In addition to its incredible properties, emerald is the most beautiful of all green stones. Its green color is so distinctive that it has no equivalent in the mineral world. Emerald is also a prestigious stone in the world of jewelry. Like diamonds, sapphires and rubies, emeralds are precious stones. Planetys tells the story of this green gem. It has always fascinated gem lovers, despite its very high price.
The origins of emerald
Emerald has an exceptional color. This precious gem is a variety of stone whose color varies from blue-green to greenish. It is known as beryl. The latter is a mineral species that also includes aquamarine and gems of other colors.
The origins of the name
Emerald’s lush green has soothed souls and excited imaginations since the dawn of time. Its name comes from the Greek “smaragdus”, meaning “green gemstone”. As with sapphire and ruby, this name was used to designate all green gems before the scientific advances of the 18th century. The stone’s Sanskrit name (marakata) means “the green of growing things”.
Emerald’s first uses
For millennia, emeralds have been coveted for their virtues and spectacular beauty. This green grail, which still captivates gem lovers the world over, has left its mark on history. In fact, emerald is mentioned very early in history, at the beginning of Antiquity. Nearly 5,000 years ago, in Ancient Egypt, minerals extracted from mines near the Red Sea were cut and sold to the powerful. These mines, now depleted, are thought to be full of low-quality stones.
Since the dawn of time
Cleopatra was the first notable emerald lover. Egypt’s greatest queen loved to wear jewels adorned with this green stone. What’s more, she often presented an emerald in her own likeness. At the time, this gem was even referred to in Egypt as “the queen of stones”. Whether in ancient Egypt, at the court of the Mughal kings in India, at the court of the Ottoman Empire or in the Aztec Empire, the emerald stone has always been associated with royalty. The story goes that, on the day of his arrival in the New World, the famous conquistador Hernan Cortés was greeted by the Aztec king with an emerald of spectacular beauty and size. By 2000 BC, the Babylonians were even using emeralds as currency.
Numerous Roman and Greek authors write of massive emerald collectibles such as statues and columns. In reality, emerald crystals are not massive enough to be cut in this way. These works were certainly made of tinted glass. In Colombia, emeralds were plundered by 16th-century Spanish explorers when they invaded the New World. The Incas had already been using emeralds for jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years. The Spaniards, who valued gold and silver far more than gems, traded emeralds for precious metals.
How is emerald formed?
Emerald belongs to the beryl family. This stone is formed under very specific conditions, which justifies its great rarity. The stone’s main components – beryllium, iron, vanadium and chromium – are not found in the same layers of the earth. Beryllium comes from the magna of the earth’s crust, while the other components come from the earth’s mantle. Bubbles of magna must rise and reach the mantle before they can meet. Like most natural stones, emerald is naturally characterized by visible inclusions.
Inclusions are due to the presence of external elements that have crept inside the stone during its formation. They come in all shapes and sizes: frosts, lacunae and libellae are all signs of authenticity in high-quality stones.
Emerald has a hardness of 7.5 Mohs. It is the least hard of all gemstones, and cannot be handled like diamond (10/10 on the Mohs scale) due to its fragility. Sensitive to shocks, the green crystal is often cut in a special way (emerald cut). This cut was developed to limit the risks involved in setting.
Naturally containing cracks and fractures, emeralds can be filled with oil (cedar or sandalwood oil). This treatment (oiling) is perfectly legal and accepted, and is very common. It increases the stone’s durability, often cleans it of inclusions and makes the mineral more intense in color.
Where are emerald mines found?
The first mines were in Egypt. These mines date back to at least 330 BC. Emeralds had been known for centuries, but all hell broke loose when, around 1500, the Conquistadores brought back sacks full of huge green stones from their travels.
It was a great discovery for everyone. It was then realized that emerald could be of impressive size, and its color could be well-saturated yet have a unique, diaphanous transparency, filled with intrinsic life.
Spain, once attracted by gold and silver, discovered emerald and imported hundreds of kilos. You’ll find beautiful specimens in the Urals, Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, India, Zambia, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe , where a few mines produce fine specimens.
Colombia is undoubtedly the largest producer of this stone, whose color and purity are exceptional. The country is so famous for its characteristic mines that emeralds are named after the deposits from which they are produced.
Chivor, CoscuezorMuzo (the largest emerald in history: Ungentarium, was extracted from this mine and weighs around 3,000 cts), are prestigious names associated with the most beautiful stones.
What are the most beautiful emeralds?
The magnificent “trapiche” emeralds are well worth a visit. A trapiche emerald has inclusions oriented in such a way that, when the crystal is cut into a cabochon, the light penetrating it forms pretty branches similar to those of a star.
Trapiche emerald
One of the most famous green gems is the Great Mughal emerald, found in 1965.
In her films, Marlène Dietrich wore her own sumptuous emerald jewels. She shone in Désir in 1936, where she played the role of a jewel thief.
Emeralds also seduced the heart of John F. Kennedy, who proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier with a magnificent ring adorned with a 2.84 ct emerald and a 2.88 ct diamond.
One of Colombia’s largest emeralds is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The Patricia emerald weighs 632 carats, or 126.4 grams.
Other famous stones include Liz Taylor’s brooch. This jewel features a sumptuous 23.46-carat emerald surrounded by diamonds. The brooch was a gift from Richard Burton, but was sold at Christie’s in 2011.
Since antiquity, many other beryls have been discovered that have become famous emeralds. Each with its own unique history and beauty.
