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Because
its rich green is the color of spring, emerald has a long
symbolized love and rebirth. Treasured by such diverse
rulers as Cleopatra, Shah Jahan and the Spanish monarchy,
emeralds have been international currency for thousands of
years.
History and Lore
Treasured
for at least 4000 years by cultures all around the world,
emerald is said to quicken the intelligence as well as the
heart. Legend gives its owner the gift of eloquence.
Mummies in
ancient Egypt were often buried with an emerald on their
necks to symbolize eternal youth. Emerald was Cleopatra’s
favorite gem.
The
Moghuls of India, including Shah Jahan, the builder of the
Taj Mahal, loved emeralds so much they inscribed them with
sacred text and wore them as talismans. Some of these sacred
stones, called Moghul emeralds, can still be seen in museums
and collections today.
The Incas
had an emerald goddess a fabulous emerald the size of an
ostrich egg.
Emerald is
the US birth stone for May.
Quality, Value &Availability
The most
valued emerald has the fresh vivid green of spring grass
after a rain. Because Columbian emerald has been rga
standard for centuries, a pure green like that found in
Columbia, is generally preferred to the darker bluish green
often found in African emeralds.
Emerald is
rare and valuable. Fine colour stones will cost more than a
comparable ruby or sapphire in sizes of less than five
carats.
Because
emeralds without inclusions are so rare, some inclusions are
expected and do not detract from the value of the stone.
However, you should look to make sure that fissures and
inclusions do not go too deep into the stone so that it
might be weakened enough to break if it were hit
accidentally.
Emerald is
most often cut in a rectangular step-cut, popularly known as
the emerald cut. Smaller sizes are also commonly found in
rounds, ovals, pear shapes and marquise cuts. Due to their
rich colour, emeralds are also spectacular when cut in a
smooth-domed cabochon cut.
Sources
Colombia
is the most famous source of emerald and the most important
producer.
Emerald
from Brazil is often available in large sizes although its
colour may be a lighter green than the ideal.
Emerald
from Zambia, which is dark rich, bluish green is known for
exceptional clarity.
Emerald
from Zimbabwe has fine colour and clarity but tends to be
under a carat in size.
Emerald
from Afghanistan and Madagascar rivals Colombian emerald in
colour but production is limited.
Routine Enhancements
The
fissures that are characteristics of emerald are routinely
filled with oil or resin to minimize their visibility. This
is known as fissure filling or oiling. Emerald may need
periodic re-filling to replace filler that has altered. This
treatment is not considered permanent and is detectable.
Care & Cleaning
Emeralds
are durable gemstones with a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the
Mohs scale. However, emeralds with inclusions should be
treated with some care and be protected from blows.
You should avoid cleaning emerald with hot soapy or steam
and should never clean an emerald in an ultrasonic
cleaner because the filler material could be removed or
altered |
