The emeraldEmerald is the birthstone of the month of May.
Among the green stones, emerald is the most prized gem. A symbol of spring renewal, the green of emerald is a reassuring, refreshing colour. Green is also a symbol of hope, strength and longevity.
This green variety of beryl owes its colour to traces of chromium and vanadium.
If it were less fragile, it would be the stone that would be the first seller before ruby and sapphire. Regardless, this great popularity may explain why in common parlance we speak of «emerald green», «emerald cut», or «emerald gardens».
Europeans discovered the green gem in the XVIe century due to the Spaniards who brought it back from their conquest of the New World. The Spaniards were actually looking for gold; this is how hundreds of jewels from pre-Columbian America were simply melted down and the emeralds exchanged for the precious metal.
Jewellery from South America and emeralds from Colombia were transported by ship to Europe or Asia via the Philippines, which was then occupied by the Spanish. In 1992, specimens of these jewels set with emeralds, or rough emeralds, recovered from the cargo of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, a Spanish galleon that was wrecked off the coast of Florida in 1622, could be admired in Montreal itself.
Until the nineteenth century,e century, apart from the first Egyptian emeralds, Colombian emeralds were the only ones known. The Indian maharajahs as well as the shahs of Persia were particularly fond of this stone. Until the beginning of the twentiethe century, a large number of very beautiful Colombian emeralds were among the treasures of the maharajahs. This may explain why Jaipur, in northern India, remains one of the largest emerald cutting centres today.
Although hardness 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, the emerald emerald is a fundamentally fragile stone; In addition, it often has dry fissures and cracks that affect its durability.