A little about Emeralds, The Birthstone of MAY
The Emerald has always been among some of the most treasured gemstones. This majestic and deeply hued stone enchants royalty like none other. On the Mohs scale of hardness, emerald stands at a 7.5 to 8 and is, therefore, a little softer and more susceptible to scratching than a diamond, which ranks 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
The word “emerald” comes from the ancient Greek word smaragdos which means “green gem”. Emerald is evergreen, literally. It is immensely appreciated and worn today while it was once the most preferred gemstone of Indian royalties. Cleopatra, Egypt’s female Pharaoh, admired this richly hued gem and was known to have a great passion for it, so much so that she would get emeralds heavily used in her royal adornments. Not just that, Emeralds continue to ooze people around the world, from royal regalias to red carpets.
…No colour is more delightful in appearance. For although we enjoy looking at plants and leaves, we regard Emeralds with all the more pleasure because compared with them there is nothing that is more intensely green. – Pliny The Elder –
Where do they come from?
The finest emeralds have been and are still being sourced from Colombia. Colombia has been the largest source of fine emeralds for more than 500 years. The quality of Colombian emeralds is so superior that they act as benchmarks by which the quality of emeralds coming from all other sources are measured. Three major mining sites in Colombia that are the majority suppliers of these quality emeralds are Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez. Each mine produces a range of colours but, mostly darker tones of pure green emeralds come from Muzo, lighter ones in tone come from Chivor and the yellowish green emeralds come from Coscuez.
Healing & Metaphysical Properties
For ages, emeralds have been valued for their unique properties. Emeralds were said to have the that would allow the wearer to be able to see the future. It was believed that it protected one from evil spells. Not just that, it was and is believed that when placed under the tongue, Emeralds were known to be truth revealing stones and wearing them could make one an eloquent speaker. Before modern medicine came into existence and practice, it was believed that emeralds had medical properties and were used to cure diseases like cholera and malaria.
Green is the colour that is associated with hope. This dreamy green stone is said to have an alignment with our heart chakra. It is believed to have healing effects on people both on the physical front as well as the emotional front or in other words the matters of the heart. Be it love or other significant relationship, Emeralds are known to protect them while bringing loyalty, unconditional love, unity and promoting the relationship.
To sum it all up, the Emerald also known as “the birthstone of May” is known to be perfect for one to bring emotional balance and embrace the blooming of life everywhere.
