Buyer's Guide: Emeralds

    Emerald has one of the longest histories of all gemstones. The first known emerald mines were in southern Egypt and were operated from before 1000BC into the 1700's. This is a testament to the high value people have placed on emeralds for many centuries as the work was hard and dangerous and the stones small and poor by today's standards.

    To the ancient Egyptians, emerald's green stood for fertility and rebirth. In many cultures emeralds were used to treat eye diseases, and until the eighteenth century, European gem engravers kept emeralds to look at when their eyes tired. They were also used as an antidote for poisons and to prevent epilepsy in children.

    People once believed that holding an emerald under your tongue would let you see the future. Others thought that wearing one would strengthen your memory, make you more eloquent, help you avoid evil spells, and reveal the truth of your lover's statement.

    The world has seen some very large emerald crystals. The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has a 1,965-carat crystal, ranging from about 200 carats to 1,796 carats, is in the Banco de la Republica in Bogota, Colombia.

    In contrast to other beryl gemstones, emerald is typically heavily flawed with cracks and inclusions of fluid and minerals. These inclusions are called "jardin" (or garden) as they typically resemble leaves and branches. These characteristics are not looked upon as negative aspects for emerald as they would be for other gemstones. Indeed, these inclusions are considered part of the character of the stone and are used to assure the purchaser that the stone is genuine.

    Faceted emeralds used in jewelry generally range from melee sizes up to about four carats, but they can be much lager. Remarkable gems include a 136 carat step cut stone at the Diamond Fund in Moscow and a 117 carat stone at the Smithsonian Institution.

    One of the most spectacular pieces of emerald set jewelry is the Crown of the Andes, carved from a block of pure gold in 1593 for a statue of the Virgin Mary. Now part of a private collection, it is set with 453 stones, including the 45-carat Atahualpa emerald, totaling 1,521 carats.

    Treasured for 6,000 years, emeralds were already much sought-after items in the gem markets of Babylon. The ancient Egyptians were mining emeralds long before other gems as far back as 2000 BC in the desert of Upper Egypt near the Red Sea. They buried the mummies of their notables with an emerald attached around the necks. It was carved with the hieroglyphic symbol for verdant foliage as the gem symbolized eternal youth and rebirth by virtue of its luxuriant spring-like greens. Cleopatra valued her lustrous emeralds so greatly that the ancient mines in Egypt are now called Cleopatra's Mines. In India, moguls inscribed sacred texts on emeralds and wore them as talismans. The ancient Romans dedicated the emerald to Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and Emperor Nero reportedly wore emerald sunglasses to watch the gladiators fight in the Coliseum.

    Symbolically, it's the gem of eternal spring; prosaically, the emerald is simply a variety of the mineral beryl. Primarily green, emeralds often display tints of yellow and blue. Too much blue, however, and a beryl is classified as an aquamarine. Not green enough, and it's known as a green beryl. That's why the greener an emerald, the more valuable (and eye-pleasing) it is. With color and clarity being their defining features, the most desired emeralds come in shades of lustrous green and with as few inclusions as possible (although rare are emeralds that are completely "clean," or inclusion-free).

    High-quality emeralds come from the mines of Zambia, Brazil, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Russia. Interestingly, emeralds' color and inclusions betray their country of origin. Most of the world's finest emeralds are still mined in the jungles of Colombia. Already in the sixteenth century, the Spanish Conquistadors, grasping for gold, were stupefied to find, in the lands now constituting Colombia, massive loads of beautiful emeralds unrivalled by any they had ever seen. The natives had mined emeralds there a millennium before the arrival of the Europeans, and the Inca and the Aztec peoples liberally used emeralds in their symbols and decorations.

    To this day, people who believe in the transcendental powers of crystals attribute to emeralds the virtue of increasing cleverness and preserving love. And all can agree with the first-century Roman historian Pliny the Elder that "nothing greens greener than emeralds."

    Because the rich green color of the emerald is the color of spring, the ancients prized it as the gemstone symbolizing love and rebirth. Treasured for at least 4,000 years by different cultures all around the world, the emerald is said to quicken the intelligence and enliven the heart.

    Cleopatra prized her emeralds more than any other gem. She may have dropped her pearls in her wine for Mark Anthony, but she certainly kept her emeralds for herself! The ancient emerald mines of Cleopatra, long a mystery, were rediscovered a hundred years ago near the Red Sea. Some tools found in the mine were dated at 1650 BC, but no quality emeralds were found. The mines were exhausted thousands of years ago. Mummies in ancient Egypt were often buried with an emerald around their necks to symbolize eternal youth.

    The Romans also loved emeralds because, as ancient scholar Pliny said, "nothing greens greener." Pliny said that emerald the was the only gem which delighted the eye without fatiguing it. Emperor Nero wore emerald sunglasses to watch the gladiators.

    One legend says that Satan lost the emerald from his crown when he fell. The emerald was shaped into a bowl which the Queen of Sheba sent to Nicodemus. Christ used the bowl at the last supper and Joseph of Arimathea used the bowl to catch blood from the cross, founding the order of the Holy Grail.

    The Moguls 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 "Mogul emeralds", can still be seen in museums and collections today.

    Emerald is the birthstone for May, the month of springtime romance, and the anniversary gemstone for the twentieth year of marriage, the perfect emblem of an enduring love.

    How Green is Your Garden?

    What is the source of the timeless appeal of emerald? Today scientists tell us that the human eye is more sensitive to the color green than to any other. Perhaps that is why green is so soothing to the eye, and why the color green seems to complement every other color.

    Think of the beauty of a garden.

    Spring can also be seen in the network of inclusions that exist in the depths of the emerald. The French call it the "jardin," or "garden," because it resembles foliage. The inclusions are like a fingerprint, giving each emerald a distinct personality. The extreme rarity of transparent emerald is why emeralds can be more valuable than diamonds.

    Emerald is a beryl, a mineral that is normally colorless. Its rich green color is caused by minute traces of chromium. Chromium is the rare element of gemstones. Its presence also gives rubies their fiery redness. Crystals of emerald grew (long before human history) in metamorphic rocks, which usually restricts the size of emerald crystals, making them even rarer in large sizes. Other beryls such as pale blue aquamarine, pink morganite, golden heliodor and pale green beryl, grow in pegmatites which allow larger crystals to form. There is even a bright red beryl found in Utah in the United States.

    The Treasures of the Incas and Aztecs

    Ancient emeralds were produced from mines in Egypt and perhaps what is now considered Afghanistan. But, the Spanish, arriving on the continent of South America were stunned to see emeralds finer and larger than any ever seen before. They spent years searching for the source of the fantastic green stones favored by the Incas, finally unearthing it in what is today known as Colombia. Chivor, also known as Somondoco or "God of the green gems" - then later Muzo and Cosquez - are the richest emerald mines in the planet and still the source of the finest stones today.

    Hernando Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico, carried carved emeralds taken from the Aztecs in the shapes of fish and flowers as well as a carved emerald bell when he was shipwrecked. Many of the finest stones were lost forever. The Incas had an emerald goddess, a fabulous emerald the size of an ostrich egg. Treasure hunters seeking wrecks of Spanish galleons are occasionally rewarded with the ultimate treasure: emeralds lost by the conquistadors long ago.

    Choosing an Emerald

    Today, emeralds from Colombia are easier to obtain for they are as close as the nearest jewelry store. They are prized for a vivid saturated green like a lawn of new grass after a rain. This color is so prized that visible inclusions are accepted in these emeralds in return for the incomparable color.

    Emerald connoisseurs today are lucky because a relatively new find in Zambia (Africa) has made emeralds much more available on the market today. Zambian emeralds have captured a large portion of the market because they have a deep rich color and sometimes have very few inclusions. Zambian emeralds tend to be a slightly darker green than emeralds from Colombia and some have a bluish tone. Fine specimens have a clear true green which are truly unequaled.

    Long thought of as a producer of a lower quality emerald, Brazil today produces fine emeralds that rival those of its famous neighbor. A mine called Nova Era has produced some top quality emeralds that are changing Brazil's reputation. Brazil now produces more emeralds than any other country in the world.

    Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana mine is known for producing top quality emeralds in small sizes. Other potentially important producers of emerald are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria and Russia.

    Emeralds are cut in Jaipur, India and Tel-Aviv, Israel as well as in the mining countries. They are one of the most difficult gemstones to cut because of the high value of the rough stone and the many inclusions found in the crystals. Small changes in orientation can make a large difference in the final appearance of the gem. Skilled craftsmen who specialize in cutting emeralds can be found in cities around the world for jewelers who insist on having stones perfected for optimum brilliance and vibrancy.

    When choosing an emerald, the most important value factor to consider is color. The more vivid the green, the more valuable the emerald. There are also attractive bright stones with a lighter green color that often make a spectacular piece of jewelry. Darker green emeralds may also make up in rich color what they lose in brightness.

    Because emeralds are so rare without inclusions, 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. The fissures and fractures that are characteristic of emerald are traditionally filled with oil to minimize their impact. You should avoid cleaning emerald with hot soapy water or steam and never clean an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner because this oil could be damaged, making the fissures more apparent.

    Although many people consider Colombia to be the source of the best emeralds, country of origin is never a guarantee of quality. Even the best mines produce low quality gemstones because good quality emeralds are very rare! Fine emeralds also come from Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Russia and other countries, so don't be afraid to choose the emerald that looks better to you.

    Emeralds are most often cut in a rectangular step-cut, which is now popularly known as the "emerald cut." Smaller sizes are also found in rounds, ovals, pear shapes and marquise cuts. You may have to look a while for an unusual shape in a larger size. Due to their rich color, emeralds are also spectacular when shaped into a smooth-domed cabochon cut.

    As you might expect from gems that have spent centuries at the bottom of the ocean and then return to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auctions, emeralds are durable gemstones with a hardness of 7.5 to 8. However, emeralds with many inclusions should be treated with some care and be protected from blows. With a little care, your emerald will no doubt be treasured by your descendants for millennia!