One of the most sought after and revered gemstones in the world, the striking and richly beautiful emerald is May’s birthstone. Along with rubies, sapphires, pearls and diamonds, emeralds are one of the five recognized precious gemstones. However, while we usually think of diamonds as the rarest of the precious stones, emeralds are actually rarer and often more expensive by weight than diamonds.
Emeralds are also a more fragile stone and are harder to cut, so they should be cut strategically to ensure that their natural fissures don’t surface or appear at the emerald’s corners. Additionally, emeralds are usually oiled to fill in their fractures and to enhance their appearance, but the oiling in no way affects their value.
Emerald Coloring
Emeralds are a type of beryl which get their striking green coloring from chromium (and sometimes vanadium), and unlike diamonds, usually have inclusions. In fact, if you find an emerald without inclusions, it’s most likely a synthetic emerald. The name ‘emerald’ comes from the Greek word ‘smaragdus’, which means green, although emeralds don’t just come in one shade of green; they come in a striking array of green hues from deep, darkish green to bluish green, soft green, grass green, and light green.
Loose Emerald Gemstones
Emerald Durability
Even though they are durable, emeralds chip and crack more easily than diamonds, so setting them adds to the expense of emerald jewelry. Despite this, many consider it the ultimate luxury jewelry. Indeed from emerald engagement rings to emerald pendants, earrings and more, emerald jewelry is breathtaking. Take a look at a few of our favorites below and you’ll see what we mean. Read more about emeralds.
