald as the ‘gem of good luck’ and the ‘gem that improves one’s well-being’. The Mogul Emeralds can still be found in modern museums and collections. Emeralds were a priced possession among royalty and celebrities like Ptolemy, the King of Egypt, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Henry II King of Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Bouvier, Sharon Stone etc.
A superior gemstone of great value and benefit, emerald is still as much revered by the people today as it was in the past. The jewelry industry is abound with emerald rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, etc. Today, emerald engagement rings, eternity rings and bridal set rings are also very much admired. Indeed, the beautiful green color gemstone has much to exhibit and there is no reason why you shouldn’t add it in your collection.

Emeralds are formed naturally though they may also be man-made. The latter is sometimes also called ‘created’ emeralds.
Emeralds in their natural form, occur either in pegmatite deposits or hydrothermal veins in metamorphic surroundings. After the hydrothermal fluids, in the hydrothermal vein travels from magma deep into the earth’s crust, the particular elements responsible for the creation of emerald like beryllium if present, begins to cool in deposit veins, eventually giving rise to emeralds. In pegmatite deposits on the other hand, the key element which leads to the formation of emeralds is magma and not hydrothermal fluids. In this case, after the magma cools, the elements deposit in the solution of the left over fluid. With the presence of the right elements and the required cooling conditions, emeralds take birth.
Emeralds are basically a green to greenish-blue variety belonging to the mineral family known as beryl. Beryl, in its pure form is colourless and are thus, known as ‘goshenite’. The green colour is basically due to the presence of additional mineral deposits like chromium and vanadium. Both these elements may be present together, though at certain times, vanadium may be absent. However, even in its absence, the stone is very much deep green. The stunning green colour of the emerald is unique and this paves the way for unique creation of emerald jewelleries like ring, bracelet, earring, necklace, pendant, engagement ring, eternity ring and bridal set ring.

Beryl is a rare mineral because its main component beryllium occurs in small quantity in the Earth’s crust. Since it is unlikely for enough beryllium to be present at one place, to form minerals and since the environment in which beryllium is present in abundance are different from the environment in which chromium and vanadium occur, emerald is rare and found in small quantity.
Egypt and India were the major producers of emerald during the ancient times. Today, the finest quality emeralds are mined in Zambia and Columbia. Columbia alone produces an estimated 60% of the world’s emerald and is an international center. In addition, emeralds are also mined in Brazil, Zimbabwe, Russia, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ghana, Afghanistan, United States, Tanzania etc. Emeralds from Zimbabwe are said to be the oldest gemstones in the world.
Thanks to its availability across the length and breadth of the earth, emerald jewelleries are thereby rampant. Jewellers have exquisitely designed emerald rings, emerald earrings, emerald bracelet, emerald necklace, emerald pendant, emerald engagement ring, emerald eternity ring and emerald bridal set ring, keeping in mind the beauty of the green colour and its power to charm.

Emerald’s definition lies in its green colour and it is its main determinant of value. Emerald in its true definition are medium to darker green to blue green and may also be slightly yellowish-green beryl. The most wanted emeralds are bluish green to pure green, which has vibrant colour and a medium dark tone. The highly transparent ones are the most-valued. Their colour should be uniformly distributed and there should be no visible colour zoning. If the colour is too much on the yellowish or bluish side, the stone is not considered emerald and its value drops. Some believe that the term emerald should be used when the cause of the green colour is chromium. And when it is due to vanadium, they should be called ‘green beryl’.
Emerald’s Mohs hardness is about 7.5 to 8, which is considered a very good hardness for use in jewellery. However, emeralds do have durability issues because of the presence of innumerable inclusions and surface reaching fractures. This is the cause of the stone’s weakness as it may cause it to brittle and may also make it susceptible to breakage. It is in fact rare to find an emerald that does not have inclusions and surface reaching fractures. They are thus treated with oils that are made to enter the fractures to make them appear less apparent. Another treatment is to fill them with resins or other materials. They may improve the appearance of the stone, but does not in any way improve its durability.
Emerald is therefore a fragile stone and is not an ideal gem to be worn on a daily basis. Jewelleries like rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, engagement rings, eternity rings and bridal set rings in emerald should be designed in protective settings which can keep the stone safe.

Emerald has been extensively used for physical and emotional healing. The refreshing, subtle green color has great healing powers for the eyes. It is said to be a good talisman for various types of eye trouble. Emerald is known to prevent convulsions in children and also acts as an antidote for poisons or poisonous wounds. They are also known to aid people suffering from mental illness and from any neurological disorders. It also treats disorders of the lungs, spine, heart and muscular system. It detoxifies the liver and eases rheumatism and diabetes. Emerald makes the wearer free from negativity and bring about much positivity and strength.
It is also known as a stone of successful love and brings about loyalty, unconditional love, unity, and friendship. It balances physical, emotional and mental being and bring about harmony is one’s love life. It enhances one’s ability to enjoy life full-fledged. It is also known to improve memory and clear one’s thought. Blessed with so many benefits, it is indeed a precious gemstone to possess. And with so many emerald jewellery options at your disposal like rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, engagement rings, eternity rings and bridal set rings it is no wonder why you shouldn’t make it a part of your life.

As one of the most treasured and evaluated gems on earth, it is but natural that one of the most eminent jewellery store-AG & Sons have them in abundance. Apart from our unique collection of emerald ring, emerald necklace, emerald bracelet, emerald pendant, emerald earring, emerald engagement ring, emerald eternity ring and emerald bridal set ring, we also deal with bespoke emerald jewelleries. A genuine emerald jewellery is a beautiful choice, one that will forever bless you with its many benefits.