Emerald is the most precious of all colored gemstones. Emeralds are lush green variety of gemstones. The green color of the gemstone is intensely dramatic that an emerald is one of the few gemstones to have a color named after it ‘emerald green’.

The Ancient Belief
Emerald gets its name from the Greek word “smaragdos”, meaning ‘green stone’ which is further derived from the French word “esmeralde”. It is considered to be a holystone and is believed to be one of the gemstones found in breastplate of Aaron. Emerald has been known to mankind since the ancient times. Many ancient mythologies have a special reference of these gemstones, the ancient scriptures of the Hindu religion, the Vedas regarded emerald as the healing stone. The religious text of Islam talks of heaven’s garden as carpeted with emeralds, the Incas and Aztecs who lived in South America regarded emerald as the gem from the Gods.

Favorite of the Royals
Emeralds and emerald jewelry were highly cherished by the royals of the ancient times, not only Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt but Shah Jahan, the emperor of Mogul Empire, Emperor Jahangir of the Mogul Empire are a few to list. Emerald is the birthstone for May and the zodiac sign Taurus. Emerald is the 20th and 30th wedding anniversary stone. Many people believe wearing emerald brings you wisdom and growth.

Magical Powers
In the ancient times emeralds were believed to possess healing powers. Emeralds were prescribed for eye diseases because green color was considered to be quite soothing for the eyes. Egyptians engraved emerald with spring foliage to represent eternal youth and the Romans associated emeralds with fertility and rebirth.

Know your Gemstone
Emerald is the variety of the mineral beryl, colored green by trance amounts of chromium and vanadium. The gemstone comes in variety of shades of green and bluish green. Emeralds are relatively hard, rating 7.5 to 8 on Mohs scale of hardness. All emeralds naturally occur with inclusions and breaks within them. But with the use of emerald enhancements these breaks can be filled and the flaws can be softening to increase the luster of the gemstone.

Where Are Emeralds Found?
The Ancient Egyptians mined Emeralds in eastern region. In more recent times North Carolina is the place where quality emeralds can be found. Emeralds are also found in other regions like America, Columbia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria and Russia. The famous Columbian mines ‘Muzo’ and ‘Chivor’ have been a popular source of emeralds since the pre- Columbian

Emerald Care
Avoid a lot of exposure of the gemstone to chemicals or sunlight which could harm the brilliance of the stone. Use mild detergents and avoid using solutions that contain petroleum distillates. Do not soak your emerald jewelry in water for long.