What is Emerald?

Emeralds are Beryl gemstones, just like Aquamarine and Morganite. Emerald got its name from the Greek word” smaragdos”, which means green rock, and is most recognised for its grass-green colour.

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May's birthstone

The Emerald is May’s birthstone. An alternative birthstone for the month of May is Green Agate. Carrying your birthstone is said to bring good luck. You can carry your own birthstone as a good luck amulet, or your loved ones’ birthstone as a symbol of love.

Symbolism

The Emerald is the gemstone for happiness, truth, love, romance, hope, and intellect. The Emerald is said to keep relationships in balance and is a great gift idea for your significant other or a close friend or family member.

Emeralds in history

The use of emeralds can be traced all the back to ancient Egypt. Here, the emerald was a symbol of fertility, rebirth and the afterlife. Allegedly, it was Queen Cleopatra’s favourite gemstone.

Wedding anniversary

Many gemstones are affiliated with a special anniversary. Emerald jewellery is traditionally gifted on the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Gemology

Emerald is a Beryl gemstone, just like Aquamarine and Morganite. It’s well-known for its grass-green colour which it attains from the elements, chrome and vanadium when created underground. Emerald is a gemstone often seen with many inclusions, sometimes in fine patterns. Among others, emerald is mined in Columbia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Russia, Brazil, Pakistan and Afghanistan. When measuring a gemstone’s hardness, Moh’s Hardness Scale is used. The scale goes from 1-10, where 10 is the hardest – here you would find the diamond, which is the hardest gemstone. Emeralds are often around 7.5 and 8 on Moh’s Hardness Scale.