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EMERALD BIRTHSTONE














EMERALD BIRTHSTONE



EMERALD BIRTHSTONE

Emerald is from the Beryl family of gemstones which includes Aquamarine. It is a silicate mineral which combines with the metals aluminium and beryllium, however its beautiful green colour is from the presence of chromium and vanadium. Emeralds may range in shades from pale green to the most desirable - a deep, rich velvety green of uniform colour.




As a relatively soft stone which is also brittle, emeralds are usually cut to maintain durability as well as to maximise colour and are frequently seen as cabochons with rounded surfaces or in the rectangular or square 'step cut', often called the 'emerald cut'. Stones are seldom flawless and usually contain inclusions which are visible to the unaided eye. As a result, many stones are oiled to fill and disguise cracks, hide flaws and enhance colour.



EMERALD BIRTHSTONE Fortune teller


EMERALD BIRTHSTONE


Emeralds are steeped in superstition. To the Romans, the stone symbolised the reproductive forces of nature and was dedicated to the goddess Venus; to the early Christians, it represented resurrection and was a symbol of immortality. In the fourth century BC, Theophrastus noted its power to relieve the eyes and far later in the seventeenth century, it was recommended as the most powerful amulet to prevent epilepsy and bleeding and to cure dysentry and fever.




It has also been thought that emerald gave its owner the ability to foretell the future and some believed it improved memory and eloquence. In contrast, in the thirteenth century it was thought that the gem was an enemy to sexual passion and it is said that when King Bela of Hungary embraced his wife, his magnificent emerald broke into pieces.



EMERALD BIRTHSTONE
EMERALD BIRTHSTONE   Lucky find



The gems are commonly found in granite rock or metamorphosed shales and as gem 'gravels' in river deposits.

The earliest stones, used in ancient jewellery, were from 'Cleopatra's mines' by the Red Sea in Egypt; now they yield only poor quality stones. Colombia in South America produces the finest emeralds which were traditionally used by the native Indians for barter with neighbouring tribes.



Today, Colombia is the world's largest emerald producer with about 100 mines in operation including the famous Chivor and Muzo mines.

The 'Schettler Emerald', thought to be from the Colombian Muzo mine, weighs 87.62cts and is engraved on both sides in a flower and leaf pattern. In the early nineteenth century, mining began in Russia, shortly after an emerald crystal was discovered by a peasant in the Ural Mountains.


The stone, weighing 2226g, is now in the Mineralogical Museum of Sciences in Moscow. Other emerald locations include Austria ,India, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Norway and USA.  Collectibles Coach

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