Emerald
Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine.
OVERVIEW
ABOUT EMERALD
Gem experts differ on the degree of green that makes one stone an emerald and another stone a less-expensive green beryl. Most gemologists, gemological laboratories, and colored stone dealers call a stone green beryl when its color is “too light” for it to be classified as emerald. Even among that group, however, there’s a difference of opinion about what’s considered “too light.”
Birthstones & Anniversaries
As the gem of spring, emerald is the perfect choice as the birthstone for the month of May. It’s also the gem of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.
2.97 Billion Years
Age of the oldest emeralds, from South Africa.
Cleopatra
Pharaoh known for her passion for emeralds.
$6,578,500
2011 sales price for Elizabeth Taylor’s emerald pendant - that's $280,000 per carat.
Facts
Chemistry: Be3Al2Si6O18
Color: Vibrant green
Refractive Index: 1.577 to 1.583
Birefringence: 0.005 to 0.009
Specific Gravity: 2.72
Mohs Hardness: 7.5 to 8
TREATMENTS
There are a number of processes used to alter the color, apparent clarity, or improve the durability of gems.
SYNTHETICS
Some gemstones have synthetic counterparts that have essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties, but are grown by man in a laboratory.
IMITATIONS
Any gem can be imitated—sometimes by manmade materials or by natural materials chosen by man to impersonate a particular gem.
Why We Love This Gemstone
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Three-Phase Inclusions
Three-phase inclusions in Colombian emeralds contain tiny crystals of rock salt, liquid, and a bubble of gas.
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Hexagonal Crystals
The best emerald crystals are gorgeous flat-topped green hexagonal columns that are as beautiful as faceted stones.
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Ancient Egypt
The first known emerald mines were in Egypt. It is believed that these mines were worked as early as 3500BC.