MONTHLY GemSTAR

May Birthstone:
EMERALDS

Records show that the stone was known
and sold in markets in Babylon as early
as 4000 BC

WHERE DOES THE GREEN COLOR COME FROM? When an aluminum (Al) atom in the structure of Beryl is replaced by a chromium atom, which usually is found as an impurity in Beryl crystals, it gives a green color to the beryl crystals, which when pure, are colorless.
The green color then is a product of how the light interacts with the crystal when a chromium atom lies within the structure.
When the crystals are exposed to white light (light that contains all the colors) the crystals absorbs the blue and red light and emits or reflect back only the green light, this is because the chromium atom is changing the absorption properties of the crystal.

Why is it hard to find a good Emerald in jewelry stores?

Fine emerald is expensive, like all rare colored gemstones.
Deep green emerald that is very clear of natural inclusions is in fact more difficult to find.
Emerald is fragile, compared to ruby and sapphire, and should not be worn daily in a ring, and never roughly.
Most fine emerald is color and or clarity enhanced to the extent that gemologists cannot always determine how much of the stone is natural and how much of it has gone through enhancement process.

Emerald in history

The Chaldeans believed the stone contained a goddess.

The ancient Egyptians believed the emerald stood
for fertility and rebirth.

To the Islamic faith, an amulet of an emerald would
be engraved along with a verse from the Koran.

In Ancient Rome, Nero supposedly watched gladiator fights through a large transparent emerald as he found the color to be calming.

In legends of King Arthur, the Holy Grail is described
as being fashioned from an emerald.

In China, Thursday was the day for wearing green
and emeralds for good luck.

Emerald
was worshiped
by the Incas

Aristotle was a great fan of the gemstone and wrote that owning an emerald increases the owner’s importance in presence and speech during business.

Synthetic or Natural?
Natural emeralds tend to have defects, like inclusions. Inclusions consist of any materials trapped inside the gemstone, like other solids (crystals), water or even air bubbles or any other gas. Many natural emeralds come with inclusions (solids or liquids) and is very rare to find them lacking of inclusions.
It is always better to buy an emerald that has little inclusions on it than one who don’t have inclusions at all.

Even rare emerald from the
Muzo and Chivor Mines in Colombia has been oiled to deepen and make more even the natural color of this gemstone.

Using colorless oil to intensify
the color of emerald is considered standard practice in the industry, although
it must be disclosed to
the buyer.