| Historically,
the Arabic, Hindu, Modern, Polish, and Russian
cultures saw Emerald as the birthstone for May.
It's a zodiac stone for Cancer, and Taurus.
Emerald is the deep green variety of Beryl.
Its hue is caused by impurities of chromium.
Pale green varieties are simply known as green
beryl, and can be heated to produce aquamarine.
Notorious for its flaws, truly perfect emeralds
are extremely rare, and valuable. The imperfections
in most emeralds are considered a defining characteristic,
and some people even prefer the presence of
flaws, as they confirm the authenticity of emerald.
Flaws can be treated with oil and/or irradiation,
disguising, but never eradicating them. It can
generally be assumed that any emerald has been
treated with oil, and should not be cleaned
ultrasonically, or with soap, which exposes
the internal flaws.
Emerald is a brittle stone, and should be handled
with care. Cracks can occur if treated roughly
or exposed to extreme temperatures. The famous
"emerald cut" was created specifically
to reduce stress during cutting, avoiding breakage.
These seductive gems are mined in Columbia,
Brazil, Zimbabwe, Russia, Afghanistan, and more.
Varieties of Emerald:
Columbian Emerald
- Found only in Columbia, they are of exceptional
rarity and quality.
Brazilian Emerald
- Lighter in color than the Columbian version,
this term has also been used to describe green
tourmaline from Brazil.
Zambian Emerald -
A quality emerald from Zambia.
Trapiche Emerald -
These have black impurities, which form in a
six-rayed star.
Star Emerald - Identifies emeralds displaying
asterism, and a common term for Trapiche Emeralds.
Cat's Eye Emerald
- These contain dense inclusions of small, parallel
fibers, which cause a cat's eye effect. Only
pale emeralds display this characteristic, and
are exceedingly rare.
Imposter Emeralds are everywhere, and synthetics
have been in production since 1848. Common look-alike
stones are Sapphire, Garnet, zircon, and green
tourmaline. Even green glass can be peddled
as emerald.
Synthetic stones are virtually indistinguishable
by the common eye, and have many names. Some
common phony prefixes to emeralds name, are:
Biron, Chatham, Gilson, Kimberly, Lennix, Linde,
Regency, and Zerfass. Generally, you can assume
any prefix added to the name emerald is an imposter.
Choose
your own gorgeous birthstone jewelry at JeGem.com
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