Emerald

Facts

As a Taurus or Gemini, you know that the emerald gemstone symbolizes the spring month of May. The emerald, known as the "Queen of Gems," is one of the most valuable gems. The name of this remarkable gemstone comes from Greek smaragdos, meaning "green stone." Emerald has been prized for their vibrant green hue for thousands of years.

Emerald's luscious green colors can be found nowhere else in nature. Emeralds are unique in that it is likely that a stone will be flawed and yet still remain quite valuable. Visible inclusions are normal. Since these inclusions weaken the stone, it is especially important to protect an emerald from sharp blows.

The jewelry industry recognizes the highest quality emeralds by their medium tone, very bright green hue, and saturated color. Because it is extremely rare to find clear emeralds (emeralds with no inclusions are the most rare of all gems), inclusions are acceptable, and even expected.

High-quality emeralds are not completely opaque, and you can expect to see light reflecting from the emerald.

Fascination

The human eye is more receptive to green than to any other color. Green is the color of springtime, and therefore life and rebirth. Emeralds have always been highly prized by royalty. The famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, and the Roman emperor Nero loved emeralds more than any other stone. The emerald was also dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love. Lovers were told that this gemstone could reveal the faithfulness of their beloved. Faithfulness was reflected in a fresh, bright green; a cheating heart was betrayed by a lifeless color.

Ancient people once thought that emeralds could protect their wearers from evil spells, promote clear thinking, soothe eyes and summon the truth from their lovers' words. Emeralds symbolize youth, fertility, and rebirth. The emerald is believed to prevent ill fortune and allow its owner to see into the future. For women, emeralds were once approved fertility enhancers and were worn during labor to ease the pains of childbirth.

Caring For Emerald

Emeralds are one of the more fragile gemstones; even though emerald ranks 8 on the hardness scale, it typically requires more care than other gemstones. When cleaning your emerald jewelry, use a soft cloth with warm water; never use commercial cleaning solutions or hot water. You should also avoid spraying perfume, hair spray, and cleaning solutions around them. Store your emerald gemstone jewelry in cotton or with any other jewelry, as the stones can be scratched. Just keep these simple precautions in mind and your precious emerald jewelry will be treasured for a lifetime.

Normal wear and tear will eventually weaken prongs and other metal components of your jewelry. As a result, it is good policy to have a professional jeweler examine your jewelry once a year. If necessary, a professional can repair prongs, ring shanks, and necklace clasps, and resize ill-fitting rings. While your jewelry is being handled by a professional, he or she can give your jewelry a professional cleaning and arrange to have a gem re-polished if it has been damaged by daily wear.