Emerald
Emeralds are valuable green gemstones that belong to the beryl family, characterized by their intense green color due to trace minerals like chromium and vanadium. They are relatively rare and primarily sourced from countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with smaller amounts found in places like Madagascar and the United States. Historically, emeralds have been cherished since ancient times; the Egyptians prized them around 3,000 B.C.E., while the Aztecs and Incas regarded them as sacred. They are often included in significant cultural artifacts and museum displays, such as the large Mackay Emerald at the Smithsonian Institution.
Emeralds are categorized alongside sapphires and rubies as one of the "big three" colored gemstones and are commonly used in jewelry, particularly earrings and necklaces. As the birthstone for May, emeralds symbolize rebirth and new beginnings and are traditionally given for twentieth and thirty-fifth anniversaries. Folklore surrounding emeralds suggests they possess mystical properties, believed to heal the eyes, aid fortune telling, and protect against various ailments. The gem's unique characteristics, including its inclusions and luminescence, help gemologists determine its origin and quality, making emeralds a fascinating subject for both collectors and enthusiasts alike.
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Emerald
An emerald is a green gemstone that is among the most popular and valuable in the beryl family. Although all beryl gems consist of beryllium silicate and aluminum, an emerald is distinguished from the others by its intense green color. It is a relatively rare stone that occurs in significant quantities in only a few places in the world. Smaller amounts can be found in a number of other countries. Techniques to manufacture synthetic emeralds have also been developed. These synthetic stones became popular because of the rarity and expense of genuine emeralds.
Background
The oldest emeralds mined were formed nearly three billion years ago. The stone now known as emerald was used and prized by the Egyptians at least as far back as 3,000 B.C.E. Emeralds were regarded as holy by the Aztecs and Incas, and for generations, the royalty of India have had many large specimens, some bigger than four inches across. Many of these larger pieces have become part of museum displays, including a cup carved from an emerald that was once the property of Jahangir, who served as the emperor of India from 1605 until his death. Museums also display uncut emeralds as well as several large emeralds mounted in jewelry. These include the Mackay Emerald, a 168-carat, egg-shaped stone set in platinum. It is the property of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The word emerald is derived from the Old French word esmeralde, which means "green stone." The beryl family of gems range in color from a clear stone known as goshenite to a light green-blue stone known as aquamarine to yellow-green stones called heliodor. Other forms have a red tint. The various colors are caused by the trace minerals found in the gems. Stones with more chromium or vanadium in their makeup turn the deeper green that classifies the stone as an emerald. A stone with more iron in it will have a bluish tone but will still be considered an emerald if the green color is deep and intense. When the green color is a true green but very light, the stones are called green beryl and are not as valuable as emeralds. Stones are sometimes treated with heat in a way that deepens the color and increases the value.
Emeralds are also defined by their inclusions, or the other materials that are within the stone. These can include small bubbles of gas or air, bits of crystals of other minerals, and even small cracks. Gemologists can often determine where a stone was mined by the type of inclusions that it contains. The way the gemstone absorbs light can also help an expert classify a particular gem and determine from where it originated. Gem specialists also use luminescence, or the way a gem glows when exposed to light, as a way of determining its quality and origins.
The beryl deposits that yield emeralds are relatively rare. This is because beryllium, the metallic element that is necessary for its formation, is one of the more rare elements. For an emerald to be created, both beryllium and the chromium or vanadium that provide the gem's characteristic color must be present in large enough quantities to form the six-sided crystals that turn into emeralds. This happens most often in locations where the rock has been subjected to contact metamorphism, meaning it has been altered by the high heat and pressure of exposure to magma or lava. Despite the rarity of the ideal conditions for growing emeralds, when conditions are right they can grow to very large sizes. Emeralds have been found that measured twelve inches in length.
The majority of the emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Some mining is also done in Madagascar, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Australia, Canada, and Russia, but on a much smaller scale and often yield lower quality gems. Emeralds have also been found in the United States, most notably in emerald mines in Hiddenite, North Carolina. The location is now part of Emerald Hollow Mine, where individuals can search for their own stones and keep their finds. A number of quality gemstones were found in the same area in a mine that was once owned by the Tiffany & Company jewelry retailer.
In 2024, a US court ruled that the Bahia Emerald should be returned to Brazil, where it was mined in 2001 and subsequently smuggled into the United States. The 836-pound raw, uncut stone, was thought to contain more than 180,000 carats of emeralds. It had been stored in a New Orleans warehouse flooded by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, stolen from a Los Angeles warehouse, and was reportedly almost part of a banking transaction by Bernie Madoff, who was arrested in 2008 before the deal could take place. Law enforcement authorities seized the emerald in Las Vegas before it was placed in the custody of the Los Angeles sheriff's department, while its ownership was contested in court by a consortium of US gem speculators and the Brazilian government.
Impact
Along with blue sapphires and red rubies, emeralds are considered part of the "big three" of colored gemstones. Emeralds remain highly prized and sought after, and are often set in jewelry. Earrings and necklaces make more practical settings for emeralds than rings because the softness and inclusions can make the gem subject to breakage.
Emeralds are the birthstone for the month of May. They are also the traditional gift for someone celebrating a twentieth or a thirty-fifth anniversary. Because the color green is associated with springtime, emeralds are sometimes considered a symbol of rebirth or a new beginning.
Emeralds have long held a place in folklore as well. Some myths associated with the gem involve the eyes. It was believed that the gem would melt a snake's eyes but could soothe or heal the eyes of a human who looked through the stone. Emeralds were also considered aids to fortune-telling. It was believed that placing an emerald under the tongue could help the owner foresee the future. The gems were also believed to have the ability to uncover the truth, ward off evil spells, and help protect against diseases such as cholera, malaria, bleeding disorders, and fevers.
Bibliography
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Bergman, Jeffrey. "The World's Largest Emeralds." International Gem Society, 2025, www.gemsociety.org/article/worlds-largest-emeralds/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
"Beryl (Emerald, Aquamarine, Heliodor, Morganite, Goshenite)." University of Texas, Aug. 2009, www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/347k/redesign/gem‗notes/Beryl/beryl‗main.htm. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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"The Mackay Emerald." National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, naturalhistory.si.edu/explore/collections/geogallery/10002723 Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
"May Birthstone." American Gem Society, 2025 www.americangemsociety.org/en/may-birthstone. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
McCoy, Terrence. "U.S. Judge Clears Way for 'Cursed' Giant Emerald to Return to Brazil." The Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2024, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/11/22/bahia-emerald-brazil/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Nalewicki, Jennifer. "Finders, Keepers: Five of the Best Places to Go Gem Hunting in the U.S." Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sept. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/hidden-gems-hunt-treasure-these-geological-sites-180957962/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Nelson, Stephen A. "Contact Metamorphism." Tulane University, www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens212/contactmeta.htm. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Sutherland, Gayle. "Emerald." Australian Museum, 12 Aug. 2022, australian.museum/learn/minerals/gemstones/emerald/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Weil, Elizabeth. "The Curse of the Bahia Emerald." Wired, 2 Mar. 2017, www.wired.com/2017/03/curse-bahia-emerald-giant-green-rock-wreaks-havoc-ruins-lives/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.