We absolutely love shades of green at Hunters Fine Jewellery, and emeralds are one of our favourite precious gems. Emeralds are highly prized due to their fabulous colour that ranges from blue-green to deep, intense, saturated green. This green colour comes from trace elements of chromium and sometimes from vanadium. Flawless emeralds are very rare and extremely costly, therefore most emeralds contain natural inclusions visible to the naked eye. These add to the uniqueness of each stone. Emerald inclusions are sometimes called the 'jardin', (the French word meaning garden), as they look similar to moss or plant tendrils. Emeralds are part of the beryl family and they have a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Scale, so treat them carefully to avoid chipping or scratching.
The majority of emeralds are mined in Columbia, though Zambia is another major supplier. Emeralds have been treasured for centuries. Queen Cleopatra of Egypt was famed for her love of emeralds, and emeralds have been used in many crown jewels across the world. In recent times, the actress Elizabeth Taylor collected and wore fabulous pieces of emerald jewellery. In 2011, her Bulgari emerald and diamond necklace sold at auction for over 6 million dollars!
Emerald is the birthstone for May and symbolises Springtime and fresh beginnings. It is also the celebratory gemstone for 55th anniversaries. As a healing stone, emerald is said to be the stone of unconditional love. It is supposed to open and nurture the Heart Chakra and bring loyalty, domestic bliss, unity and friendship. It is also said to heighten psychic ability and reveal truths. Physically, emeralds are thought to aid sinus congestion and improve vision.
Whatever their history and purported powers, emeralds remain one of the most enduring and popular precious gemstones. Beautiful as solitaires or strikingly combined with diamonds, emeralds work with any metal, but yellow gold looks particularly sumptuous with the colour green. Enjoy browsing our range of
emerald jewellery, we will be adding more to our line soon!
