On this month of May, we are observing another magical gemstone, Emerald. Derives from the Greek word smaragdus which means green, a fine emerald is a truly eclectic gem with green hue and deep green tone.
Emeralds are mined mostly in Brazil, Colombia, Zambia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The most common emerald gemstones comes from Colombia, which produces up to 95% of the world's emeralds in a year (Forbes, 2016).
Some emeralds are given heat treatment to get a deeper color of green because high-quality emeralds with natural deep green are very rare. The most common treatment is the use of colorless oil.
During ancient times, Cleopatra was known to have loved emeralds. Cleoptara had claimed ownership of every single emerald mine in Egypt during her rule. Turkish folklore said that during the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent were known to spoil his Sultana Hurrem, with emeralds. Until today, in Turkiye, Emerald is known as Hurrem’s stone.
Do you know who else is in love with this magnetic beauty? Queen Victoria. Prince Albert proposed Queen Victoria with a snake ring and her birthstone in the head of the snake. Emerald and snake jewelleries has a fair share of popularity along with other classic jewellery pieces from designers like Cartier, Bulgari, Bukowskis, Wolf and Badger and many others. Angelina Jolie wore a pear-shaped pendant earring by Lorraine Scwartz in 2009’s Oscar. Emerald is associated with hope and prosperity and are a happy color for a gemstone.
Emeralds are placed among the “Big Four” gemstones along with Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It comes from a beryl family (which are colorless), a large family that includes other gems including aquamarine, morganite and helidor.
During the formation of emerald, the beryl picks up the trace amount of chromium or vanadium and iron to produce the eclectic color of green. My favourite color of emerald green are the one that comes from Panjshir Valley.
Uncut Panjshir Emerald 💚 known for its intense green color and recognized as representing some of the best on the planet. It has become the rivalry and comparable to Columbian emerald, Muzo (the finest in the world) explanaibly because of the densest chromium content uniquely in the sedimentary rock formations of the Panjshir Valley. Panjshir emerald was once traded along the Silk Road with Alexander the Great and Pilny the Elder.