E.S. Design

The emerald belongs to the top three most precious gemstones in the world, alongside the ruby and the sapphire. It is also the birthstone of those born in the month of May. Emeralds hail from the family of rocks called beryls, which are found in the veins of limestone deposits and black shale. They grow in the form of hexagonal crystals. Beryls come in a variety of colors to include green, blue, red, pink, orange, and yellow. However, in its purest state, the beryl is colorless. A deep green shade is produced when beryls are exposed to chromium or vandium. This green color property is what emeralds are known for. Emeralds are the world’s favorite green-colored gemstones.

History tells us that emeralds have been worshipped and idolized long ago, way back in the year 3500 BC. The ancient people called Incas used emeralds as offerings to their gods. You will also find emeralds in Cleopatra’s mines as well as in Buddha statues in Thailand.

As a gemstone, emeralds are durable if they possess good clarity. On the MOH’s scale of hardness, emeralds rate a 7.5 to 8 out of 10. In general, emeralds are tough stones but they do have a weakness, which is its brittleness. The imperfections found inside the emerald stones such as flaws and imperfections, make it vulnerable and weak to physical blows. Just one sharp blow can fracture and break the gemstone in half. Moreover, when subjected to extreme temperature changes, emeralds also have a tendency to break and fracture. This makes emeralds one of the most delicate gemstones on earth. Direct heat from a jeweler’s torch can damage the emerald. Ultrasonic cleaners as well as steam cleaners are also harmful for emeralds.

The best quality emeralds are the ones that possess a deeper shade of green, preferably medium to medium-dark shades. These kinds of emeralds are very rare nowadays and cost an arm and a leg. This makes it one of the best gemstone investments for jewel collectors worldwide.