Emerald
T
he name is of ancient origin. The Latin "Smaragdus" is referred to the stone we called Emerald. It is basically a green variety of Beryl. Emerald was dedicated to goddess Venus by the Greeks. It is the symbol of immortality and faith. It is one of the most highly prized of all gems, as well as rare and valuable. Hardness:- 7.0
Appearance:
It is a gem of rich green variety. It has got green color of the parrot tail. The typical color is a beautiful, distinctive hue known, in fact, as emerald green and is due to traces of chromium in the crystal structure. But Emerald can be light or dark green, bright green or leaf green. The luster is not outstanding. All Emerald contains inclusions although the best quality stones, these are not visible to naked eyes and are very faint. The most famous shape is the step cut which is famously known as Emerald cut, but they are given all the shapes like oval cut or pear cut. They are also found in cabochon cut
Occurrence:
The major part of Emeralds is found in Colombia. It is also obtained from Zambia, Brazil, S. Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. In some parts of the world small part of mountains are blasted and emeralds are obtained, where as in some parts emeralds are found 100fts deep. The famous and the most beautiful emeralds are found from the Colombian mines.
Value:
From the ancient times emeralds have been highly priced. Stones of fine color, weighing more than 2 carats are highly priced. Little yellowish or bluish in color or stones with inclusions visible on table are priced less.
Astrology:
Emerald is a birth stone of people born in May. It helps in creativity and perception.