As soon as we hear emerald, a mesmerizing green color gemstone comes to mind. With its rich history, emerald is not just for aristocrats and royal couples in the modern world but ordinary people also prefer this gemstone to adorn their everyday wear jewels. So, if you have a jewelry design in your mind and are confused with a gemstone, there can be many reasons why you should choose an emerald. In this write-up, we will know the success story of emeralds and try to find out what exactly made them a popular choice for jewelry lovers.
About The Gemstone
First, let us learn a little about the green beauty and then we will start exploring the secrets of its popularity.
Occurrence And History
Some estimate that the oldest emeralds are 2.97 billion years old. The gemstones were mined in Egypt as early as 330 BC. Cleopatra is perhaps the most famous historical figure to cherish emerald gemstones. The Egyptians used emeralds both in jewelry and in their elaborate burials, often burying emerald stones with monarchs as symbols of protection. If legends are to be believed then there are countless emeralds in the treasure of Egypt. On the other side of the world, the Muzo Indians of Colombia had well-hidden and prized emerald mines. These mines were so hidden that it took the Spanish conquistadors nearly twenty years to find them.
Physical Characteristics
The appearance of emeralds is sparkling green. It is a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6), which gets its green color from trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium. Let us explore more about the physical properties of this gemstone.
Hardness And 4C
The fair hardness score of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness makes emerald gemstones a preference for jewelry lovers. Having this much score on the hardness scale represents that it cannot be easily scratched with the objects we commonly use in our day-to-day life. Although popular gemstones such as diamonds, ruby and sapphire have greater hardness but for those looking for a green gemstone emerald is the best option.
While talking about the physical properties of a gemstone, we cannot skip its 4Cs because 4Cs tell us every detail about the gemstone. The 4Cs of a gemstone include cut, carat weight, clarity and color. Let us find out what the 4Cs say about this gemstone.
Cut
The cut of a gemstone refers to the biggest shape in which it can be cut by maintaining the minimum number of inclusions. Emerald crystals are mostly eye clean and some of them can be cut into bigger sizes while maintaining clarity.
Clarity
Emeralds, a type of beryl, are inherently a fractured material. It takes millions of years for an emerald to form. Natural fractures and inclusions are part of its beauty and characteristics. Unlike a diamond, there is no official scale that describes an emerald’s clarity, though the degree of flaws varies from gemstone to gemstone.
The impurities are not just accepted as the norm to decide the worth of this gemstone; sometimes, they are admired. The imperfections in an emerald are described as ‘le jardín’, a French word for “the garden.” An emerald’s jardín represents its own uniqueness and is a reminder of its natural formation.
Color
The core color of emerald is green and very slightly bluish-green. Most Colombian emeralds are bluish-green. The optimum sparkling green color of the gemstone is the most expensive one.
Carat Weight
Carat weight refers to the size of a gemstone. It is a simple calculation that bigger gemstones cost higher, but an interesting fact comes to our notice when we check the graph between price and carat weight. After a point price does not increase with the increase in carat weight, the reason is bigger crystals have inclusions. Because of this, all of them are not very expensive. In the case of emeralds, we find eye-clean crystals of a relatively bigger size. So the price graph always goes up with the size in the case of emeralds.
Astrological Benefits
There can be many astrological benefits of this gemstone, but the most prominent one is regarding the financial situation of the wearer. The gemstone uplifts the economic condition of the wearer rapidly. Emerald is the birthstone for May and it also blesses its wearer with good intellect.
Popularity Among Celebrities And Influencers
The popularity of emeralds can be measured by the fact that they can be found in many royal jewelry pieces. Famous celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Victoria Beckham praised emerald by adorning themselves with its jewelry pieces. The popularity of emeralds among celebrities is one of the reasons behind them being the best choice for jewelry.
Price And Availability
Emerald is not very rare. You can find one for yourself very easily. The price of emeralds range from $600 to $23000 per carat. The price variation is broad because emeralds are found in various locations and there are variations in colors. To get the emerald jewelry of your choice, you can explore the local market or wait for the sale in order to get your favorite emerald jewelry at the best price. Variation in prices is also responsible for emerald’s popularity because this is how it becomes easier for everyone to go for emerald jewelry.
This was all about what makes the mesmerizing green gemstone a choice for everyone. So do not wait to follow the league of influencers and celebrities. Now you do not have any doubt about emeralds popularity, so boldly go and get the emerald jewel of your dreams.
By Mariya
Recommended1 recommendationPublished in Uncategorized
