Emerald is a variety of the mineral species beryl.
Other members of the beryl family include aquamarine, morganite and heliodor (golden beryl).
The name is derived from Greek smaragdos.
It means “green stone” and in early times was referring to all green stones including Emerald.
The coloring agent for real emeralds is chrome.
The color is very stable against light and heat,
although 1300 degrees F and above will cause the color to change.
The earliest recorded mines were located in ancient Egypt.
Most Emeralds are mined from host rock,
deposits are found in biolite schists, clay shales and in limestone.
Emeralds occur in light to dark shades of yellowish green to bluish green.
Inclusions are acceptable in emeralds, and stones of intense green color
with little or no inclusions can command very high prices.
Emeralds are frequently oiled to enhance their beauty.
This process is routinely performed on stones with internal fractures that reach the surface.
Today emeralds are found in
Columbia, Zambia, Brazil, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Russia and Australia.
Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May
and is designated for the 20th and 45th anniversaries.
At Randy’s we have a large selection of fine quality Emeralds stating at about $80 per carat.
Emeralds are a very hard Gem but have a tendency to fracture
so we do not recommend them for use as a pinky ring or men’s rings.