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Emerald is The Birthstone for May
I was mined by Egyptians nearly 4,000 years ago, and Cleopatra was an avid collector. The beautiful green color is due to the presence of chromium and vandium. Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl. Emeralds are highly coveted by many, both women and men. Emeralds are rarely flawless and the "flaws" have come to serve almost as "fingerprints". Flawless Emerals should be immediately suspect. Although a hard stone, 7.5 (1-10), they will chip easily and tends to be somewhat brittle, so special care should be given in wearing and handling. You cannot put them into a ultrasonic cleaner. They are oiled to fill and disguise cracks, hide flaws, and enhance color. The finest Emeralds are from Columbia. Other sources are Austria, India, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, the USA, Norway, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe.
Fine synthetic Emeralds are produced by several very reputable companies. I will cover man-made products in another article.
Many different gemstones are "emerald cut", or a step cut. Cameos, intaglios, and beads can make the best of flawed stone. Be aware that due to the fact that the Emerald is a very desired gem, fraudulent practices are out there. Exmaples of almost every type of technique to simulate emerald can be found--color alteration by using green foil on closed backs, use of synthetics (although they are good man-made stones, just be sure they are stated as such), substitution of less valuable green stones, doublets, or other composits.
Note that it was historically believed to bestow on its wearer faithfulness and unchanging love, and was thought to enable the wearer to forecast events.
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