Stone Atlas

Emerald

Stone of Love

From the Beryl family. Emerald is the sacred stone of the goddess Venus. It was thought to preserve love. Cleopatra was known to have a passion for emerald, and used it in her royal adornment.

Emerald is the most famous & valued member of the mineral Beryl. The first known emerald mines were in Egypt, dating from at least 330 BC into the 1700s. The Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years. The Spanish, who treasured gold and silver had traded emeralds for precious metals and their trades opened the eyes of European and Asian royalty to emerald’s majesty. Legends endowed the wearer with the ability to foresee the future when an emerald was placed under the tongue, as well as to reveal truth and be protected against evil spells.

HARDNESS

7.5 - 8

Treatment

Heating, Dyeing, Oiling/Resin Infusion.

COLOR

Deep Green.

Country Source

Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Care & Cleaning

Safe : Warm, soapy water.
Never : Steam cleaning, Ultrasonic cleaning.

Healing Properties

Enhance love, fidelity and honesty.
Provide inspiration and patience.
Give wisdom and wealth.

Features & Traits

Emerald is the green to greenish blue variety of Beryl, which includes aquamarine and Beryls in other colors. Experts differ on the degree of green
that makes one stone an emerald and another a less-expensive Green Beryl. Most gemologists, laboratories, and gem dealers, considiers a piece as Green Beryl when its color is “too light”. To them, the green in an emerald should be dark and saturated enough to qualify as such. The green of the Emerald is the colour of life; and of springtime which makes it the perfect birthstone for the month of May. It is a stone of great harmony, wisdom and love. An Emerald of the right shade of green can be more valuable than a diamond.

History & Lore

Emerald is a stone of great harmony, wisdom and love. An Emerald of the right shade of green can be more valuable than a diamond.

Why do we love it

Three phase inclusions

Colombian emeralds contain tiny crystals of rock salt, liquid, and a bubble of gas

Hexagonal Crystals

Emerald crystals are gorgeous flat-topped green hexagonal columns
that are as beautiful as faceted stones.

Color

The most desirable emerald colors are bluish green to pure green, with
vivid color.